Death Laid an Egg Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		1.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		1.5

Death Laid an Egg Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 20, 2018

Giulio Questi's "Death Laid an Egg" a.k.a. "La morte ha fatto l'uovo" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Epics. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; vintage lobby cards; and Bruno Maderna’s original soundtrack for the film. In Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Playful chickens

I am unsure if Giulio Questi ‘s Death Laid an Egg is a genuine giallo. It has appeared on a lot of lists that attempt to rank these types of genre films, but I am not convinced that it belongs there. It is a much bigger film with a lot of lofty targets that delivers the type of uncompromising social dissection that Elio Petri’s best films do.

The great Jean-Louis Trintignant plays a young professional named Marco who is on the executive board of a big poultry company whose bioengineers are on the verge of completing a cutting-edge project that could deliver the perfect chicken -- a low-maintenance rapidly growing mutant that will save the company millions and guarantee the elimination of its competitors. From afar Marco appears fully committed to his job and personally involved with the project so when he offers an opinion it is always considered by his colleagues with great respect. Marco also has an impeccable style which further enhances his image as a serious professional.

But Marco is actually a twisted chameleon who has mastered the art of deception. Instead of analyzing data or developing new ideas that could help the company grow, his mind can’t seem to stop inventing nasty sexual games that later on he carefully recreates in a cozy hotel room that he has been renting for years. Of course there is also another player, a female, whose services Marco typically contracts in the hotel’s bar. Sometimes the games are really strange and painful, but those who have spent time in Marco’s company never complain. He always pays them well – really, really well.

For a long time Marco is in full control of his double life and his beautiful wife, Anna (Gina Lollobrigida), is convinced that their marriage is as healthy as it could be. But when he falls for Anna’s young assistant, Gabrielle (Ewa Aulin), and begins fantasizing about a future where the two no longer have to hide their feelings, he slips and nearly reveals his true identity. Marco then sets out not only to regain control of his life, but ensure that it is never ever jeopardized by accidental errors.

The techniques that Questi and Petri use to reveal the hypocrisy of different groups of privileged people are very similar. The function of the chameleon that Trintignant plays in this film is basically identical to the one that Gian Maria Volonte’s creep has in Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, with the only difference being that Petri’s film eventually becomes so unhinged that it practically evolves into a nihilist’s wet dream. Questi chooses to remain respectful and inserts all of the hard hits as meaningful elements of a slightly perverted crime thriller. (Hence, the reason why Death Laid an Egg can be found on some giallo lists).

The film is very carefully constructed to ensure proper progression of two entirely different stories. The first is about the chameleon and his maneuvers as he is forced out of his comfort zone, while the second is about the total lack of moral standards in different echelons of society. Pay close attention to the game that is set up at the big party and the quick exchanges between the players and especially the urgent business meeting where the usefulness of the mutants is discussed as they are both brilliant litmus tests.

Bruno Maderna’s soundtrack is one of the most unusual ever composed for a film of this nature. It blends strange atonal themes and completely unpredictable rhythmic configurations that remind of Arnold Schoenberg’s work.

Death Laid an Egg Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Giulio Questi's Death Laid an Egg arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Epics.

I don't know precisely what type of work was done to ensure that this film has the proper look when it transitions to Blu-ray, but the end result isn't any better than what you would get if you upscale a problematic DVD release. There is absolutely no proper depth, definition is very poor, and during the darker footage instead of shadow definition there is basically a lot of intolerable smearing and even ghosting. Color balance is also very problematic -- blown out highlights routinely wipe out nuances and the basic primary values are completely missing. On top of all of this the current framing is actually very awkward. It appears that the film was actually zoomed in and then there is also some odd shifting that occurs as well. The presentation is just very, very poor. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your players regardless of your geographical location).

Death Laid an Egg Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Italian Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is underwhelming as well. There is obvious thinning and dynamic unevenness can be very easy identify. Additionally, there is background hiss as well as high-frequency distortions. There are no audio dropouts to report.

Death Laid an Egg Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Death Laid an Egg. In Italian, with optional English subtitle. (4 min).

• Promotional Materials - a collection of original studio lobby cards for the film.

• Soundtrack - Bruno Maderna's original soundtrack is included in its entirety as a bonus.

Death Laid an Egg Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I like a lot of the films that Cult Epics have brought to the home video market over the years and was very excited to see that the label announced Giulio Questi's Death Laid an Egg for Blu-ray, but sadly I have to report that this release is a major disappointment. Basically, the technical presentation is on par with what you would get if you upscale a problematic DVD release. The film is a minor masterpiece, in many ways comparable to Elio Petri's Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, but it needs to be fully restored so that it looks as it should on Blu-ray. (*British label Nucleus Films has been working on a restoration that is expected to be released on Blu-ray later this year. You can see our listing of this upcoming release here).