Betrayed Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Betrayed Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 9, 2016

Costa-Gavras' "Betrayed" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The only bonus on the disc is an original theatrical trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The handsome cowboy

The film opens up with a short prologue in which a controversial radio host (Richard Libertini, Sharky's Machine) is murdered in Chicago. One’s initial reaction is that the dead man might have had a relationship with the mafia, but then one realizes that the killers are actually members of some white supremacist group. The film then quickly moves forward and introduces Katie Phillips/Cathy Weaver (Debra Winger, An Officer and a Gentleman), who is an undercover FBI agent trying to infiltrate the supremacist group in a small mid-western town.

Soon after, Cathy, who happens to be single and very attractive, goes out with Gary Simmons (Tom Berenger, Someone to Watch Over Me), a straight talker who is at the very top of FBI’s list of suspects. Then they meet a few more times and fall madly in love with each other. Their long and candid conversations quickly convince Cathy that the FBI has been targeting the wrong man.

But is Gary really innocent?

The answer is provided long before the final credits pop up. During a special ‘hunting event’ Cathy discovers a very different side of Gary that terrifies her and immediately forces her to reevaluate their relationship and her mission.

The material is good, but the manner in which director Costa-Gavras and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas treat it presents a few problems. There is a part of the film that wants to be taken seriously as a political thriller while taking a closer look at racism and bigotry in contemporary America. In this part, Costa-Gavras slowly infuses the story with that familiar suffocating paranoia that exists in his best European films (see Z, Missing) and one assumes that a clear direction has been chosen. But then the focus of attention is gradually shifted towards Cathy and Gary’s romantic relationship and Cathy’s struggle to decide whether it is worth preserving it. The change is unnatural and leaves the impression that now the film is desperately trying to choose a new identity. Meanwhile, all of the obvious political points are repeatedly hammered in with such intensity that they actually begin to lose some of their effectiveness.

There is actually excellent chemistry between Winger and Berenger, but because their characters are constantly pushed in and out of two completely different realities their entire relationship becomes questionable. The overwhelming majority of their choices after the ‘hunt’ are also incredibly suspicious. In the real world both would have taken completely different risks and avoided the questionable drama that fills up the second and third acts. There are memorable cameos by Ted Levine, who plays one of the more rational and suspicious supremacists, and John Heard, who is Cathy’s former lover and current boss in Chicago.

Costa-Gavras shot the film with French cinematographer Patrick Blossier, whose credits also include Vagabond, My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days, Fidelity, and Days of Glory, amongst others.

Betrayed Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Costa-Gavras' Betrayed arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The release is sourced from an older master, possibly the same master that was used by MGM to produce the old DVD release of Betrayed. Clarity is fairly decent, but depth tends to fluctuate quite a bit. The darker footage, in particular, can look quite thick or flat because shadow definition is far from impressive. There are no traces of recent degraining corrections, but the grain is not as well exposed and resolved as it should be. In fact, it often can appear patchy or unnaturally bulky. Contrast levels are slightly elevated and there are light halo effects that pop up here and there as well (see screencapture #18). Colors are mostly stable but should be much better balanced -- there is a shift towards stronger reds and during daylight scenes highlights appear slightly elevated. Overall image stability is very good. There are no large damage marks or cuts, but a few tiny marks and dots can be spotted. My score is 3.25/5.00. (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).

Betrayed Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track delivers the depth and fluidity one would expect to hear in a late '80s film. On the other hand, Bill Conti's score has a delicate role and only occasionally makes its presence felt. Obviously, the range of nuanced dynamics is rather limited, but the atmosphere never lacks intensity. The dialog is clean, stable, and easy to follow.

Betrayed Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Betrayed. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

Betrayed Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Debra Winger plays a young and beautiful FBI agent who falls madly in love with a man with multiple identities in director Costa-Gavras' thriller Betrayed. There are traces of the intensity and directness that define Costa-Gavras' best work, but the end result here is a film whose identity is questionable. The film looks mostly decent in high-definition, but in certain areas there is plenty of room for serious improvements. Consider adding it to your collections only if you already like it and can find it on sale.