Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 26, 2019

John Cameron Mitchell's " Hedwig and the Angry Inch" (2001) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include a large collection of vintage materials for the film; documentaries; new and exclusive interviews with cast and crew members; archival audio commentary by John Cameron Mitchell, cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The band

Each time I revisit John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch I get the feeling that there are two contrasting concepts in it that are struggling to determine its identity. The first takes the music very seriously and it actually tries to remodel the film into an exotic rock musical. The second prioritizes a very fluid atmosphere of the type that Gregg Araki’s work frequently promotes. The constant overlapping of these concepts makes the story that the film wants to tell seem almost like a distraction, which is a shame because it is actually a pretty good one.

The film reveals the complicated trajectory of Hedwig’s (Mitchell) journey through a series of random flashbacks. He apparently grew up in East Berlin, as a boy, where his German mother abandoned his American father after she made a shocking discovery. Many years later another American entered Hedwig’s life, Sergeant Luther Robinson (Maurice Dean Wint), and he fell madly in love with him. When the two decided to marry and leave the Soviet Bloc Hedwig agreed to alter his sex, but a clueless surgeon botched the operation.

Eventually, Hedwig formed a band and began channeling his anger and frustration through his music. It was powerful and authentic, and for a short period of time it made him dream of becoming a star. But a supposedly special friend, Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt), who was also an aspirating artist, apparently cheated him, and in the process doubled his misery. Hedwig nearly gave up on life, and then something magical happened.

The film is fractured into multiple big episodes overflowing with glitz and kitsch that routinely feel like filler material of the type that an MTV producer would greenlight. (Sorry, references to the classic Rocky Horror Picture Show are quite simply impossible to take seriously). As a result, the bulk of the crucial drama that is supposed to be legitimized through the intimate sequences where Hedwig and other important characters struggle with their feelings and emotions basically becomes soapy melodrama.

Seen from the opposite angle, strictly as a rock musical, the film again feels unfocused and simply keeps drifting away in different directions. Mitchell is the only one that actually gives the type of quality performance that a rock musical deserves, but instead of feeling inspired by it the supporting actors look as if they are struggling to follow an odd script. For example, the early footage with Pitt’s character where he becomes attracted to Hedwig and then walks away from him after he discovers his ‘secret’ is incredibly artificial. Also, during the Bilgewater Inn performances the camera routinely catches band members whose body posture and attitude are completely out of synch with Hedwig’s performance.

The original soundtrack that Stephen Trask created mixes elements of punk rock, ambient rock, and even folk rock and jazz. It is definitely an acquired taste. I personally think that the most effective tunes are the edgy ones, a few of which remind of the classic tracks that punk legends like The Ramones and New York Dolls did many decades ago.

*Criterion’s release of Hedwig and the Angry Inch is sourced from a brand new 4K remaster that was struck from the original camera negative and a 35mm interpositive. It was supervised by Mitchell and cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch 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, Hedwig and the Angry Inch arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

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

"This new digital transfer was created in 16-bit 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative and a 35mm interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI Film's DRS, while Digital Vision's Phoenix was used for jitter, flicker, and small dirt. The original 5.1 surround soundtrack was provided by Warner Bros.

Transfer supervisors: Frank G. DeMarco, Lee Kline, John Cameron Mitchell.
Film scanning: Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging, CA.
Colorist: Lee Kline."

The film looks quite stunning after the recent makeover. This makes the various stylistic choices that its creator made that much easier to appreciate. Depth, clarity, and especially color reproduction are simply outstanding. (I would love to see some of Gregg Araki's early films look this good). There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Needless to say, the visuals have very strong organic qualities. Stability and fluidity are excellent, so folks with larger screens are in for quite a treat. There are no traces of age-related anomalies. (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).

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear, nicely balanced, and promoting the type of dynamic nuances that I expected to hear. Also, balance is very good, though there is enought organic fluidity that actually introduces some minor unevenness. There are no pops, cracks, background hiss, or distortions to report.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - remastered trailer for the film. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• A "Hedwig" Reunion - in this new program, actor/director John Cameron Mitchell, cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco, composer Stephen Trask, and other contributors recall their work on Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The program was created exclusively for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (57 min, 1080p).

• The Music of "Hedwig" - in this new program, music critic David Fricke and composer Stephen Trask discuss the soundtrack of Hedwig and The Angry Inch. The program was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).

• Whether You Like It or Nor: The Story of Hedwig (2003) - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the conception of the character of Hedwig, as well as her appearances in the off-Broadway productions and David Cameron Mitchell's film. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with various cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (86 min, 0180i).
  
  1. Beginnings/SqueezeBox
  2. The off-Broadway years
  3. The Jane Street Theatre
  4. Hedwig numbers 207
  5. Hedeads
  6. Sundance Lab
  7. Proproduction
  8. The shoot
  9. The Sundance Film Festival
  10. Hedwig Lives on

• From the Archives - this program gathers archival footage/materials that offer a closer look at the film's conception and themes. The materials were provided by, and are discussed by, John Cameron Mitchell, costume designer Arianne Phillips, and hair stylist Mike Potter. In English, not subtitled. (49 min, 1080p).

• Anatomy of a Scenes - this archival documentary examines the creation of the Adam and Eve sequence from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It was produced by the Sundance Film Channel in 2001. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080i).

• Deleted Scenes - a collection of deleted scenes, presented with an optional commentary. (13 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary features John Cameron Mitchell and cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco. It was recorded in 2001.

• Booklet - 54-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by Stephanie Zacharek, along with, for the Blu-ray edition, production photos by Potter and costume designer Arianne Phillips, illustrations by Hubley, and excerpts from two of the films inspirations, Plato's Symposium and The Gospel of Thomas.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The appeal of Hedwig and the Angry Inch has remained elusive to me. I like how brash and colorful it is at times but I find it vastly inferior to the many films that Gregg Araki has directed over the years, which I think have very similar genes. Hedwig fans should be pleased with Criterion's new Blu-ray release because it is sourced from a solid 4K remaster that was supervised by John Cameron Mitchell and cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco. Recommended to fans, but otherwise consider a rental first.