Blutiger Freitag Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Blutiger Freitag Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 2, 2017

Rolf Olsen's "Bloody Friday" a.k.a. "Blutiger Freitag" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German label Subkultur Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include multiple versions of the film; original promotional materials; new audio commentary with Daniela Giordano and Giacomo Di Nicolo; new audio commentary with film historians Pelle Felsch and Christian Kessler; restoration featurette; new documentary feature; and a lot more. The release also arrives with a 16-page illustrated booklet with writings on the film and technical credits. In German, English, Italian or French, with optional English, German and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Let's roll!

Three-quarters of Bloody Friday looks and feels exactly like the type of poliziotteschi that Fernando Di Leo directed during the 1970s. It is raw and gritty, at times borderline offensive macho thriller that embraces violence with such enthusiasm that it almost seems suspicious that it was not conceived exclusively in Italy. It was directed by Austrian-born helmer Rolf Olsen, who had a soft spot for sexy comedies, and was apparently inspired by a true event.

In a busy courthouse, the violent criminal Heinz Klett (Raimund Harmstorf, The Inglorious Bastards), who is waiting to appear in front of a judge that will read his sentence, tricks a couple of naïve guards and then escapes with the help of his pals. They hide in construction zone somewhere in the outskirts of the city and Heinz convinces his right-hand man, Luigi (Gianni Macchia, Madness), that together they could easily rob a branch of Deutche Bank and then reach Australia where they would spend the rest of their lives drinking cocktails on the beach. Luigi then brings in his girlfriend, Heidi (Christine Böhm, Lady Oscar), who has recently found out that she is pregnant, and later on agrees to use the help of her brother, Christian (Amadeus August, TV's Der Kommissar).

Led by the overly temperamental Heinz, the group raids a truck transporting U.S. military supplies and then puts the final touches on a plan that would allow them to take over the bank branch, collect the money, and then safely sneak away. On the day of the robbery, however, a number of unexpected developments force the group to improvise and eventually all hell breaks loose.

Olsen and his team probably operated with a limited budget because it is rather easy to tell that the majority of the outdoor footage was finalized after only a couple of takes. During the final act where the police surround the robbers and a TV reporter begins questioning some random bystanders, for instance, in the back it is frequently easy to spot some seriously concerned individuals that were almost certainly under the impression that there was a genuine heavy police activity underway. So there are definitely a few awkward moments throughout the film, but in the grand scheme of things they actually tend to help the intended quasi-documentary appearance. This of course was a common occurrence in a number of Di Leo’s popular poliziotteschi as well.

The Italian connection, however, becomes perfectly clear in the manner in which Olsen goes overboard with the rough action. Indeed, the enthusiasm for violence and macho posturing that is channeled through the film is so strong that instead of an authentic crime drama it quickly evolves into a borderline exploitation action thriller. Was it all intentional? It is difficult to tell, but if Olsen had something different in mind at least Harmstorf’s performance leaves the impression that he clearly failed to communicate it to the rest of the cast.

This recent Blu-ray release is sourced from a brand new 4K restoration of the film that was completed in Germany by Subkultur Entertainment. It features three versions of the film: an Extended Version (01:41:39) with newly recovered additional scenes that were removed when the film received its theatrical rating from the FSK; the original shorter German Theatrical Version (01:36:42); and an Italian Theatrical Version (01:30:24) which was re-edited and includes an alternate scene shot with original cast members. Unlike the other versions, the Italian Theatrical Version was also hard-matted in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. All three versions of the film come with multiple audio options: German, English, and French for the Extended Version and the German Theatrical Version, and Italian, German, French, and Enlgish audio for the Italian Theatrical Version, as well optional German, English, and French subtitles.

Blutiger Freitag Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rolf Olsen's Bloody Friday arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Subkultur Entertainment.

The release is sourced from a superb new 4K restoration. I projected the Extended Version, and while I don't know exactly what type of work was done during the restoration process, it is beyond obvious that a great deal of care was taken to ensure that the end result is optimized as best as possible. Indeed, depth, clarity and especially fluidity are outstanding, and the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to appreciate the fantastic organic look of the film. The color grading is also very convincing. The primary colors are stable, very healthy, and wonderfully balanced with a wide range of great nuances. There are absolutely no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Image stability is terrific. Cuts, damage marks, debris, and stains have been carefully removed. (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. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Blutiger Freitag Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard tracks for each version of the film: German (Magnetic) DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, German (Optical) DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, and French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. An Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track is included for the Italian Theatrical Version as well. Optional German, German (slang), and English subtitles are provided for the main feature when the first two versions are accessed.

I viewed the longer Extended Version of the film and experimented with the English and German tracks. From what I could tell they both have overdubbing, but the English track appears to be the better choice as most of the actors utter their lines in English. However, if you also choose to view the Extended Version, please keep in mind that during the newly recovered scenes the audio switches to German and you will see English subtitles. Obviously, when the Theatrical Version was finished with the English track, the additional scenes were excluded and almost certainly never overdubbed.

As it is the case with most European genre films from the late '60s and '70s -- and especially Italian genre films with multiple audio tracks featuring overdubbing -- some minor unevenness is occasionally present, but clarity and stability are very good. The German magnetic track seems to have the best depth and the best range of dynamic nuances, but I prefer the English track. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

Blutiger Freitag Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE - EXTENDED VERSION

• Audio Commentary One - this new audio commentary features Daniela Giordano and Giacomo Di Nicolo. The Italian actress explains how she was cast by Rolf Olsen, and discusses the reputation the film earned in Italy, its unique period appearance, the careers of different cast members, an interesting encounter she had with Edwige Fenech and the evolution of Italian cinema during the 70s, etc. It is a really interesting commentary that actually covers a variety of different subjects. In Italian, with optional English and German subtitles.

• Audio Commentary Two - this new audio commentary features film historians Pelle Felsch and Christian Kessler. The bulk of the information is about the production history of Bloody Friday, the structural and stylistic similarities that exist between the film and some of the popular Italian poliziotteschi. German exploitation cinema and Rolf Olsen's diverse body of work, the socio-political climate in Germany during the '70s (with information about the first local bomb attack), the careers of some of the principal actors, etc. In German, with optional English and German subtitles.

• Restoration Information - a short text-format description from Subkultur Entertainment which explains how the Extended Version of Bloody Friday was created. In English.

• A Cold Day - this brand new documentary focuses on the real 1971 bank robbery that inspired Bloody Friday, the production history of of the film, and director Rolf Olsen's working methods. Included in it are new interviews with actors Ursula Erber, Gila von Weitershausen, Claudius Casagrande, Gianni Macchia, Horst Naumann and Daniela Giordano, director of photography Franz X. Lederle, and unit manager Otto Retzer, amongst others. Also included are before-and-after location comparisons as well as archival footage from the robbery coverage. In German, English and Italian, with optional English and German subtitles. (113 min).

• Location Tour - this new featurette visits some of the key locations that are seen in Bloody Friday. With text descriptions. (10 min).

• Restoration Credits - full credits for the new 4K restoration of Bloody Friday. In English or German. (3 min).

• The Restoration - this featurette highlights the dramatic improvements that were made during the restoration process and offers information about the specific work that the folks at Subkultur Entertainment did. With English text. (14 min).

• Alternate Opening Credits and End Titltes - in English and French (without audio). (5 min).

• Archival Textless Opening and Ending - without audio. (4 min).

• Trailer - restored original trailer for Bloody Friday. With English, German, or French audio. (4 min).

• Gallery - a large collection of original promotional materials for Bloody Friday.

• EDV Trailershow - a collection of trailers for the following recent and upcoming Subkultur Entertainment releases:
  
  1. The Brutes
  2. Roots of Evil
  3. Out of Order
  4. Die Spalte

DISC TWO - ITALIAN THEATRICAL VERSION

• About the Versions - additional restoration information about the Italian Theatrical Version of the film. In English.

• Italian Theatrical Version - additional information about this version of the film can be seen in the main film review. In Italian, with optional English and German subtitles.

• Italian Opening Credits - original Italian opening credits. In Italian, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Booklet - 16-page illustrated booklet with writings on the film and technical credits.

Blutiger Freitag Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have seen enough now to categorically state that Subkultur Entertainment is the German equivalent of the Criterion Collection. The folks at the label put a tremendous amount of love and care in their projects and the end result is always hugely impressive. What I personally find most exciting, however, is that the label's primary focus is on cult and genre favorites as well as important but forgotten German films. I have already discovered some very interesting German films and am convinced that the label will have some spectacular surprises in the near future. The latest addition to Subkultur Entertainment's Blu-ray catalog is a stunning new 4K restoration of Rolf Olsen's Bloody Friday, a violent crime thriller from the '70s inspired by a true event that actually mimics the style of some of the popular over-the-top poliziotteschi. If you enjoy Fernando Di Leo's films or Carlo Lizzani's similarly-themed thriller Wake Up and Kill, definitely consider picking up a copy of Bloody Friday for your collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.