Fists in the Pocket Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Fists in the Pocket Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 11, 2019

Marco Bellocchio's "Fists in the Pocket" (1965) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival interview with Bernardo Bertolucci; new video interview with scholar Stefano Albertini; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Deborah Young and technical credits. In Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The telling eyes

It is in the eyes. It is impossible to miss. Pure, uncontrollable and destructive evil that can instantly overwhelm the mind and transform the body into a deranged killing machine. At that crucial moment when the takeover occurs, and while it lasts, everyone and anything can become a target.

The eyes belong to a young man named Sandro (Lou Castel) who is part of a large and wealthy but frustrated and crumbling Italian family. Sandro’s frustration is routinely channeled through angry outbursts and is the easiest to recognize. After the unexpected passing of his father his blind elderly mother has attempted to fill the important void, but she has given up, lost her strength, and spending her remaining time waiting for the moment when they will be reunited. Sandro’s eldest brother has been drifting away from the family for a very long time and recently concluded that the best way to permanently cut his ties to it might be by starting a new one with a girl he barely knows. His other brother is also on the verge of permanently breaking away from the family, but only because he is losing his battle with an aggressive form of dementia. His only sister has done plenty to hide her depression, but the frustration from her numerous failed attempts to reconnect with her brothers has pushed her on the verge of a disastrous nervous breakdown.

Eventually, the evil completely overwhelms Sandro and he commits one of the most repulsive and vile of sins. His deranged mind, however, completely misinterprets its significance, while his family accepts the ugly truth as a sad inevitability. Emboldened by his newly found ‘freedom’ Sandro then permanently surrenders to the evil and quickly sinks into the abyss of madness.

Marco Bellocchio’s directorial debut, Fists in the Pocket, can easily be profiled as a tense melodrama about a young psychopath's transformation into a cold-hearted killer, but this is quite possibly the most simplistic and discriminating description of the film that one can produce. Why? Because it only focuses on a tiny piece of the film’s narrative, and because it completely ignores the enormous significance of the setting in which the young man self-destructs.

Indeed, what actually makes the film really interesting isn’t the mechanics of the horrific acts that Sandro commits, but rather the justification behind the inaction of the people around him and ultimately their refusal to recognize the nature of his condition. It changes the entire complexion of the narrative, and in the process effectively invalidates Sandro’s image as a villain. The new Sandro that emerges is (small) part rebel, (very large) part hurting young man who becomes dangerous only after he realizes that he cannot expect compassion from the people that ought to matter the most in his life. It is the same with the community in which he lives -- in it he can be accepted as ‘normal’ only if he imitates everything that he his older brother does. Unsurprisingly, when Sandro fails the inevitable frustration leads to alienation that eventually unleashes the pure evil that overtakes his soul.

The vicious cycle that Bellocchio chronicles in the film is most certainly not a thing of the past. The indifference that initiates it, and is at its very core, is an even bigger issue in the modern 'free' world that we live in. Think about it. Everything that Sandro does is preventable if his sane older brother, someone at his Church, or even one of the popular prostitutes that he secretly sees recognizes that he needs medical attention and extends a helping hand. However, he does not get any support at home or in the community where everyone is supposedly part of a big family. He has to recover on his own, and then become ‘normal’ as the official and unofficial social codes of his town demand. Quite predictably, even though it looks like he is socially active, he becomes an alienated loner waiting for the right moment to implode. (The destruction of the family relics halfway through the film is used to underscore this exact point -- the indifference and the tragedy are entwined. Compassion, the kind that is defined by actions not empty words, would have never allowed Sandro’s dangerous deterioration). The mass killers of recent years are almost exactly like Sandro -- misjudged and rejected loners who have struggled with various small and big mental issues and given up on ever becoming 'normal' as their social environment demand.

Fists in the Pocket 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, Fists in the Pocket arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new 4K digital restoration by the Cineteca di Bologna, in collaboration with Kavac Film and with support from Giorgio Armani, was supervised by director Marco Bellocchio along with filmmaker Daniele Cirpri. A new digital transfer was created from the 35mm original camera negative on a wet-gate ARRISCAN film scanner. Because some shots in the element had been lost over time and replaced with material from a second-generation internegative, those corresponding images were scanned and restored from a first-generation 35mm interpositive. In addition, a three-second shot of a kiss occurring approximately ninety-three minutes into the film was reinstated at the request of the director. The black-and-white contrast in this restoration was heightened to emulate the British Free Cinema works that influenced Bellocchio, capturing an aesthetic the director was unable to convey in the film as it was originally released on account of a lab-processing error. The original monaural soundtrack was restored by L'Immagine Ritrovata from a 35mm magnetic track and the original soundtrack negative.

Restoration supervisors: Marco Bellocchio, Daniele Cipri.
Colorist: Giandomenico Zeppa/L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna, Italy."

In addition to the new Blu-ray release, I have two other DVD releases of this magnificent films and in my opinion the upgrade in quality that the 4K restoration/reconstruction brings is astonishing. A big screen is not needed to see and appreciate the massive improvements because all of the key areas that we examine in our reviews actually have new identities. For example, together the new depth and fluidity of the visuals are now much better that in motion the film now boasts ranges of nuances that cannot be seen on my DVD releases. What is even better is that these big improvements are visible during indoor and outdoor footage (see screencaptures $4 and 7). The highlights that strengthen and define balance whenever there is plenty of natural light are vastly superior and looking very organic as well (see screencapture #12). Density levels are very strong, and I could not tell where the reconstruction work was done. Image stability is outstanding. All in all, this is a very solid upgrade in quality that will remain the film's definitive presentation. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Fists in the Pocket Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Italian LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is very clean and with great dynamic qualities, though because of the nature of the film outside of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack the dynamic contrasts are quite modest. There are no audio dropouts, hum, hiss, background distortions, or other similar age-related imperfections.

Fists in the Pocket Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Fists in the Pocket. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (4 min, 1080p).

• A Need for Change - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the conception of A Fists in the Pocket, its critical reception, and some of the main themes that made it controversial. The documentary features interviews with Marco Bellocchio, actors Lou Castel and Paola Pitagora, editor Silvano Agosti, and critic Tullio Kezich. The documentary was produced for Criterion in 2005 and initially appeared on the label's DVD release of the film. In Italian, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (34 min, 1080i).
  
  1. Family
  2. Problem
  3. Casting
  4. Performance
  5. Innovation
  6. Verdi
  7. Unexpected

• Bernardo Bertolucci - in this archival program, Bernardo Bertolucci discusses Fists in the Pocket and the lasting impact that the film had on him, as well as the emergence of the New Italian Cinema (which his film Before the Revolution also helped establish. The program was created exclusively for Criterion in 2005. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080i).

• A Shock to the System - in this new video interview, scholar Stefano Albertini discusses the historical significance of Fists in the Pocket and its impact on the evolution of Italian cinema, as well as Marco Bellocchio's 'anarchist image'. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2019. (11 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring critic Deborah Young's essay Ripped to Shreds" and technical credits.

Fists in the Pocket Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have never been convinced that the vicious cycle that Marco Bellocchio's directorial debut chronicles has a unique Italian identity. It is beyond naive to link its existence only to the moral flaws and sins of the Italian bourgeoisie, which of course was, and remains, a favorite target for many critics. At its core is a very, very familiar type of classless indifference, which is easily recognizable behind countless contemporary tragedies from around the world. Evil, in all of its reincarnations, flourishes only when surrounded by indifference. Criterion's Blu-ray release of Fists in the Pocket is sourced from a stunning new 4K restoration that was supervised and approved by director Bellocchio. You should not miss it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.