Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie Review

Trust the magician over the politician.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 6, 2013

Ozploitation takes a serious turn in “Harlequin,” a bizarre mystery film that employs the art of magic to help secure its illusory intentions. The picture doesn’t quite add up as a cohesive exercise in cinematic misdirection, but its working parts are fascinating, especially when director Simon Wincer and screenwriter Everette De Roche play into the fantastical, making a logical breakdown of the feature’s enigmas impossible. It can be a frustrating movie with a foggy sense of purpose, yet performances, especially Robert Powell in the lead role, are greatly amusing, with a few hypnotic qualities, and the story’s ambition to blend political intrigue with historical influence, enough to save “Harlequin” from itself.

When a government leader suddenly goes missing in the light of day, politician Nick Rast (David Hemmings) is groomed to be his replacement, putting faith into his well-connected advisor, Doc (Broderick Crawford). At home, Nick’s trophy wife Sandra (Carmen Duncan) is struggling to care for their young son, Alex (Mark Spain), who’s near death after battling Leukemia. Arriving via mysterious means is Gregory Wolfe (Robert Powell), a faith healer with magical powers who heals Alex, reviving the boy, leaving Sandra stunned and Nick skeptical. Offering a home to the flamboyant visitor, Sandra welcomes Wolfe into the family, drawn to his seductive ways as he assumes a parental role with Alex, teaching the boy powers of mind control. Doc, threatened by Wolfe’s arrival, immediately puts Nick on the defensive, working to preserve his rise to power. The magician has other plans, questioning suspicious activity while displaying more illusions, making himself a threat to the powerful, leaving Nick confused and afraid.

“Harlequin” is based in the story of Grigori Rasputin, the infamous Russian mystic who magically “cured” Nicolas II’s son Alexei of his hemophilia in the early 20th century. De Roche and Wincer aren’t simply inspired by the tale, they basically update it to fit their needs, focusing on Wolfe as the Rasputin figure, capable of wondrous things, yet he remains a shadowy figure without a clear motivation for his actions. Is he a villain? God? “Harlequin” doesn’t have many answers, preferring clues to explanations, but the Russian history influences are numerous, with names slightly altered and familiar political frenzy summoned to keep Wolfe in line with his inspiration.

What’s interesting about “Harlequin” is how little it connects with the real world. Wincer is crafting a fantasy, blurring the line between magic and miracle as Wolfe insinuates himself in Alex’s life, becoming a father figure to the eager boy (teaching the young lad mind control, which he tests out on a game of Chinese checkers -- resulting in a stop-motion animated explosion of movement), and a husband to Sandra, whose loneliness has made her vulnerable to the intruder’s enchantment. There are hints that Wolfe travels around in bird form, and his appearance at Alex’s awakening is pure hocus-pocus, teleporting through a closed door, yet nobody seems disturbed by his presence or question his powers in a provocative manner. Even when he heals Alex, Nick’s hunting for the “trick,” as though curing cancer is an everyday occurrence. The material is out there at times, forgoing the judgmental eye of logic to simply exist as unreality, making the first half riveting as Wincer piles on the insanity and intensity of Wolfe’s behavior, while nursing Nick’s political subplot to satisfaction, finding an appealing tug of war between the authenticity of the healer’s energy and the lure of Doc’s control.

Unexpectedly melodramatic, finding composer Brian May working up a sweat with his pronounced score, “Harlequin” goes overboard on occasion (sections play like a soap opera, including time shared between Wolfe and Sandra), though Powell remains a hypnotic figure of menace. Broad, but in all the good ways, Powell plays up Wolfe’s arrogance to perfection, portraying the tarted up question mark as a debonair man with a sleight of hand gift, though the film uses these opportunities to present some crude but effective special effects as Wolfe’s illusions grow darker. It’s an amusing performance that hits an ideal note of superiority, keeping all eyes on the character as his murky history is gradually revealed.

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation on "Harlequin" doesn't immediately present itself due to the initial softness of the cinematography, inherent to the original look of the feature. Once the photography stabilizes, the disc brings out a satisfactory read of fine detail, with close-ups (highlighting Wolfe's make-up designs) and costuming delivering necessary textures, and backgrounds are easily surveyed. Colors also benefit from bright fabrics and the general '70s look of the picture, providing stable hues with minimal fade. Skintones are adequate. Blacks aren't challenged, making screen depth and definition passable without being remarkable. Grain is managed with confidence, allowing for a filmic appearance, while the print displays some damage throughout the movie, but nothing too distracting.

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix can be difficult to slice through at times, with the chaotic moments clogging up the clarity of the track, losing a few lines of dialogue. The rest of the listening experience hits a few crispy highs but remains accessible, with scoring cues assertive, supporting visual elements. Performances keep their emotional intent and Powell's sinister work is preserved, with deep laughs and defined inflection. Atmospherics are pronounced, finding sizzling floor cleaner and seaside excursions contributing to the suspense of the film. An Isolated Music track is also included on this release.

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with director Simon Wincer and producer Tony Ginnane (ported over from an earlier DVD release, hence why the pair refers to the film as "Dark Forces") is a subdued affair, with a whispered presentation that's maybe a tad too low-key for comfort. Clearly enjoying their effort, the men are good about scene-specific information, pointing out how magic tricks and special effects were accomplished and performance motivations. Deeper BTS exploration is scarce, but Wincer and Ginnane manage the task without completely flooding the conversation with platitudes, also circling the influence of Rasputin's story on the screenplay.

• "Katarina the Beautiful Klown" (7:37, HD) is an introduction from Scorpion hostess Katarina Leigh Waters. Painted up as a seductive entertainer, Waters plays up her shtick for a brief moment before diving into her IMDB routine, ticking off the filmographies of cast members, highlighting their genre connections.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:45, HD), under the title "Dark Forces," is included.

Harlequin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are several outstanding scenes in "Harlequin" that embrace the darkly inexplicable potential of the piece, including a mid-movie party sequence where Wolfe proves the validity of his powers for Doc and his cronies, including the removal of a physical manifestation of pain from a senior citizen. The third act slashes the tires on the entertaining bewilderment, turning "Harlequin" into a home invasion thriller, devoting a considerable amount of screen time to flaccid suspense and scenes of comeuppance before concluding with a head-scratcher of a closing shot. It's 30 creaky minutes that erode the enigmatic story, wasting time on a non-ending when the rest of the feature carries itself comfortably as an unsolvable puzzle dressed up in glam rock outfits and strangely asexual behavior. "Harlequin" is a memorable effort, adequately guided by Wincer, and while there isn't a satisfying finale, the set-up is often too delicious to pass up, carrying the viewing experience surprisingly far.