Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

Deadlock 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 11, 2021

Roland Klick's "Deadlock" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Subkultur Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with the director; exclusive new audio commentary; extended sequences; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English or German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The Kid

You cannot but admire Roland Klick for not giving up after the mainstream critics in West Germany repeatedly made it painfully obvious to him that he wasn’t shooting the ‘right’ type of films. Klick easily could have walked away from the business to avoid the drama that came with the criticism. But he stuck to his guns and kept shooting the films he wanted to do. What types of films were they? They weren’t the types of films Volker Schlöndorff, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Margarethe von Trotta were shooting, which essentially meant that they were neither arty nor intellectual enough for the mainstream critics to embrace.

But was Klick a genuine rebel who had a different vision of postwar German cinema, or just a very, very stubborn man who had the energy to confront the mainstream critics head-on, hoping that one day he can prove them wrong? You can get a rather long but quite clear answer from an exclusive interview Klick recorded for this release of his newly restored film Deadlock. On one hand, apparently, he clearly wasn’t fond of the mass intellectualization of German cinema. Why? Because for the most part it mimicked what was already done in France (and to a much lesser extent in Italy), which meant that filmmakers like him were not given the freedom to create. This is a very fair point. After WWII, German cinema struggled to acquire a unique identity and the few big German directors that enjoyed international success were heavily influenced by their French counterparts. (Schlöndorff, for instance, would not have emerged as a key figure in German cinema without his French experience). Klick did not want to be part of this development, which of course meant that his road to success would be far more complicated. On the other hand, Klick was not delusional and was never on a mission to redefine the identity of German cinema either. He wanted to experiment and learn from his mistakes, and then he demanded a fair critical evaluation of his films. But this also meant that at least some of his detractors had to concede that there was another way forward for German cinema, which of course was an unacceptable scenario. It is why Klick behaved like a rebel and the mainstream critics always enthusiastically trashed his films.

Deadlock is a prime example of Klick’s desire to create on his own terms. Visually it reminds of some of the smaller spaghetti westerns that the likes of Gianfranco Parolini and Sergio Solima shot, but its attitude seems to have been heavily influenced by Henri-Georges Clouzot’s The Wages of Fear. However, instead of directing it like a conventional period film, Klick tweaks it to behave a lot like a contemporary surrealistic western that would have appealed to Alejandro Jodorowsky. The end result is a strange film. It could have been astonishingly radical with just a few whacky twists at the very end, but it is not, which may very well be its biggest weakness. What does this mean exactly? Well, imagine Alex Cox’s Repo Man without the out-of-left-field finale. It is still an entertaining film, but it is no longer a whacky cult classic. Deadlock has a better buildup and vastly superior visuals, but it lacks that out-of-left-field sequence that would have made all sorts of different heads explode.

The film can be viewed in English or German, but the English track is the one that works best for it. The three leads -- Mario Adorf, Anthony Dawson, and Marquard Bohm -- utter their lines in English, though it appears that some overdubbing work was done when the final version of the film was put together.

*Subkultur Entertainment’s release of Deadlock was fully restored in 4K by partner studio LSP Medien, which had access to the film’s original camera negative. In the United States, the 4K restoration will be made available on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray via Vinegar Syndrome later this summer.

Deadlock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and encoded with HEVC/H.265, Deadlock arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Subkultur Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration of the film which was completed by partner studio LSP Medien. The end product is also a reconstruction, because apparently different elements were mishandled after the film's theatrical premiere.

I viewed the entire film in 4K and did only a few direct comparisons with the Blu-ray. The entire film boasts the type of solid organic qualities that only a first-class 4K restoration can deliver -- delineation, clarity, depth, and fluidity are of what I consider to be 'reference quality' in native 4K. Indeed, when projected, this film actually looks as good as some of the very best big-budget classics that have been released on 4K Blu-ray, at times perhaps even more impressive. If there ever were any traces of age-related anomalies, it is impossible to tell now because every single frame looks exceptionally healthy. The restoration is graded very beautifully as well. The primaries are lush but not boosted and the supporting nuances look terrific. I was very, very impressed because there have been a lot of problematic 4K restorations coming out of European labels lately and here it is immediately obvious that the entire project was graded with super precision. The HDR grade does not make a substantial difference, but I think that this is actually right type of appearance for 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. Again, in native 4K the overall color balance is terrific. Image stability is outstanding. All in all, while I have never owned a copy of this film before, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the best it has ever looked. Super job. (Note: The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases are Region-Free).

Deadlock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I prefer the English track because it is quite clear that the leads utter their lines in English. However, it appears that some overdubbing work was done as well. The audio is clear, sharp, and stable. The soundtrack by Can produces some decent dynamic contrasts as well, but you should keep in mind that Deadlock was shot with a modest budget and as a result the original sound design isn't too impressive. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Deadlock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by director Roland Klick and Ulrich von Berg. In German, with optional English subtitles.

• Trailers -
  
  1. Restored English trailer.
  2. Restored German trailer.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by director Roland Klick and Ulrich von Berg. In German, with optional English subtitles.

• "Truth and Sensuality" - in this exclusive new interview, director Roland Klick discusses his background and career in the film industry, his difficult relationship with the German mainstream critics, the conception and reception of Deadlock, as well as some interesting developments and trends in postwar German cinema. In German, with optional English subtitles. (20 min).

• "Movie as Adventure" - in this archival video interview, director Roland Klick the function of 'adventure' in a good film and the production of Deadlock during the Six Day War. In German, with optional English subtitles. (9 min).

• Portrait: Roland Klick - this archival program takes a closer look at the work and creative methods of director Roland Klick. In German, with optional English subtitles. (14 min).

• German Ending with Dedication - Restored. Silent. (1 min).

• English Credits and Insert - Restored. Silent. (3 min).

• English Ending with Dedication - Restored. Silent. (1 min).

• Trailers -
  
  1. Restored English trailer.
  2. Restored German trailer. 3. Unrestored German trailer.

• Gallery - a large collection of vintage promotional materials for Deadlock.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Booklet - 24-page illustrated booklet. In German.

• Album - deluxe hardcover album with stills from Deadlock.

Deadlock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Postwar German cinema would have been quite different and undoubtedly a lot more exciting if there were more directors like Roland Klick that refused to please the mainstream critics. How do we know this? Because we know how rebellious directors changed the Italian postwar film industry after they invented all kinds of exotic subgenres around the same time Klick's films were being dismissed in Germany. Deadlock is a prime example of Klick's desire to create on his own terms. It is an experimental western that does plenty of the genre bending Italian directors became famous for. It has been fully restored in 4K and looks astonishing on 4K Blu-ray. It is too bad that the folks at Subkultur Entertainment and partner studio LSP Medien cannot be placed in charge of the various restoration projects that are being done in France and Italy because their comprehension of what this type of work should accomplish is on a completely different level. They actually understand how to properly restore and grade so that older films can look like films again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (In the United States, Deadlock will be available for purchase on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray via Vinegar Syndrome later this month. See our listing of this upcoming release here).