Contraband Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Contraband Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 22, 2025

Lucio Fulci's "Contraband" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shameless Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with star Fabio Testi; new video eassy by critic Stephen Thrower; archival program with Antonella Fulci; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It wasn't me, son.

It is good to place the drama in Lucio Fulci’s Contraband in a proper context for several different reasons. Obviously, the best reason is that it will help you understand why the Camorra (the Neapolitan mafia) took control of the city decades ago and continues to rule it. It will also help you understand why Contraband tells a story that various other films, old and more recent, have repeatedly tackled. (One such good film from the same era, but not as popular as Contraband, that you can grab on Blu-ray is Alfonso Brescia’s The New Godfathers).

In the 1960s, Naples's massive unemployment crisis began shifting large portions of the working class toward the quickly expanding Camorra. By the 1970s, entire neighborhoods became involved in the contraband business, and because it was a source of steady income, they naturally evolved into strongholds for the Camorra. Despite sustained pressure from the North, which Neapolitans have always disliked, the Camorra continued to thrive, and eventually the contraband business began influencing developments in the entire South. Also, in the late 1960s and 1970s, the Camorra partnered with other international criminal organizations that helped it reach markets as far away as Africa and South America. Instead of dealing contraband cigarettes and whiskey, the dealers working for the Camorra then started flooding the South with drugs. It was a very good business for the Camorra, but the money it generated destroyed the local working class and transformed Naples into one of the most dangerous cities in Europe.

In Contraband, the drama is a byproduct of the expansion and transformation of the contraband business that began during the 1960s. An outsider, The Marsigliese (Marcel Bozzuffi), arrives in Naples determined to form a profitable partnership with one of the big local clans. The Marsigliese and his criminal group can supply cheap drugs, but need a reliable partner with access to the massive contraband network, willing to switch from importing cigarettes to distributing drugs. After several local bosses refuse to discuss a merger with The Marsigliese, everyone realizes that a violent confrontation, with unpredictable ripple effects, is inevitable. As tensions rapidly rise, Luca DiAngelo (Fabio Testi), a pragmatic young mafioso, loses his older brother (Enrico Maisto), a veteran contrabandist and leader. DiAngelo vows to avenge his death, assuming that his murder was ordered by an old competitor (Ferdinando Murolo), but while taking advice from another influential contrabandist (Saverio Marconi), he gradually begins to realize that his deconstruction of recent events is incorrect.

Fulci’s reexamination of Naples’s underworld is a lot like the one chronicled in the recent magnificent Italian TV series Gomorrah. It is just much shorter and not as densely populated with special characters whose criminal ambitions, rise to power, and inevitable self-destruction can reveal as much about Naples and its sad transformation.

The other unmissable similarity between Contraband and Gomorrah is that both are obsessed with hyperrealism, and their management of it often pushes them into a territory visited by many exploitation films. Obviously, Contraband is easier to accuse of being an exploitation film because it tolerates attitudes and actions that were very common in such films. However, as odd as it may sound, some of the ugliest material in Contraband and Gomorrah is in fact the most authentic.

Naples has been a major character in many crime films because it has a very dark history that does not need to be embellished by ambitious screenwriters. If examined closely, it would easily reveal disturbing stories suitable for a fascinating crime film. While Contraband is not a historically accurate film, it tells one such disturbing story, whose characters are pretty decent replicas of the real criminals that ruined Naples.

Other cast members include Guido Alberti, Venantino Venantini, Luciano Rossi, Fabrizio Jovine, Ajita Wilson, and Cintia Lodetti.

Fulci shot Contraband with frequent collaborator Sergio Salvati, who lensed arguably his two biggest films, Zombie and The Beyond.

Contraband 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, Contraband arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Schemeless Entertainment.

I have three other releases of Contraband in my library, two DVD releases and one Blu-ray release, and they all offer presentations of it that are rather underwhelming. One of the reasons is that some parts of Contraband were shot with unique filters, and all of these releases have different interpretations of the correct appearance of these parts. While not ideal, this Blu-ray release offers the most satisfying presentation of Contraband that I have seen to date. In fact, there are only a few areas where I feel that primary blue should have been a bit more prominent, and elsewhere several light yellow hues toned down a bit. However, on my system, the overall color balance still looked very nice, and in some areas, like the footage from the nightclub where Fabio Testi is introduced to Ajita Wilson, even great. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to excellent. However, you should be prepared to see various density fluctuations, some of which, when coupled with the effects of the filters, can introduce flatness. This is not a weakness of the presentation. Yes, in an ideal world the sharpness levels should be a tad better, but all of these fluctuations are inherited. (They are also present on the DVD releases I have, and on the other Blu-ray release). There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. I noticed a few tiny blemishes that could have been eliminated with digital tools, but there are no large and distracting marks, cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. In summary, I think that this is the best presentation Contraband has received on Blu-ray to date. My score is 4.25/5.00 (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).

Contraband Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH (for the English track) and English (for the Italian track) subtitles are provided.

The English track should be considered the film's original track, or at least by anyone viewing the film outside of Italy. However, both tracks feature overdubbing. This means that if you sit down to view the film with the English track, you should be prepared to hear some unevenness and voice timbres that are not authentic. This is how the English track was finalized. The other important bit of information is that the English track is very healthy. While during the action material its dynamic intensity is predictable modest, there are some good dynamic contrasts. The upper register is healthy and stable.

Contraband Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Naples Connection - an exclusive new program, star Fabio Testi reveals how he was introduced to a real crime boss from Naples who became a co-producer of Contraband and helped get the film finished, and discusses the shooting of the apparently very risky footage with the speedboats (all used by real Neapolitan contrabandists), Lucio Fulci's difficult personality and hateful attitude toward actors, and his greatness as a creator of the (Italian) zombie genre. Testi also has some very interesting comments about cinematographer Sergio Salvati, who worked with Fulci on some of his best films, Zombie and The Beyond. In Italian, with English subtitles. (23 min).

• Video Essay - this new video essay was created by critic Stephen Thrower. The bulk of the information that is shared in the essay addresses the production history and distribution of Contraband, the violent/graphic visuals in it, the cast that was assembled for it and other work the stars did, and Lucio Fulci's direction and legacy. In English, not subtitled. (59 min).

• Daddy Dearest - in this archival program, Antonella Fulci, daughter of Lucio Fulci, discusses her father's cinematic legacy and working methods. In Italian, with English subtitles. (36 min).

• Alternate Opening Scene - the original opening sequence utilizes day-for-night filter. This was reference-checked against original 35mm elements and confirmed with a period positive print. The full-color version is presented here as an alternate opening.

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage Italian poster art for Contraband.

Contraband Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While the transformation of the Naples underworld lasted, it produced fascinating violent characters and stories, many of which have been used and misused in various crime films. Lucio Fulci's Contraband is not a historically accurate film, it is a predictably violent and graphic Fulci film. However, as odd as it may sound, some of the ugliest material in it is the most authentic. When the Naples crime clans began clashing for dominance in the late 1960s and 1970s because drug distribution provided vastly better profits than the sale of contraband cigarettes and whiskey, there were a lot of shocking executions like the ones seen in Fulci's film. This upcoming Blu-ray release offers the most convincing presentation of Contraband that I have seen to date. It also has a terrific exclusive new program with its star, Fabio Testi. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.