Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Der Bunker Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson January 8, 2017

In terms of genre conventions, Der Bunker is a hard picture to categorize. German autuer Nikias Chryssos's first feature mixes in elements from the black comedy, macabre horror, coming-of-age tale, and chamber drama through its quartet of characters. A nameless graduate Student (Pit Bukowski) arrives at a small home secluded in the wilderness about forty miles outside of Berlin. He is escorted to a windowless bunker house by a would-be professor (David Scheller), who is the landlord. "The Student" (as he's called in the movie) is surprised by what he finds in this milieu: a cold and sterile place that is more like a dungeon. The Student is kind of like the scholar-in-residence working on physics projects or math/science problems. To his surprise, though, The Student does not have the requisite fees to pay the rent. The landlord, however, propositions that he can pay the debt off if he performs chores around the house and tutors his son, Klaus (Daniel Fripan). The Student agrees rather reluctantly to take any substantial time away from his work but takes up the offer.

Father (Scheller) and Mother (Oona von Maydell) have been homeschooling Klaus but want The Student to teach him all the capitals in the world as well as deliver economic lessons to him. They are preparing him to become POTUS even though he's of German heritage. While actor Daniel Fripan was twenty-nine when he appeared in Der Bunker, his character is only eight which probably explains Klaus's pre-adolescent behavior. The Student is involved with an eccentric and dysfunctional family who at times resemble the Addams Family. Father dons makeup and looks like the Joker, dishing out jokes late into the evening. Father thinks that he knows what's best for his son and doesn't hesitate to administer corporal punishment on him. Mother is a strange bird with a split personality. She has a doppelganger named Heinrich who seems to have a talking voice inside of her. Mother summons Heinrich when she's eliciting advice for what to do for Klaus. (As Chryssos relates in his commentary track, Heinrich represents a Faustian figure.)

The Student teaches Klaus a lesson.

Throughout Der Bunker, Chryssos achieves a resolution between Freud and Marx (at least temporarily in places). Klaus obviously clings to his mom, laying in her lap and nestling underneath his blanket as she tuck hims in. But there are also overt indications of incest. Mom is still breastfeeding her eight-year-old son and make that plain in sight for The Student to see. Additionally, Mother derives sexual gratification to Klaus correctly naming the capitals of countries during his oral examination. Her body language suggests that she is aroused by her son's success to this academic exercise. Furthermore, instead of depicting The Student as an alienated worker amidst his bizarre environment, Chryssos shows him performing productively after Mother seduces him. Early in the film, The Student is shown deep in mediation but can only get things done in spurts. Chryssos aligns sex with progress in one's academic pursuits. The Student can release his libidinal desires on to the woman and simultaneously produce adrenaline towards completing one of his scholarly mini-projects. Chryssos deftly unpacks Freudian and Marxist themes with aplomb, somehow finding the appropriate balance.

Der Bunker Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Der Bunker appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this AVC-encoded BD-25. Shooting his picture with the Arri Alexa, Chryssos contrasts two or three different color schemes throughout. For morning scenes, he aims for the interiors to have softer tones. For evening scenes, he seeks bolder, over-saturated colors with high-contrast lighting. He also employs a red tint (see Screenshot #3). Scenes in the bunker have accented lighting but are dominated by grays and browns. Artsploitation's transfer accurately replicates the picture's shifting colors. It also looks overly bright in places (e.g., classroom scenes). The image appears consistently crisp and well-defined. There are no source flaws save for a modicum of video noise.

Artsploitation has broken the movie up into a half-dozen chapter stops.

Der Bunker Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Artsploitation has only given Der Bunker's German sound track a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 option (encoded at 512 kbps). This is a fairly warm and lively track within the narrative's confined setting. Characters' word enunciations are punctuated well across the center and front channels. Leonard Petersen's original score and the classical pieces played in the film are reproduced well in the surrounds. While an uncompressed mix would have been ideal, the 5.1 track is more than adequate.

Artsploitation has provided optional white English SDH which also title/name musical selections as they're played.

Der Bunker Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Director's Audio Commentary - in this feature-length commentary, filmmaker Nikias Chryssos discusses an amalgamation of artistic, cinematic, and cultural influences on his work. For even a casual fan of Der Bunker, this is an absolutely essential listen! It is packed with wonderfully informative nuggets and anecdotes. In English, not subtitled.

• Deleted Scenes and Outtakes (19:59, 1080p) - a collection of discarded scenes presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound. In German, with obligatory English subtitles.

• Trailer Gallery - trailers for other Artsploitation titles including The Perfect Husband and Observance which play after the disc loads and can be accessed through the main menu.

Der Bunker Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Der Bunker contains the right amount of comic surrealism and wicked comedy to make it a genuinely delightful experience. The four performances are uniformly first rate and Chryssos's script is uncannily witty and sublime. Artsploitation delivers a nearly flawless transfer and an above-average sound track. Chryssos's commentary is outstanding and the deleted scenes are all presented in HD. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.