Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

A Pure Formality Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 18, 2020

Giuseppe Tornatore's "A Pure Formality" a.k.a. "Una Pura Formalità" (1994) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the disc is an exclusive new audio commentary by entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Such an honor to meet the great Onoff!

Do not view Giuseppe Tornatore’s A Pure Formality at the end of a long and exhausting day, after your mind has started drifting away and is no longer operating at full capacity. If you do, you are almost certainly going to miss all sorts of crucial references and details that actually make it a very, very interesting film. Your mind needs to be fresh and you have to pay very close attention to what is being said and done before Tornatore's ’s camera -- much in the same way you would be enjoying a special magic trick. The more you hear and see, the more impressed you will be with its final act. Trust me, I am not exaggerating.

The film begins abruptly. There is a gunshot and some shaky visuals. Then in a dark and stormy night a man (Gerard Depardieu) is seen running away from someone or something, without following a path or any directions. He is breathing heavily and the hard rain is making it difficult for him to keep moving forward. But eventually he reaches a desolated country road where a few cops pick him up and transport him to a tiny police station. The man is cold, wet and irritated, and he demands to be released.

But he is told that he has to wait for the Inspector (Roman Polanski) to arrive. He will question him and then let him go. The man again demands to be released and after he rejects a cup of hot milk that is handed to him causes a huge brawl.

Soon after, the Inspector appears, introduces himself, and begins questioning the man, who does not have any identification papers and does not remember much about his activities before his detention. He mumbles and remains visibly irritated.

Following a few tense exchanges, the man finally reveals that his name is Onoff. But not much else because he has trouble remembering his past.

It just so happens, however, that Onoff is the name of a famous local writer whose work the Inspector is obsessed with, which immediately makes the man’s revelation suspicious. But when the Inspector attempts to embarrass the man and prove that he is an impostor by requesting that he quotes texts from his favorite books, the man passes his tests in a brilliant fashion. The dynamic of their conversation then immediately changes, and the Inspector even orders his men to bring in dry clothes and coffee for his ‘guest’.

Despite the Inspector’s new attitude and tone, the man attempts to escape the building when a lighting hits and the power temporarily goes out. He is promptly recaptured in the nearby forest and brought back, looking even more miserable than earlier. The disappointed but still friendly Inspector then informs him that he will be allowed to leave as soon as he is able to confirm his identity and determine that he cannot be a suspect in the murder case his men are working on. That’s it -- a pure formality.

The entire film is loaded with misdirection plays but not of the kind that you would see in a ‘smart’ thriller where a certain a mystery needs to be solved. Here the misdirection plays are actually utilized to expand the viewer’s perception of the playing field where the two protagonists engage each other. It is why carefully listening to what is being said is especially important – it completely changes the nature and significance of interrogation.

The final act is absolutely brilliant. It brings logical closure to the drama but simultaneously makes it suitable for very interesting interpretations that would not have made any sense earlier in the film.

The film very much relies on Depardieu and Polanski’s ability to repeatedly shift the narrative in unexpected directions and then build up the misdirection plays that serve as its foundation, and they do it over and over again in spectacular fashion. Tremendous film.

A Pure Formality Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, A Pure Formality arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by StudioCanal. It is a pretty good organic master, but it comes with limitations that are quite easy to identify even on a midsize screen. For example, delineation and clarity can fluctuate quite a bit, though both are also impacted by the stylistic choices that were made to have the film look as gloomy and dark as it does. In most cases the restricted lighting is the main factor that alters delineation and clarity, but it is very easy to tell that a newer master would significantly improve both and by default depth as well. The good news is that there are no traces of problematic digital adjustments such as sharpening and contrast boosting, so while not optimal the film's overall appearance is still quite nice. The color scheme is stable, but the primaries and the supporting nuances can be fresher and better balanced. Image stability is very good. Some minor flecks and scratches can be spotted, but there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. In summary, the film does look somewhat dated but it still has decent organic qualities. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

A Pure Formality Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

This film deserves to have a 5.1 track because there are some pretty atmospheric sequences with a great deal of effects and dynamic movement, plus Ennio Morricone's intense soundtrack has a very important to play as well, but the 2.0 track sounds great. The audio is very clean and actually has some serious oomph. Predictably, the dialog is very clean and easy to follow.

A Pure Formality Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman shares plenty of interesting information (including some curious anecdotes) about the production of A Pure Formality, its style, and Giuseppe Tornatore's body of work. The commentary contains numerous spoilers, so it is best to listen to it after you have already viewed the film.

• Trailer Gallery - trailers for the following titles from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. Rider on the Rain
  2. The Professional
  3. And Hope to Die
  4. Max and the Junkmen
  5. Farewell, Friend

A Pure Formality Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Viewing A Pure Formality is a lot like witnessing a superb magic trick -- you can see it, it is happening right in front of you, and yet you don't actually see everything unless you figure out the right angle. Can you figure out the right angle while Giuseppe Tornatore engages your mind? It is unlikely, because there are so many terrific misdirection plays in his film that it is practically guaranteed that you will end up going down the wrong rabbit hole looking for a resolution that does not exist. And trust me, when the final act comes you will be completely unprepared for it. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but rather good master that was supplied by StudioCanal. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.