Redbelt

David Mamet takes the critically disreputable genre of the martial arts thriller and transforms it into a modern day samurai drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor (all quiet dignity and modesty) is the poor but proud jujitsu instructor, the honorable warrior pulled into the dishonorable world of Hollywood deal-making and pay-per-view fight events manipulated for big ratings. For all the terrific fight sequences, the screenplay is pure Mamet and the cast members (troubled attorney Emily Mortimer, shady agent Joe Mantegna, self-loathing actor Tim Allen, unscrupulous event promoter Ricky Jay) practically live in his dialogue and his conflicts. It's glorious pulp fiction elevated to genre art, full of Mamet's cynicism about the corruption of big business and his romantic ideals of men dedicated to a higher purpose, and defined by Mamet's trademark dialogue and his distinctive take on the machismo of the fight film genre: the confidence of strength, the courage of modesty, and the professional grace of a fighter who uses the least amount of effort and movement to achieve his goal.

The commentary by director/writer Mamet and co-star/UFC champion Randy Couture, no surprise, ends up talking a lot about martial arts history and philosophy -- you can tell that's a bond between these two guys. The 19-minute "Behind the Scenes of Redbelt," featuring most of the stars and many of Mamet's behind-the-scenes collaborators, is much more focused on the film and Mamet's working style and philosophy. "If I can't write better than they can ad lib," he remarks, "I should just go home." The "Q&A With David Mamet" is from an onstage interview moderated by Kent Jones, with a thoughtful Mamet allowing himself to get a little more cerebral. The balance of the supplements focus on the martial arts culture: the 19-minute "Inside Mixed Martial Arts"; video "Fighter Profiles" on the featured fighters in the film; and "An Interview With Dana White," the president of the UFC. Also available on Blu-ray format, which gives a little more clarity to the crisp wide-screen photography.