Die Engel von St. Pauli Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Die Engel von St. Pauli Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 9, 2016

Jurgen Roland's "Angels of the Streets" a.k.a. "Die Engel von St. Pauli" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy German label Subkultur Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; large gallery of promotional materials; archival interviews with actors Herbert Fux and Horst Frank; audio commentary with director Jurgen Roland; audio commentary with historians Pelle Felsch and Oliver Noding; and a lot more. The release also arrives with a 70-page hardcover book with notes about the shooting of the film and original production stills. In German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Tough guys

This practically unknown on this side of the Atlantic film reminded me a lot about Jack Hill’s Pit Stop. It deals with a very different subject but it has the same raw energy and exactly the same stylish low-budget look Hill’s film does. Maybe 1969 had something to do with it because both were made at approximately the same time as well.

Jurgen Roland’s film is set almost entirely in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district. This is a busy area of the city with plenty of sleazy night clubs and brothels that are always open for business. It is not quite as big as Amsterdam’s notorious Die Wallen district, but the atmosphere here is the same.

The hardworking girls come from different places. Some are local but there are also foreigners, with the biggest number coming from Vienna. Two different gangs control the girls and make sure that that they all have the proper permits that allow them to do their jobs. One of the gangs even has a special group of fixers that can quickly find ‘husbands’ for the foreign girls they want to keep. It is a fast and easy way to get them German papers and then legally employ them in their clubs.

The business relationship between the two gangs becomes complicated when the leader of the bigger gang, Jules Nickels (Horst Frank, Marquis de Sade's Justine, The Cat O' Nine Tails), decides that his opponent, Holleck (Herbert Fux, Funeral In Berlin, Mark of the Devil), is bringing too many new girls from Vienna. Jules’ men attack Holleck’s men during a ‘wedding ceremony’ and later on attempt to rearrange their zones of influence. In the ensuing chaos, however, a mute prostitute is brutally murdered and Jules and Holleck are forced to team up and find the killer before the police revokes their business licensees and shuts down the entire district.

A lot of the footage is shot in real time and features real people who clearly had no idea that Roland and his team were making a film. On the other hand, all of the main characters are played by well known German and Austrian actors who look very confident and relaxed. So this is a film that frequently favors the type of raw look and rough attitude classic drive-in pictures have, but it really does take its subject quite seriously.

The film works better as a time capsule than as a crime thriller. Its dissection of the prostitution business may seem slightly dated now, but it is easy to see that Roland had a clear understanding of how the system worked for everyone. Also, there is a good dose of cynicism in the film but it mostly keeps it grounded in reality. I think that this is important to clarity because there are some promotional materials about this film that do make it look a bit like an exploitation picture.

During the pre-production process, Roland and some cast members worked very closely with consultants with real criminal records who gave them invaluable information about gang activities in the St. Pauli district during the late 1960s.

Die Engel von St. Pauli Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jurgen Roland's Angels of the Street arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German label Subkultur Entertainment.

The disc's main interface can be set in English or German. If you choose the English interface, the disc can be navigated entirely in English.

The release is sourced from a new restoration that was recently completed by Subkultur Entertainment and looks fantastic in high-definition. Clarity and especially depth are as good as one can expect them to be in a vintage film of this caliber. Fluidity is also very impressive. During the darker footage shadow definition is very well managed and as a result depth can be as impressive as it is during the daylight footage. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. Grain appears naturally exposed and well resolved throughout the entire film. In fact, I would like to mention that even when projected on a large screen the density remains quite impressive. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. The color grading is excellent. There is a wide range of very healthy colors and with plenty of excellent nuances. Overall image stability is excellent. There are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or other age-related imperfections. (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. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Die Engel von St. Pauli Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: German DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, and German (Optical Sound) DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English, German, and German (slang) subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film's original sound design is quite modest, but I don't find this surprising. Large portions of the film have a documentary feel and there are only a few segments where Siegfried Franz's score makes its presence felt. The dialog is clean and crisp. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions.

Die Engel von St. Pauli Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Rascals of St. Pauli: Horst Frank - in this archival video interview, Horst Frank (Jule Nickels) recalls how he earned his first acting job in Lubeck, and discusses his theater and TV work, his transition into the film industry, social criticism in German films, etc. In German, optional English subtitles. (16 min).

• Interview with Actor Herbert Fux - in this archival video interview, Herbest Fux (Herbert Fux) discusses his professional background, his involvement with Angels of the Street, his interactions with Jurgen Roland and the preparation work they did (including work with consultants with criminal records), etc. In German, optional English subtitles. (14 min).

• Audio Interview with Director Jurgen Roland - in German, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Location Tour - Now and Then - this featurette highlights some of the key locations where parts of Angels of the Street were shot. In German, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Restoration Comparison - before and after footage showing the massive improvements that were made during the recent restoration of Angels of the Street. Music only, with text in English. (3 min).

• Audio Commentary - audio commentary featuring film historians Pelle Felsch and Oliver Noding. In German, not subtitled.

• English Credit Sequence - original English opening titles. (3 min).

• French Credit Sequence - original English opening titles. (2 min).

• French Localization - presented here is original and extended footage that was dubbed in French. (3 min).

• Trailers -
  
  1. German - original German trailer for the film. In German, not subtitled. (5 min).
  2. English - original English trailer for the film. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).
  3. French - original French trailer for the film. In French, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for Angels of the Street. (10 min).

• Trailer Show - a collection of trailers for other Subkultur Entertainment releases.

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet with technical information about the recent restoration of Angel of the Street. In German.

• Hardcover Book - 70-page hardcover book with notes about the shooting of the film and original production stills. In English and German.

Die Engel von St. Pauli Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Violent gangs clash in Hamburg's notorious St. Pauli district and then unite to find an elusive killer in director Jurgen Roland's quite intense action thriller Angels of the Street. The film is practically unknown on this side of the Atlantic, which is why Subkultur Entertainment's beautiful Blu-ray release is such a special treat. This German label has really emerged as one of the best in Europe as its dedication to quality and desire to provide ultimate editions of films that have been largely forgotten are second to none. I can't wait to see some of new projects they have been working on. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.