Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 30, 2025

Simon Wincer's "Harlequin" a.k.a. "Dark Forces" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by Simon Wincer and producer Antony Ginnane; archival cast interviews; new program with critic Stephen Morgan; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Between the early 1970s and late 1980s, various Australian filmmakers tried hard to prove that Australia could have a unique film scene capable of producing genre films that were every bit as good as the ones their European and American counterparts were churning out. They took a lot of risks and frequently clashed with local censors, convinced that eventually their efforts would be appreciated and supported by the public. The majority of their early films were cheaply made button-pushers and kamikazes, many of which would have been perfect for American drive-in theaters. However, as interest in them ballooned and a few evolved into cult classics, the funding improved, and many of the films that came later became more ambitious. The Australian filmmakers and producers making these films then began importing well-known foreign talent, like Dennis Hopper, Mel Gibson, and Stacy Keach, to ensure the longevity of the positive development.

But whether they succeeded is debatable, for two simple reasons. First, as the films became more popular and did good business for their creators, they lost their fearless sense of humor and edginess and, eventually, started mimicking their ‘serious’ counterparts from the local arthouse scene. Second, once foreign distributors began acquiring these films, their creators started readjusting their styles and personalities to make them more appealing to a broader international audience. Then the directors making these films became a lot like the directors making the ‘serious’ arthouse films. As a result, by the 1990s, the classic Australian genre films that nowadays are grouped under the Ozploitation banner disappeared, and their successors acquired an identity that made them virtually indistinguishable from the ‘serious’ arthouse films.

Simon Wincer’s film Harlequin was part of the trend that welcomed well-known foreign talent. For this reason, it is similar to some other genre films from the same period, like Mad Dog Morgan and Road Games. However, it is a pretty odd, even by Australian standards, genre film.

Harlequin tells a story that borrows, twists, and embellishes material from the famous story about the peculiar Russian healer Grigori Rasputin. In Harlequin, Gregory Wolf (Robert Powell), also a peculiar healer, inserts himself into the prominent Rast family and, after curing its youngest member (Mark Spain) from a supposedly deadly illness, begins manipulating its head, Nick Rast (David Hemmings), a respected senator. As Wolf’s influence over the senator and then his wife (Carmen Duncan) expands, Doc Wheelan (Broderick Crawford), a top government official, declares that he is a target that needs to be neutralized. Rast, who has started moving even further up the government ladder with support from Wheelan, agrees and proceeds to help, but shortly after finds himself stuck in a battle that threatens to destroy his career and family.

It is very difficult to tell precisely what type of genre film Harlequin was conceived to be, but it is quite easy to determine that, as shot, it is not what it was meant to be. It is not effective as a horror film. It is not effective as a supernatural thriller. It is most definitely not effective as an unorthodox political thriller. It constantly swings in different directions and struggles mightily to establish a proper identity.

Believe it or not, this is the main reason to see Harlequin. It is a perplexing film whose inability to establish a proper identity frees its stars to participate in a kabuki theater that somehow becomes quite attractive. For this reason, had it been a bit more unhinged, it is practically guaranteed that it would have earned a reputation of being a true cult film. Unfortunately, the final act, where the decisive clash occurs, lacks memorable character transformations and fireworks.

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Harlequin arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release introduces a new 4K makeover struck from the film's original camera negative. The 4K makeover is also made available on 4K Blu-ray. You can see our listing and review of 4K Blu-ray release here.

I viewed the 4K makeover in native 4K and later spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray. I found the 4K makeover frustrating and disappointing. It gives the entire film a very stable, very clean and attractive appearance, which is exactly what a great 4K makeover should accomplish. Unfortunately, this 4K makeover is graded a lot like the various recent 4K makeovers in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' catalog. It is loaded with turquoise/teal like the one seen on the 4K Blu-ray release of Snapshot, but with additional saturation anomalies. As a result, vast portions of the film have a very distracting blooming neon-esque appearance that emphasizes incorrect color values. I did various comparisons between the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases to see how some of these anomalies may differ because the former can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I think that the 1080p presentation struggles with some of these issues a bit more, especially in areas with various ranges of supporting nuances, but ultimately, the native 4K presentation is just as unconvincing. While viewing the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray, I did not encounter any age-related or encoding anomalies to report. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your Blu-ray player regardless of your geographical location).

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless track is excellent. The audio is very clear, crisp, and stable. It is nicely rounded, too. I did not notice any distracting thinning or fluctuations, even in areas where such easily could have emerged. I would describe dynamic intensity as good, through there are only a few decent action sequences with enough proper activity. All exchanges are very easy to follow.

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, director Simon Wincer and producer Antony Ginnane explain that Harlequin was supposed to offer a modern retelling of the famous story about Grigori Rasputin, and discuss the casting choices that were made for it, its funding and production process, and critical reception. The commentators also mention that they intentionally chose not to specify the country where all events in the film take place, and discuss the types of contrasting material that overlaps in it.

• Not Quite Hollywood Interviews - presented here are four interviews from Mark Hartley's documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!. The comments in the interviews address the production, style, and reception of Harlequin. In English, not subtitled. (51 min).
  
  1. Simon Wincer
  2. Anthony Ginnane
  3. Everett De Roche
  4. Gus Mercurio

• Archival Interviews - presented here are five archival interviews. The comments in the interview address the production of Harlequin, its story and characters, and genre identity. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. David Hemmings and Robert Powell. (6 min).
  2. Everett De Rocher. (6 min).
  3. Simon Wincer. Audio only. (76 min).
  4. Associate producer Jane Scott. Audio only. (52 min).
  5. Production designer Bernard Hides. Audio only. (35 min).

• Stephen Morgan: More Than Magic - in this new program, critic Stephen Morgan discusses the production history of Harlequin and the exact period from which the film emerged from. In English, not subtitled (16 min).

• Kim Newman: Destruction From Down Under - in this archival program, critic Kim Newman discusses some of the more interesting trends in Australian genre cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, and some of the key Ozploitation films. In English, not subtitled (16 min).

• Isolated Score - presented as LPCM 1.0.

• Trailers - In English, not subtitled. (7 min).
  
  1. Australian Theatrical Trailer One.
  2. Australian Theatrical Trailer Two.
  3. Dark Forces U.S. Theatrical Trailer.

• Image Gallery - presented here is a gallery with original promotional materials for Harlequin.

• Script Galleries -
  
  1. Dialogue Continuity
  2. Screenplay

• Book - an 80-page book with a new essay by Julian Upton, exclusive extracts from producer Antony Ginnane's unpublished memoirs, an archival interview with Ginnane, and technical credits.

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

During the 1970s and 1980s, Australian directors delivered a lot of intriguing genre films that remain in a category of their own. However, many of these genre films are intriguing because they are fascinating misfires, not minor masterpieces that were brilliantly conceived and shot. Harlequin is one such film. It pulls in different directions, for various, often ambiguous reasons, and frees its stars to participate in a strange kabuki theater that becomes surprisingly attractive. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' 4K Blu-ray release introduces an exclusive new 4K makeover of it. Unfortunately, I found it unconvincing. (A 4K Blu-ray release is also available for purchase).