Blood Hunt Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Blood Hunt Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 14, 2023

Javier Elorrieta's "Blood Hunt' a.k.a. "The Night of Rage" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with the director and restored original trailer for the film. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It would be interesting to confirm exactly why Javier Elorrieta’s film had to have its title altered before it reached American shores. The title that Elorrieta gave the film in 1985 is La noche de la ira, which should have been translated into English as The Night of Rage. Following an exclusive new 2K restoration, the original title was preserved and Severin’s presentation of the 2K restoration uses it to introduce the film in English as The Night of the Rage. However, on the cover of Severin’s release, the film is promoted as Blood Hunt.

International films routinely had their titles altered before they reached American shores, didn’t they? Yes, they did. So, why is it surprising that The Night of Rage became Blood Hunt? It is not surprising, but it is unfortunate, and I would like to explain why because it will help you understand the film Elorrieta shot.

Many international films, specifically Italian genre films that were made between the early 1960s and late 1980s, routinely had their titles altered before they reached American shores so that they are easier to promote. Many Italian directors and actors routinely used Americanized aliases so that they can improve the international appeal of these films as well. This is not breaking news. But in the case of Elorrieta’s film, which is a one hundred percent Spanish film, it appears that either an American distributor made a big mistake or the Spanish producers that controlled its rights intentionally altered its title before they began selling it to foreign clients. It is unclear who did what but it is practically guaranteed that the alternative English title doomed the film’s chances of making the right impression, which means that it was not judged properly.

Blood Hunt prepares for a very wild genre film, which The Night of Rage is not.

The Night of Rage is very easy to compare to the many internationally acclaimed films Carlos Saura directed. In fact, I would enthusiastically place it right next to The 7th Day which is one of Saura’s best films. Also, and this is a crucial detail, I think that everything that makes The Night of Rage easy to link to The 7th Day is the very reason the former was retitled Blood Hunt.

Elorrieta asked screenwriter Joaquin Oristrell to turn his original story The Hunt into a screenplay and directed a very Spanish film with a unique social commentary. The film tells the story of a middle-aged doctor (Patxi Andion) who arrives in a seemingly idyllic village somewhere in the Spanish countryside and then accidentally stirs up a hornet’s nest. A single beauty (Beatriz Elorrieta) whom the doctor befriends advises him to leave so that he avoids serious trouble, but he chooses to stand his ground, and soon after all hell breaks loose. As summarized, the story does seem most appropriate for a straightforward genre film, but its many layers dramatically expand it and ultimately move the spotlight away from the doctor.

In The Night of Rage, almost exactly as in The 7th Day, a tragic past event becomes the catalyst for a fierce clash of Spanish concepts of law, order, honor, and forgiveness. However, while the rivaling sides are instantaneously identified, their behavior is used to alter the viewer’s perception of right and wrong practically until the very end. In other words, choosing a morally superior side and accepting its definitions of right and wrong becomes quite a challenge. It is perhaps an even bigger challenge if one is not a Spaniard.

In the end, Elorrrieta provides a conclusive resolution and one of the sides emerges victorious, but most interestingly, The Night of Rage does not declare it a winner. It is because the arguments of the victorious side make sense only if the bigger picture is ignored, but given the nature of the drama and conclusive resolution, this is absolutely impossible.

Blood Hunt Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Blood Hunt arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films.

The release is sourced from a very solid organic 2K master that was apparently struck from the original camera negative. Excluding a few blemishes and small marks that could have been removed with digital tools, I think that the overall quality of the visuals is great. On my system, delineation, clarity, and depth ranged from very good to excellent. Density levels were quite impressive as well. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments, such as degraining and sharpening. The new 2K master is very nicely graded, too. The primaries look lush and healthy, while the supporting nuances are convincingly balanced. There are a few highlights that could have been managed a bit better, but they are certainly not problematic. Image stability is good. I think that ideally the dynamic range of the visuals could be better, with the daylight footage benefiting the most, but for this type of improvement would materialize only if the film was available to see in native 4K. Very solid presentation. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Blood Hunt Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

I did not encounter any technical anomalies to report in our review. The dialog was always very clear, sharp, stable, and easy to follow. There are areas with noticeable dynamic fluctuations, but it is quite easy to tell that this is how the original soundtrack was finalized. The upper register is very healthy. The best dynamic contrasts are at the end of the film, during the big shootout. The English translation is excellent.

Blood Hunt Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a newly restored original trailer for Blood Hunt. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (5 min).

• Night of Rage - in this new program, director Javier Elorrieta recalls how Blood Hunt came to exist and how his original story that inspired it was altered by screenwriter Joaquín Oristrell, and discusses its unique Spanish identity and themes. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (21 min).

Blood Hunt Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Javier Elorrieta swears that Blood Hunt was not conceived to mimic the work of Sam Peckinpah or any famous American genre films. I saw Blood Hunt for the first time a couple of nights ago and did not think for a second that it was a copycat. At the end of it, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was a very Spanish film with a unique social commentary. I liked it so much that I would enthusiastically place it next to some of Carlos Saura's big films. (If you enjoy Blood Hunt, pick up a copy of Saura's The 7th Day while it is still available). Severin's Blu-ray release is sourced from a gorgeous new 2K master and features a terrific program with Elorrieta. It is Region-Free, too. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.