Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Damage Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 16, 2023

Louis Malle's "Damage" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with film editor John Bloom; new program with professor Hugo Grey; archival programs with cast and crew interviews; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Ask any rational person what is the difference between love and lust and you will instantly be presented with a very clear answer. It will be the correct answer, too. However, if you do a bit of research, you could discover some very, very interesting information suggesting that love and lust may have a lot in common. Just to be perfectly clear, I am not implying that the difference between love and lust is not obvious. On the contrary, it is too obvious and the two cannot possibly be confused. But how do you define that very powerful first feeling of desiring to be with a total stranger? In books and films, it is often described as love at first sight, but is this possible? How can you instantly begin to love someone that you have never spent time with in the past? Could it be that love at first sight is a very particular form of lust with the potential to develop into love?

Official press materials for Louis Malle’s film Damage have always insisted that it tells a story about two people from different backgrounds that fall madly in love. They are played by Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche. The former is a middle-aged married man who is a minister in the British government. The latter is a young French woman who lives alone in London but has started dating the former’s son. They meet during a reception, instantly become attracted to each other, and begin a secret, very intense affair. Then, over the course of several weeks, the minister’s love for the French woman becomes so intense that he begins to self-destruct.

Damage is a very easy film to deconstruct if you accept that what the official press materials for it insist is not to be questioned -- it is about love. But is it? If you accept that everything that occurs in Damage has something to do with love you are completely misjudging its characters as well as the nature of the drama that is at the center of it. Consider this: the entire first phase of the relationship between the minister and the French girl is comprised of short and incredibly intense sexual encounters at the end of which the two routinely appear ashamed. Is this how love flourishes between two individuals? When love is present, there is always a very special emotional connection, which is not put on hold after a sexual act. Also, when two individuals are in love, they begin to share a wide range of feelings and emotions that make their interactions and coexistence enjoyable. In Damage, the two lovers consume their relationship like drug addicts that need each new fix to be more pleasurable than the last.

What about lust and passion? Can you define them and explain what makes them different? Is intense passion another variation of lust? It sounds much more civilized to say that what the minister struggles with is an inexorable passion, doesn’t it? But Malle chronicles his rapidly intensifying obsession with the French girl which makes it very difficult to conclude that his actions are inspired only by passion. Much like love, passion requires time to grow and intensify. Lust does not. It has an instant effect on the brain, which is why a lot of the minister’s decisions and actions appear impulsive.

The French girl is quite the enigma. In an upscale restaurant, after her boyfriend introduces her to his entire family, she reveals intimate details about the tragic death of her brother and how she learned to be independent while her parents were busy building careers and managing their relationship. She is supposed to be sincere, transparent, and trustworthy. But while she secretly meets the minister and continues to date his son Malle destroys her act completely, and the only thing that remains unclear is whether he does so intentionally. Why? If she is passionate about both men, then there is some sincerity in her actions, though she is still misleading one of them by telling both, in different ways, that she loves them. But if some or most of her passion is just lust, then she is just another love addict trying to make the most out of her social interactions.

Damage is a perfect title for this film. In it, Malle damages a lot of popular stereotypes about love, which is ultimately what makes it an intriguing film. The progression of the relationship between the minister and the French girl is entirely predictable.

*In the past, Damage has been presented in two versions -- an Unrated Version and R-Rated Version. The former has a few extra seconds of explicit sexual material.

Damage 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, Damage arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

I have this DVD release of Damage, which is one of the last 'snappers' in my library. I did quite a few comparisons with it.

On the Blu-ray release, the film has a dated appearance. Delineation, clarity, and depth are usually pleasing, but it is quite easy to tell that if properly remastered in 2K or 4K the entire film will have a notably fresher and more attractive appearance. Colors are stable. However, primaries and supporting nuances could be lusher and healthier. Interestingly, darker areas do not reveal any troubling crushing. I did not see any traces of problematic digital correction, but grain exposure could be more convincing. Generally speaking, grain can be healthier as well. Image stability is good. Should you upgrade if you already have the 'snapper' release I mentioned above? If you have a larger screen, you will easily recognize the superiority of the high-definition presentation. Even if upscaled by a good player, the DVD release can look quite anemic, in some areas even unnaturally soft and smeary. Also, the upscaler tends to exaggerate the weaknesses of average highlights. All in all, I think that at the moment the high-definition presentation is decent enough to describe as an upgrade. However, this film should look better on Blu-ray. My score is 3.25/5.00. (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).

Damage Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

I did not encounter any technical anomalies to report in our review. The audio was very clear, sharp, and stable. Zbigniew Preisner's soundtrack sounds good. However, the music is quite diverse and I feel that a remastering job can emphasize its dynamic potency a bit more. The upper register is very healthy.

Damage Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• An Early Obsession - in this new program, editor John Bloom remembers how he became involved with Damage and discusses his work on it and interactions with Louis Malle. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Trailer - a vintage U.S. trailer for Damage. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Vintage Production Featurettes with the Cast and Crew - presented here are four archival programs with clips from archival interviews with cast and crew members discussing the production of Damage and their contributions to the film. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. The Making of Damage. (4 min).
  2. Production. (10 min).
  3. Jeremy Irons and Charater. (5 min).
  4. Director Louis Malle. (6 min).

• One on One with Louis Malle - in this archival program, Louis Malle explains what motivated him to film Josephine Hart's novel and discusses some of the key themes in it. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Professor Hugo Grey on Damage - in this new program, professor Hugo Grey discusses the production and unique qualities of Damage. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

Damage Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Can you produce clear, non-overlapping descriptions of love, lust, passion, and obsession? Do you think that there are any legit threads that connect them? And do you think that sometimes these four words are casually and carefully misused to depict similar and identical feelings and emotions? If you are intrigued by the questions, you should see Louis Malle's Damage. I think that it is a very good film, but not for the reasons mainstream reviewers have cited in the past. I like it because it damages a lot of popular stereotypes about love, though to be honest, I do not think that it does so entirely by design. This Blu-ray release from Imprint Films offers a decent technical presentation of Damage and has several good exclusive new and archival bonus features. RECOMMENDED.