Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Flavia the Heretic Blu-ray Movie Review

No easy way out.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 30, 2014

Although it’s dressed up as your average exploitation feature, 1974’s “Flavia, the Heretic” actually contains some intelligence to go along with its nudity and bloodshed. Director Gianfranco Mingozzi dips back into the history books to explore a period tale of an oppressed woman struggling to define herself in a world controlled by men, permitting the picture to inspect the vicious side of gender politics and domination, while tending to all the necessary violence that comes along with a story that concerns the workings of Christian and Muslim forces in the 15th century. While it has a tendency to wander when concentration is needed, “Flavia, the Heretic” is a fascinating dissection of frustration and desire, led by a powerhouse performance from star Florinda Bolkan, who gives the titular role her all as the character is humiliated, beaten, and exploited, with her only crime being a thirst for independence.

In the 1400s, Flavia (Florinda Bolkan) is a young girl curious about the ways of the world, with her flirtatious intentions threatening her father’s Christian rule. Dumped into a convent to cool her mind, Flavia is raised under the brutal control of nuns, taught subservience to God as her mind floods with dreams of a more complex life. Witnessing the barbarism of Christian forces, who delight in the rape and torture of her fellow nuns, Flavia is inspired to run away from her life, trusting Jewish confidant Abraham (Claudio Cassinelli) to aid her in her quest for independence. However, such fantasies are short-lived, with Flavia returned to her home, only to witness a Muslim army led by Ahmed (Anthony Higgins) invade, thrilling the oppressed nun. Aligning herself with the Muslims, Flavia sets out to destroy everything in her miserable life, yet the sweet taste of liberation doesn’t last for long. While this new religious force delivers Christian emancipation, it doesn’t permit autonomy, with Flavia finding herself trapped once again by men who claim to love her.

“Flavia, the Heretic” isn’t an epic film that tackles the central conflict with lush, widescreen expanse. It’s a low-budget effort from Italy with minimal resources to stage scenes of war, keeping the number of Christian and Muslim troops to a handful of men with swords. Perhaps realizing his limitations, Mingozzi internalizes Flavia’s journey, playing most of the picture in extreme close-ups, studying the intensity of thought as the main character absorbs her life of hardship and denial, with Bolkan’s incredibly expressive face and satisfactory thespian timing creating a believably anguished heroine, allowing viewers to comprehend the anxiety and defeat she feels as a world of men disappoint her at every turn. The small scale fits Bolkan well, utilizing her gifts as she executes complex scenes of pure reaction, taking in horrors great and small as Flavia seeks to understand the insignificance of her life. It’s a meaningful performance, supporting Mingozzi’s quest to transform sections of the picture into displays of insanity as Flavia loses herself in dreamscape excursions, haunted by painting of a Christian soldier -- the movie’s attention to surrealism really flares up near the end of the picture, sustaining an intriguingly interpretative vibe to the work that’s baffling, but never boring.

Poor Flavia has every right to be upset, witnessing atrocities that keep the picture in the realm of era-specific exploitation. Torture is a particular favorite in this screenplay, which visits a farm where a horse castration is taking place (in graphic detail), while one of Flavia’s fellow nuns is subjected to harm as Christian officials burn the poor girl while bound to a table, eventually slicing off her nipple. “Flavia, the Heretic” contains gruesome scenes, including a beheading and a climatic flaying, keeping the viewing experience on edge as Mingozzi reinforces the extremity of punishment. The evil that men do. Beyond the gore, there’s a full sense of questioning to provide the film with depth, as Flavia endeavors to expand her life beyond Christian boundaries, spurred on by Sister Agatha (Maria Casares), who teaches her charge about self-pleasure and the hunger for freedom. Dramatic escalation is fulfilling, with the effort making sure Flavia’s arc of enlightenment is treated with clarity and passion, maintaining thematic urgency without dipping into cheap acts of hysteria.

Technical support is provided by a repetitive but effective score by Nicola Piovani, who brings an undercurrent of sadness to the feature that sets the mood effectively. Cinematography by Alfio Contini is textured, assisting the film as it sets a visually communicative mood, with dialogue intentionally dialed down to allow events to play out cinematically, trusting the audience to comprehend the primal forces in play.

Flavia the Heretic Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation on "Flavia, the Heretic" continues Scorpion's commitment to quality work, doing the best they can with intermittently inferior materials, with mild damage, speckling, and debris on display, though nothing is overtly distracting. The rest of the viewing experience is quite handsome, with pleasing grain management contributing to a filmic look, while colors are in decent shape, delivering pleasing naturalistic hues, while skintones retain their natural appearance. Fine detail is terrific (when the camera manages to stay in focus), with a textured appreciation for facial particulars, and costuming retains touchable fabrics. Crispness is so good, the BD reveals iffy make-up effects and wig borders. Shadow detail is always comfortable, never swallowing scenes with limited lighting.

Flavia the Heretic Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

What's immediately striking about the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is how quiet it is compared to other discs, requiring a volume boost to feel the full effect. Although the picture is completely dubbed, dialogue still retains its intended dramatic range. While thin, it's always expressive, permitting a full understanding of emotion and emphasis. Scoring is nicely balanced with frontal force, never stepping on performances, while dialed up to support key scenes of contemplation. Violence runs a little harsh with squealing sound effects (tortured screams are hot), but atmospherics are defined to satisfaction. Hiss is prevalent, along with some surges of pops, making crispness impossible, but limitations are hardly disruptive with this cult film.

Flavia the Heretic Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Flavia the Heretic Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Flavia, the Heretic" reaches a fever pitch in the third act, envisioning the character as a Joan of Arc-style warrior bent on punishing the cruel, clad in armor atop a horse. Flavia's eventual collision with the reality of Muslim life makes for a fitting conclusion to this saga, prolonging the woman's misery at the very moment she expects its erasure, trading one oppressive entity for another. "Flavia, the Heretic" can be crude with bizarre flashes of brutality, but it remains potent and thought-provoking, reflecting on a bound existence with unusual patience and respect for its audience.