Going Under Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Going Under Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 24, 2015

Eric Werthman's "Going Under" (2004) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; audio commentary with co-writer/director Eric Werthman and actor Roger Rees; and archival interviews with the film's two stars. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"All of my past is in this room..."

Eric Werthman’s Going Under reminded me of two other films. The first is Barbet Schroeder’s Maitresse, in which a young and very beautiful dominatrix and a wild hunk fall madly in love. They meet after the hunk and one of his friends decide to rob the dominatrix‘s apartment and discover the chamber where she meets her clients. Initially, the activities in the chamber do not bother him, but the frequent changes in the dominatrix’s personality eventually complicate their relationship. The film also offers a fascinating glimpse at the nature of the rituals that connect people who like to give and receive pain.

The second film is from Argentinean director Anahi Berneri and it is called A Year Without Love. In it an HIV-positive writer who has been living in Paris returns home to Buenos Aires after his partner dies and tries to reset his life. When he fails to find someone to share his remaining time with, the writer begins visiting different BDSM clubs to get the type of intimacy he desires. Unlike Maitresse, A Year Without Love offers a much broader look at the BDSM lifestyle as well as the potential risks those who are involved in it could face in the AIDS era.

In Werthman’s film a middle-aged married therapist (Roger Rees) routinely sees a dominatrix (Geno Lechner) who is capable of giving him exactly what he needs -- a mix of pain and intimacy that apparently bring crucial balance in his life. Initially, it seems like the man’s relationship with the woman would remain strictly professional, but when she makes it clear that she would be willing to see him outside her dungeon things change dramatically.

The bulk of the film focuses on the difficult progression of the ensuing relationship. Without her whip the dominatrix is a brittle woman who seems reluctant to begin a romantic relationship with a man who has connected emotionally with a side of her that simply isn’t real. Naturally, she is unsure if the man will be able to completely exclude the client from the relationship, especially if they become intimate in the way real lovers do. As the film progresses, there are fascinating conversations in which the two discuss the challenges they face and later on the important choices they must make.

Thematically Going Under is a lot closer to Maitresse, though the nature of the relationship between the dominatrix and the therapist is different. Indeed, in Maitresse the dominatrix never acts like one while she is with the hunk and he isn’t addicted to pain. They both learn to compromise, but their choices help them move forward. In Going Under there is never enough trust between the two lovers -- they are attracted to each other but their needs are drastically different.

The two leads are good, but the BDSM footage will likely disappoint viewers expecting the level of intensity that is promoted by various reviews of the film.

Going Under was lensed by cinematographer Vladimir Subotic. (A year after he assisted Werthman on Going Under, Subotic teamed up with Vladan Nikolic on the excellent indie thriller Love). The lush ambient soundtrack was created by David Darling (Michael Mann’s The Insider, Heat).

Going Under 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, Eric Werthman's Going Under arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground.

The overwhelming majority of the film looks very good. Density and image depth, in particular, are far better now. However, the high-definition transfer comes from a pre-existing master -- most likely the same one that was used for the DVD release -- and there are some traces of extremely light sharpening. It never becomes overly distracting, but occasionally it makes its presence felt (see screencapture #17). During select darker sequences extremely light noise also sneaks in. Color are stable, but a new high-definition transfer will most certainly introduce some adjustments. Overall image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no large debris, damage marks, or scratches to report in this review. All in all, even though there is room for improvement, the Blu-ray release most definitely offers good upgrades in all areas we typically address in our reviews. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Going Under Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Blue Underground have provided optional yellow subtitles for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track and was very pleased with it. Depth and clarity are excellent and David Darling's score effectively enhances different sequences without disrupting the excellent balance. (There are no sudden spikes or drops in dynamic activity; the music simply brings a extra layer of atmosphere). The dialog is very crisp, stable, and easy to follow. There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in this review.

Going Under Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Going Under. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).

• Teaser Trailer - original teaser trailer for Going Under. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• NYC Black & Blue Ball - presented here is raw footage from New York City's premier fetish event, the Black & Blue Ball. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 480/60i).

• Pushing the Boundaries - in this video piece, actors Geno Lechner and Roger Rees discuss some of the unique challenges the script for Going Under presented and their experiences during the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 480/60i).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, co-writer/director Eric Werthman and star Roger Rees discuss the shooting of the Going Under, some of the locations where key sequences were shot (the BDSM footage was shot in a real dungeon in New York City) and the BDSM rituals, the relationship between the dominatrix and the therapist, etc. It is a very good and very informative commentary that makes it very easy understand precisely what the creators of Going Under were hoping to achieve.

Going Under Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are very few good films about intense relationships such as the one observed in Eric Werthman's Going Under. This isn't surprising, however, as even today the BDSM culture remains a taboo subject. Werthman's film unquestionably has the right attitude and, more importantly, avoids the terrible BDSM cliches which the "safe" films have promoted for years. If its subject appeals to you, consider adding Blue Underground's release to your collections. RECOMMENDED.