Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.5

Inquisition Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 19, 2017

Paul Naschy's "Inquisition" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of U.S. label Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn; new video interview with actress Daniela Giordano; archival interview with Paul Naschy; and more. In Spanish or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Bernard de Fossey

Paul Naschy’s directorial debut, Inquisition, is apparently based on a true story about a young and beautiful girl that was accused of being a witch and shortly after fell in love with the very person that was going to burn her at the stake. A very large portion of the material that is used in the film, however, is undoubtedly a product of Naschy’s imagination.

The film begins some time after a plague has killed a large number of people in rural France. The prominent inquisitor Bernard de Fossey (Naschy) and a couple of his assistants are then seen entering the Peyria region where the few survivors have started gathering the scattered corpses and burning them in large piles. The eerie atmosphere quickly convinces Fossey that the Devil has visited the place and left his mark.

Soon after, the visitors are welcomed by a gullible nobleman whose beautiful daughter, Catherine (Daniela Giordano, Bloody Friday), corrupts Fossey’s mind. Afraid that his impure thoughts are making him look weak and actually beginning to erode his faith, Fossey declares that he is going to discover the witch that has colluded with the Devil and brought so much suffering to the area, Someone then murders Catherine’s fiancé and she seeks the help of an old woman with magical powers to reveal the identity of the killer.

Naschy’s decision to set the film in France, as opposed to Spain, may seem surprising, but in an archival interview included on this release the director clarifies that it was precisely in France and to a lesser extend England where the most vicious witch hunts (with the mandatory tortures and ritual executions) took place. Given the manner in which the story actually evolves during the second half this seems largely irrelevant.

Released exactly ten years after Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General, Naschy’s film can be best described as a Gothic/psychedelic period tale for adults. It is a fairly graphic film as well, which is why it has been particularly well received by horror aficionados.

The film is loosely broken into two uneven acts. In the first Naschy quickly establishes Fossey as the type of repugnant religious maniac that Vincent Price plays in Witchfinder General and begins highlighting the hypocrisy of his words and actions. There are some really effective Bunuel-esque overtones here, but unfortunately Naschy does not go far enough to force the viewer to use them as a starting point to ponder the socio-political conditions in Spain after the end of the Franco era. In the second act Naschy abruptly bends the reality in which his characters exist and then gives the inquisitor a large dose of his own medicine. The most tantalizing visuals are certainly here, and even by contemporary standards a lot of them remain seriously effective.

In a recent interview, Giordano confirms that Naschy was determined to have the risky visuals look as authentic as possible. A museum in Madrid apparently allowed him to borrow some real torture devices that were used by inquisitors and even the real witchcraft book that is seen in the film, Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches). A real tragedy was also barely avoided during the shooting of the final sequence in which the witch is burned at the stake.

Naschy was able to secure the services of the talented cinematographer Miguel Mila, who is probably best known for his work with cult Italian director Sergio Martino (Arizona Colt Returns, All the Colors of the Dark).

Inquisition 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, Paul Naschy's Inquisition arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The technical presentation is quite disappointing. At some point the film was probably remastered, but it was also heavily filtered from start to finish. (The even distribution of the filtering suggests that it was almost certainly preset). My guess is that the work was done during the remastering process, not after the files were delivered to the U.S. label. Regardless, the end result is very problematic in more than a few ways. For example, virtually all of the darker/indoor footage lacks the type of proper depth that it should have -- shadow definition is extremely disappointing and existing fine detail is almost completely wiped out (see screencaptures #12, 13, and 14). During the daylight footage there is very obvious digital flatness that also produces very distracting smearing (see screencaptures #7 and 19). These effects are visible during close-ups and larger panoramic shots. The film has a healthy color-scheme, but because of the digital anomalies described above some of the key primaries are destabilized and entire ranges of nuances appear compromised. Image stability is excellent. Also, there are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or other age-related imperfections to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Inquisition Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Spanish LPCM 1.0 and English LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the original Spanish track. Post-production dubbing must have been done despite the fact that the entire film was shot in Spanish. (This was a standard practice at the time because many of these films were shot with an international cast and then different audio tracks were created for different territories). So there is some light unevenness, not serious anomalies in terms of dynamics and balance. Clarity and depth are very pleasing. There are no distortions, pops, cracks, or background hiss to report.

Inquisition Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Paul Naschy Introduction - in this archival interview, Paul Naschy explains why Inquisition was such an important film for him (it was his directorial debut) and how the original idea for it actually came to exist, and then discusses the shooting process as well as his interactions with cinematographer Miguel Mila and cast members during the production process. The interview was initially included on the Spanish DVD release of Inquisition. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (8 min).

• Blood and Sand - this wonderful archival featurette takes a closer look at the state of the film industry in Spain during the Franco era and the large number of unique horror films that emerged at the time, many with fascinating social, cultural and political messages. Included in the featurette are clips from interviews with directors Jose Ramon Larraz (Symptoms), Paul Naschy, Amando de Ossorio (The Loreley's Grasp), producer Daniel Lesoeur, and actress Orchidea de Santis (Love, Passion and Pleasure) and former Miss Italy and actress Daniela Giordano (Inquisition, The Girl in Room 2A), amongst others. In Spanish and English, with imposed English subtitles where necessery. (25 min).

• Daniela Giordano Interview - in this recent interview, Daniela Giordano explains how she became Miss Italy and how she consequently entered the film business after she was contacted by an American agency with an office in Rome. The actress also discusses her contribution to Inquisition. In Italian and English, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (15 min).

• Commentary - presented here is a brand new audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn (the Naschycast) who discuss in great detail the career and work of Paul Naschy, as well as the production history of Inquisition, its main genre characteristics, and the progression of the key relationships in the film.

• Trailer Gallery - a gallery of trailers for other Mondo Macabro releases.

Inquisition Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I find this film to be much more effective and despite the nature of its story even more convincing than the cult favorite Witchfinder General. Unfortunately, Mondo Macabro's technical presentation of Inquisition is quite problematic. The master that was used to source the Blu-ray release was essentially filtered from start to finish and as a result the entire film has a harsh smeary appearance that can be quite distracting. If you wish to own a copy of the film in your collection, I think that the best thing to do is find a way to rent it first and see how much you are bothered by the filtering. If you can't, my advice is to avoid the release and consider a different title from Mondo Macabro's catalog.