Santa Sangre (1989/Severin Films Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B- Extras: A Film: B
Finally, Santa Sangre has been released in the U.S.,
and on Blu-ray, no less! Those who have
been waiting years for the film to become available are now handsomely rewarded
with this disc. It looks and sounds
brilliant, and has been loaded with special features, but we'll get to that in
a minute.
A
strangely beautiful story, the focus is on Fenix, a man who was once a circus
performer as a child. He has been left
without a family as a result of an affair between his father and a tattooed
woman. After his wife catches him in an
act of infidelity, she is vengeful, and burns his genitals with acid. In turn, he cuts off her arms before he
staggers naked out into the street and slits his throat.
Having no
choice but to watch this unfold, Fenix is left mentally damaged by the
experience, and eventually finds himself institutionalized. After hearing his mother's voice calling out
to him one night, he escapes from his confines and a string of murders begin to
occur.
The films
and filmmakers to have impacted the look of Santa Sangre are numerous, and it's hard to catch all of these
influences in one go. They run the gamut
from Hitchcock and classic art films, to Universal Monster movies and Italian
giallo pictures. This collision of
styles creates an experience unlike any other film, one that is just as rich
for the mind as it is for the eyes, and compliments the story rather well.
The
picture quality is excellent on this disc, and with visuals as striking as
this, you should experience it on no less a format if you have access to a
Blu-ray player. It is presented in full
1080p high definition, with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Sound quality is also good, with options for
English DTS-HD 2.0 stereo, as well as Italian 2.0 stereo and a Spanish track in
mono.
The sheer
amount of bonus content on the disc is overwhelming, and it is a pleasant
surprise that so much of it is well-produced. There is a making-of documentary, a commentary
track, deleted scenes, trailers, as well as additional interviews and a Q &
A panel. There's even a short film from
one of Jodorowsky's sons and a music video.
Though
the film represents Alejandro Jodorowsky’s most cohesive effort, it is still a
whirlwind of an experience filled with beautiful imagery and lurid colors, and
no less dreamlike than his earlier films, El
Topo and The Holy Mountain. This Blu-ray edition from Severin preserves
the film spectacularly, and comes highly recommended for anyone seeking to
expand their horizons, as well as their high-def library.
- David
Milchick
