Desert Hearts (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

I can watch this movie over&over again, & I have too.😊 I've also read the book it's based off of, but there are some vast differences. This was one of the 1st lesbian movies I ever saw. Anyway, I like that fact that it's set in the late 1950's. Vivien, a university professor from New York, went to Reno for a divorce&got much more than she bargained for when she met Kaye. Kaye was the step daughter of the ranch owner, where Vivien was staying while waiting for her divorce to go thru. They spent time together becoming friends&to Vivien's surprise something more. Kaye liked the fact that Vivien was different than anyone else she'd ever known, cultured. Vivien liked Kaye for her boldness&wild streak that Vivien believed she herself did not possess. I do recommend this movie whether/not you are a lesbian.

A beautiful film. Timeless. Poetic. Erotic. Romantic.Donna Deitch is to be commended for her passion and commitment. If only every director approached their projects like this.Audra Lindley deserved an Oscar nomination.Criterion never disappoints-- Beautiful transfer. Sound is excellent. Fun, informative supplements.I treasure this film and Blu-ray.Bravo.

"You deserve to live somewhere with, or near, someone who sees how wonderful you are-- for exactly who you are."Desert Hearts is painfully, unfairly overlooked. Some people mind find it cliche or slow, looking back on the last 40 years of LGBT cinema, but remember that Desert Hearts was one of the very first. Imagine seeing it without decades of comparison. When the protagonist, Vivian, speaks the line above, she's facing the camera, speaking not only to her companion, but to the audience as well.This film is 6 years older than I am, but rings so true that I know I would not have come out yet if not for it. I spent years in the closet, consuming LGBT media in secret and never really connecting with it. When I finally got around to Desert Hearts, it was almost like meeting myself. I never really identified with a character in the way I identified with Vivian. I found myself watching it over and over, feeling more at home than ever.Regarding this specific product, the director's commentary and extras were totally worth the cost. I also didn't own a DVD player, so it was also worth purchasing one just to watch these DVDs. The quality is as expected for the year.

See movie as it was meant to be seen and heard on his beautiful Criterion version. Marvelous soundtrack to capture the atmosphere throughout. The bonus features are outstanding. Director Donna Deitch gives an excellent explanation of film making from director to location to cast and enjoyed seeing the two stars, Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau, discuss the movie thirty-some years after the movie was made. Lots of interesting and fun information in the bonus features.

Few lesbian movies have been able to measure up to this groundbreaking film. While most movies today dissolve into minutes-long sex scenes, in Desert Hearts the character development between the main and supporting cast really made this an experience that stuck to me. The women are portrayed as genuine people, not models who are just being eye candy. Give this a view if you want a film with meaning.

This is a little known older movie which was released in the mid 1980's. It has a great story, superb acting, and lots of wonderful music. The movie has a lesbian theme and includes a brief love scene. Both are very tastefully done. I rented the movie on Amazon, and enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy for my library.

I remember when I first saw this movie, I was around 25 years old. There weren’t too many lesbian films out there in the mid 80’s. At least not ones where heterosexual men weren’t influencing the story. I had read the book and to my surprise the movie was very good. The movie is set around the late 50’s but the story stands the test of time. It is one movie that I think every Womyn who has experienced there first love can relate to it. It’s professionally done well and it’s a great movie to watch on date night.

Donna Deitch's film is still unique among lesbian-themed films. With great craft and artistry, it tells a story of two seemingly mismatched people who fall in love - both, for the first time - and follows that story to a conclusion that's both honest and positive. Made independently, it eschews the usual studio cop-outs of an unresolved bisexual triangle, suicide, or the ever-popular "it was just a phase." The performances are uniformly solid, the cinematography is sharp and gorgeous, and even the period detail of 1959 Reno is spot-on throughout. This is a lush and beautiful romance, and it's frankly amazing that there are so few other films like it. A couple of decades before The Kids Are Alright and The L Word, this little film proved that there was (and still is) a market for this kind of material, but for some reason, no one's really exploiting it. If the subject matter is of interest to you, it seems unlikely that you haven't seen this film already. If you somehow haven't, do so immediately.

This was the first movie I saw where the woman didn't go back to the man. It was an inspiration! Things are very different today but back when this was first shown on TV in the 90's it was amazing. It was like a eureka moment! I love this movie. I normally watch a film once and that's it. This has been watched over and over. Cay is pretty hot too! The sex scene is a bit tepid but the rest of the movie makes up for it. A lovely film - highly recommended.

A beautifully crafted film, illuminated by excellent performances from the two female leads, that conveys a vivid sense of time, place and of love. It is even better than the novel upon which it is based (A Desert of the Heart) and that is rarely, in my experience, the case.

Arrived on time, fine movie with a very good cast, enjoyed very much.

Good story

Ahh an old lesbian favourite. For today's standards it's a bit tame in the bedroom department, but as for telling a love story it's just fine. Acting and script stand the test of time and it will be a classic for years to come.