Barbarella 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Barbarella 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 27, 2023

Barbarella is one of those films that lots of people know about, but where a surprisingly small number seem to have actually watched it, at least all the way through. As a supplement included with this release mentions, the film may be more of a "vibe" than offering an actual storyline, and as such it's appropriately late sixties in that it offers an unabashed psychedelic sensibility that, like many hallucinations (or so I've been told), doesn't make a lot of sense, even if it's often mind blowing to simply see. In its original version (it was later redacted for those pesky Puritan attitudes in the United States), Barbarella famously begins with a zero gravity striptease by its titular character (played by Jane Fonda, of course), and that sets the stage, so to speak, for a freewheeling enterprise that features gonzo goings on with as it turns out a rather unexpectedly relatively chaste presentation, despite some libidinous subtext. Pop culture zeitgeist monitors will already be aware that iconic band Duran Duran kinda sorta lifted their name from a supporting character called Durand Durand (Milo O'Shea), though not everyone may know that the band's name was sparked by John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Stephen Duffy catching a UK broadcast of the film, which at least argues that they watched it (even if it's unclear whether they made it to the end or not).

In a future that is never clearly delineated by an ostensible year, spacewoman Barbarella is tasked by the President of Earth (Claude Dauphin) to find Durand Durand (Milo O'Shea), your everyday "mad scientist" type who has invented a weapon of mass destruction. Barbarella crash lands on the planet where Durand Durand might be, but is almost instantly swept up in what in psychedelic terms might be called a very bad trip. She's taken prisoner by weird little kids who feel like they're in a bus and truck version of the And the Children Shall Lead episode from Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 , which kind of weirdly originally aired virtually on the same date that the film premiered (speaking of pop culture zeitgeist and all). The kids unleash some killer Dolls (again, so to speak), but soon enough a semi-responsible adult named Mark Hand (Ugo Tognazzi) shows up to rescue our damsel in distress.

Hand asks for a rather piquant "reward" for having rescued Barbarella, something that ostensibly plays into a "new, improved" Mankind and a supposed lack of need for physical intimacy, something that is probably decidedly at odds with some of the depictions offered later in the film. What ultimately ensues, though, is a vignette driven enterprise when Barbarella crash lands again (she's evidently a woman driver, and, yes, that's a bad joke), and is soon being fondled by a blonde angel named Pygar (John Philip Law). The hallucinogenic nature of this film may almost automatically invite referents, but Pygar would seem to have provided a bit of production design inspiration for the later Brewster McCloud. A number of completely preposterous perils confront Barbarella and Pygar as they attempt to deal with some patently cartoonish villains who might have been right at home in an old Flash Gordon serial. It probably goes without saying that Barbarella finally does encounter Durand Durand, though perhaps not in the way she assumed.

Barbarella kind of flirts with being libertine, but kind of hilariously never completely goes there. The plot repeatedly alludes to orgiastic sex but is actually kind of weirdly restrained, despite the nudity that can occasionally be spotted. Instead, there's kind of a sweet naivete about the proceedings, as befits its kind of innocent focal character. The production design is a veritable riot of midcentury excess, including walls clad in shag carpeting and a kind of retro-futuristic design aesthetic.

Barbarella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from Arrow's standalone 1080 release. While there is a 1080 disc in this set, it's the second disc of Bonus Features, so the 2K score for video above is still left blank since the feature film is only presented in 4K.

Barbarella is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Arrow Video with an HEVC/ H. 265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.35:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the restoration:

Barbarella is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with restored original mono English and French audio and new English 5.1 and Atmos presentations. The isolated music score is also included.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K 16 bit at Fotokem, Burbank. Sections of an original 35mm interpositive were also scanned in 4K 16 bit to replace sections in poor condition on the original negative. The film was restored and graded in 4K SDR, HDR10 and Dolby Vision by Silver Salt Restoration, London.

The restoring of the original mono English and French audio tracks was completed at Bad Princess Productions, London.

The Atmos and 5.1 mixes were created using the original mono DM tracks at Deluxe Audio London.

I watched Arrow's 1080 version before matriculating over to this one, and I had a bit of a Pavlovian pre-response when I saw the at times extremely heavy grain on display in the 1080 presentation due to the glut of old school composited effects and other opticals like dissolves, but I have to say my fears were largely unwarranted, as this preserves a, yes, very healthy layer of grain at times, but also provides a grain field that is remarkably tightly resolved for the most part. There are some definitely ragged looking moments, like some of the mist strewn alien environments where grain plus effects may provide occasional challenges for the compressionist, and other moments where grain can be a bit chunky and yellow, but on the whole this has an appealingly organic appearance. Detail levels can enjoy some subtle but still noticeable upticks in this version, typically on things like textures on costumes or some of the accoutrements like Pygar's wings. The most noticeable difference between the 1080 version and this one, though, may be the additional highlights to the already extremely expressive palette that HDR and/or Dolby Vision offer. There is a virtual explosion of color in this film, and this 4K UHD version really shows it off quite impressively.

Barbarella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Barbarella has a host of audio options, as outlined above in the verbiage reprinted from the insert booklet. As I tend to do, I toggled between the three English language tracks and found all three enjoyable on their own merits, even if the 5.1 and Atmos offerings feature a more robust overall mix, especially with regard to midrange and low end score and effects. The Atmos track is really not overly showly in terms of providing a wealth of verticality, but it offers secure immersion and some arguable extra "oomph" in some effects sequences. The mono track is really rather nice sounding on its own, even if it can't match the force of the surround offerings. Dialogue, effects and score are all presented without any issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

Barbarella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Commentary by Tim Lucas


• Isolated Score Track is presented in LPCM Mono. I am an unabashed and unapologetic fan of Charles Fox and Bob Crewe's contributions to this film. For those interested in obscure cover versions, there's this kinda sorta cover version of "An Angel is Love" in Icelandic. There may have been a production snafu or perhaps some licensing issues, as neither the opening theme nor the closing theme (the aforementioned "An Angel is Love") play, but other cues do.


• Alternative Opening Credits (HD; 2:21)


• Alternative Closing Credits (HD; 1:16)

Disc Two

• Another Girl, Another Planet (HD; 23:03) is a fun appreciation by Glenn Kenny.


• Barbarella Forever! (HD; 14:54) is a behind the scenes featurette with footage shots by Paul Joyce in 1967.


• Love: Tim Lucas and Steve Bissette on Barbarella (HD; 1:53:20) is a really engaging Zoom like conversation between these two Barbarella fans.


• Dress to Kill (HD; 31:30) features Elizabeth Castaldo Lunden discussing costume designer Jacques Fontenay's contributions to the film.


• Framing for Claude (HD; 17:12) is a kind of sweet piece featuring camera operator Roberto Girometti. The Claude referenced in the title is Claude Renoir. Subtitled in English.


• Tognazzi on Tognazzi (HD; 21:56) features Ricky Tognazzi, son of Ugo. Subtitled in English.


• An Angel's Body Double (HD; 24:26) features Fabio Testi, who rather incredibly was a body double for John Phillip Law. Subtitled in English.


• Dino and Barbarella (HD; 14:27) is a video essay by Eugenio Ercolani which explores Dino de Laurentiis' connection to the project.


• Promotional Material

  Trailer (HD; 3:21)

  
  

  US TV Spot (HD; 00:55)

  
  

  US Radio Spots (HD; 2:55) play to key art.

• Image Gallery (HD)

Additionally, this is another sumptuously packaged limited edition from Arrow, with a nicely designed slipbox housing the keepcase with a reversible sleeve, a double sided fold out poster, and a beautiful illustrated collector's booklet with a number of interesting essays and a reprint of the original 1968 pressbook. The keepcase also houses six double sided collector's postcards.

Barbarella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Another 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, famously advertised itself as "the ultimate trip", but Barbarella may be a suitable runner up. The "plot" is largely nonsensical but the production design is absolutely gobsmacking. Technical merits are solid, and as usual Arrow has assembled a really impressive array of supplements, along with very handsome packaging and non disc swag. Recommended.