Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Crimes of Passion Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 21, 2016

Ken Russell never really subscribed to the “less is more” ethos, preferring instead an “excess is best” approach. Russell’s fascinating filmography is filled to the brim with outré offerings, including several biographies of composers (The Music Lovers, Mahler, Lisztomania), adaptations of literary classics (Women in Love, The Devils), musicals (Tommy, The Boy Friend), as well as occasional forays into science fiction (Altered States) and even quasi-horror (Gothic , The Lair of the White Worm). Even with all of that, Russell’s 1984 opus Crimes of Passion holds a special place in the director’s oeuvre. What exactly is this film, anyway? It’s a question that may actually be more salient for those who’ve seen it already than for those wondering about it as newcomers. Crimes of Passion toys with several niches (if not outright genres) in its tale of a fashion designer named Joanna Crane (Kathleen Turner) who “moonlights” as a working girl named China Blue. China’s adventures in the prostitution trade bring her into contact with a whole coterie of odd types, none odder than a Bible thumping “street reverend” named Peter Shayne (Anthony Perkins). Ostensibly more “normal” is a surveillance expert named Bobby Grady (John Laughlin), who is hired to tail Joanna since she’s suspected of stealing haute couture designs, but who then gets wrapped up (literally) with Joanna’s alter ego since Grady’s own marriage to the sweet if somewhat dowdy Amy (Annie Potts) isn’t exactly a wonderland of sexual delights. Russell, who kind of reminds me of the directorial equivalent of Hunter S. Thompson, goes for the gonzo gusto at virtually every turn (and/or Turner) of Crimes of Passion, and reactions to the film will probably depend on just how tolerant various viewers are of Russell’s tendency to push comfort envelopes and indulge in stylistic whimsy.

Russell’s repeated conflicts with censors has become the stuff of cinematic legend, though it’s notable that the director often ended up winning various battles, and perhaps therefore ultimately the war, at least as evidenced by a more freewheeling and overt sensibility toward sexual matters that he helped to usher in with sequences like the infamous wrestling scene in Women in Love. Crimes of Passion fairly wallows in a seedy ambience at various points, and not necessarily just in its depiction of China’s various exploits. There’s a recurring vignette of the “good” (?) reverend at a peep show where he’s repeatedly huffing amyl nitrate (Russell and screenwriter Barry Sandler aver in the commentary on this Blu-ray that Perkins was indeed sniffing the “real stuff”). Later, once the reverend has become infatuated with China, he sets up shop in a grimy flat next to her “work place” and spies on her (and her many lovers) through a hole in the wall. These elements, along with the fact that Grady is surveilling her, may remind some of Michael Powell’s infamous Peeping Tom, a film which seriously stalled Powell’s career. By contrast, Russell had never really been part of the “establishment” in the same way Powell was, but it’s interesting to note that Crimes of Passion ended up being Russell’s last American film.

Crimes of Passion is pretty racy stuff at times, even by a “traditional” Russell yardstick. (The film is presented in two versions on the Blu-ray, with the Director’s Cut being even more explicit.) Russell indulges in various visual conceits, including intercutting sex scenes with illustrations from various archival erotic texts (something he states in the commentary drove the censors crazy). One of the first views of China is especially provocative, with her lying back spread eagled on a gynecological chair while one of her clients pleasures her orally. Later, she pleasures him orally and the graphic nature of the scene is perhaps best indicated by the fact that Russell indicates in the commentary that the guy’s “excitement” was achieved by shoving a broom handle down his pants and that the ultimate “resolution” was depicted by a dab of yogurt on Turner’s lips. If any of this strikes readers as objectionable, chances are Crimes of Passion is probably not going to be acceptable viewing material for them.

The film ultimately tips over into something approaching Grand Guignol as Reverend Shayne becomes increasingly unhinged and China’s interactions with various fetishists makes it clear she’s playing with dynamite, one way or the other. Russell’s penchant for goofiness may ultimately defeat some of the film’s dramatic momentum, but Crimes of Passion is an eyeful (albeit an awfully seedy eyeful at times, no pun intended) and it provides Turner with one of her most deliciously over the top roles (she drifts in and out of various speech patterns as she assumes her various “identities”). Those already well indoctrinated into the hyperbolism of Ken Russell will find typical Russellian flourishes in abundance here and will probably be willing to cut the film some slack as a result. Those who haven’t indulged in Russell’s particular (and at time peculiar) sensibilities had best take a very deep breath before sitting down for what is a dark but entertaining carnival ride through madness and mayhem.

Crimes of Passion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Crimes of Passion is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with two versions (see supplemental info for details) encoded via AVC and presented in 1080p with 1.85:1 aspect ratios. For the record, screenshots 1-10 are from the Director's Cut and screenshots 11-19 are from the Unrated Cut. Additionally screenshots 20 and 21 provide extra information about the two versions. Arrow's typically informative booklet contains the following verbiage about the restoration:

Crimes of Passion has been exclusively restored in 2K resolution for this release by Arrow Films and is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with stereo sound. (Note: Whoops! Somebody goofed! See the audio section below.)

The original 35mm interpositive was scanned in 2K resolution at Fotokem. Picture grading was completed on a DaVinci Resolve at Pinewood Studios. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and light scratches were removed using PFClean software. Overall image stability and instances of density fluctuation were also improved. All restoration work was completed at Pinewood Studios.

Tape materials were sourced to complete the longer Director's Cut Version, as they represented the best quality materials available.

As should probably be expected given the above, the Unrated Cut has a more homogeneous looking appearance than the somewhat cobbled together Director's Cut. Even with that said, though, there are still noticeable variances in clarity, sharpness and especially grain resolution and management from shot to shot in both versions. Compare, for example, screenshot 2 (and its counterpart 12), one with manifestly chunkier grain and coarseness, with screenshot 1 (and its counterpart 11) for just some indication of the differences in store. Though the restoration efforts apparently addressed both stability and density, there are still minor bugaboos in both categories with opening credits just a bit wobbly in both versions and densities looking a bit shallow in several sequences (see screenshots 9 and 19). The palette is rather healthy looking overall, nicely supporting the purple and blue hues that Russell and director of photography Dick Bush exploit. Detail levels are somewhat variable, especially in the Director's Cut, but in decent lighting and especially when close-ups are employed, they're quite good, offering nice support for elements like China's brittle wig or even the ribbed cover of Shayne's Bible.

Crimes of Passion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

To quote a certain crime solving Great Dane: Ruh Roh. The booklet accompanying Crimes of Passion discusses a 4 track stereo mix, but the Blu-ray disc only contains a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track for both versions. However, before folks start clamoring for Arrow heads to roll, the IMDb lists the film as having been released in mono, so if I were to hazard a guess, I'd simply say that the booklet was wrong (if any folks can provide authoritative information about a stereo release of the film, please pass it along and I'll happily update the review—some cursory Googling done at the time of researching background for the review turned up nothing that even addressed this issue, and certainly nothing I would term authoritative in any case). While a stereo track would have probably given better support for Rick Wakeman's synth heavy score (utilizing reworked cues from Antonin Dvorak), what's here is actually quite robust sounding, providing ample support for the score. Interestingly, the commentary by Russell and Sandler details some distortion in the original (on the set) recordings which were apparently ameliorated by post looping, and I personally noticed nothing that I would term problematic in terms of crackling or other distractions.

Crimes of Passion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Director's Cut (1:52:35) and Unrated Cut (1:46:46) are included. See screenshots 20 and 21 for additional information on each version.


• Audio Commentary features Ken Russell and Barry Sandler.


• Barry Sandler: Life of Crime (1080p; 22:07) is a fun interview with the film's writer and producer.


• Rick Wakeman: Composing for Ken (1080p; 28:54) is another really interesting interview, featuring frequent Russell collaborator, iconic keyboard player Rick Wakeman.


• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 19:55) are obviously up-rezzed from pretty shoddy looking video. There's an optional commentary track.


• It's a Lovely Life (1080i; 3:14) is a Russell directed music video featuring Wakeman's music that was released on MTV as part of the film's promotional packet. This contains a submenu item labeled Gallery (1080p) which is a rather interesting selection of shoot related material.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 1:41)

Crimes of Passion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For better or worse, I have always kinda sorta loved Ken Russell's over the top antics, and so that probably made me more partial to Crimes of Passion's unbridled excesses than other, more reserved, folks might be. The film is a whirlwind of kinkiness and it's certainly quite unique in a number of ways. Turner and Perkins have a field day chewing all available scenery, and Russell's typical visual sense is nicely on display. Video has some hurdles to overcome, but audio is fine and the supplemental package inviting. At least for those not suffering from faintness of heart (or some other organ), Crimes of Passion comes Recommended.