Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Julia Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 22, 2022

Sigi Rothemund's "Julia" a.k.a. "Es war nicht die Nachtigall" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Epics. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary by critic Jeremy Richey; original international trailer for the film; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English or German, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Sigi Rothemund’s Julia (Es war nicht die Nachtigall) was part of a trend that began in the late ‘60s and peaked during the late ‘70s when adult films started replacing the conventional erotic films the likes of Max Pecas, Pasquale Festa Campanile, and Radley Metzger became famous for. In Germany, virtually all of these conventional erotic films were done in much the same way they were done in Denmark, so if you notice that there are some very obvious thematic and stylistic similarities between the various titles from the popular Danish Mazurka Series and the titles from the so-called Bavarian Sex Wave, this is the reason why -- their identities were shaped up by the same trend. (In Switzerland, producer Erwin C. Dietrich made a small fortune investing in these kinds of films while working closely with Ingrid Steeger. Some of their films are now on Blu-ray, but during the DVD era I picked up this eight-disc box set which in my opinion has the best ones). In Italy, these genre films evolved differently primarily because Italian directors were lucky to work with much bigger stars that had often done a number of ‘serious’ films. Also, the Italian erotic films were often witty comedies with a social conscience, so they received better publicity and enjoyed a much longer life. In the ‘80s, prolific directors like Steno also helped them evolve into straightforward action comedies, and this was the period when Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill became legit international stars. Of course, Steno wasn’t the only one that helped the evolution. Lucio Fulci is another big Italian director who shot a number of very nice and witty comedies before veering off in a different direction.

While most old articles identify it only as an erotic film and link it to the Bavarian Sex Wave, Julia actually has more in common with the various comedies Steno directed. A nice portion of it was even shot in Verona, where its two main protagonists have drastically different yet similarly unforgettable sexual experiences. Obviously, the mellow satire of Steno’s work is missing, but the quality of the humor is pretty much the same.

The erotic material isn’t the same, which is essentially what makes Julia unique. Well, sort of, because if you begin comparing the erotic material in Julia with the one that is present in the other films from the Bavarian Sex Wave, you will quickly realize that it is essentially the same. What does this mean exactly? It means that it is not explicit but revealing enough not to be entirely appropriate for a family viewing. What changes often are the locations as well as the manner in which different directors use them to make the erotic material appear more exciting.

The plot of is predictably simple. College student Pauli (Ekkehardt Belle) is heading back to his divorced father’s (Jean-Claude Bouillon) lavish mansion in the countryside where he plans to spend the majority of his summer break. On the train, he flirts with a beautiful older woman (Terry Tordai) who flirts back but ends up making love to another passenger her age. Shortly after they get off the train, Pauli is shocked to discover that the object of his desire is his father’s latest girlfriend. At the mansion, Pauli meets the slightly loopy Uncle Alex (Peter Berling) and his mischievous partner Myriam (Gisela Hahn), and shortly after reconnects with childhood friend Andrea (Sylvia Kristel), who just like him is still a virgin. When a tragic event threatens to spoil Pauli’s summer break, his father organizes a trip to Verona where he hopes his boy will finally become a man. Andrea is invited to come along.

It is awfully difficult to find any flaws in Rothemund’s direction because Julia looks terrific and provides all of the thrills that are needed to declare it a solid entry in the Bavarian Sex Wave. So, as long as you approach it with the understanding that its story isn’t as important as its atmosphere, you will have a terrific time with it.

Kristel looks really good but does not overshadow the rest of the female actresses. (The exact opposite occurs is true in the other big film she made in 1974, Emmanuelle). In fact, Tordai might be the true female star because she has some absolutely terrific scenes with Belle.

Rothemund used the services of frequent collaborator Heinz Hölscher, who is probably best known for lensing Russ Meyer’s Fanny Hill and one of the early Winnetou films.

Julia Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Julia arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Epics.

The master that was used to source this release is wonderful. I don't know what party prepared it and when, or what elements were accessed, but the entire film has a very, very solid organic appearance. Excluding one particular sequence that quickly reveals a spliced frame, I did not spot any age-related imperfections either. The entire master is very nicely graded as well. The primaries are rich, healthy, and stable, plus there are lovely ranges of equally healthy supporting nuances. But the technical presentation could have been even more impressive because there is room for encoding optimizations. Indeed, while there are no distracting anomalies, there are a couple of sequences, all darker ones, where the visuals are on the verge of producing compression artifacts. All in all, Julia has a very attractive organic appearance, so this will most likely remain its definitive presentation on the home video market. (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).

Julia Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: German LPCM 2.0, German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Once again, I could not tell what was the difference between the German LPCM 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 tracks. However, I actually chose to view the film with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. I was going to use the German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, but notice that quite a few of the main characters utter their lines in English. Interestingly enough, it appears that overdubbing was done for the English and German tracks, so my guess is that the English track is probably preferable for non-German speakers. The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is healthy and stable, but it is easy to tell that it reproduces the native qualities of a dated soundtrack.

Julia Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critic Jeremy Richey shares plenty of interesting -- and correct -- information about the Bavarian Sex Wave, some trends in European cinema during the '70s, the production of Julia and Sylvia Kristel's involvement with the film (as well as the success of Emmanuelle), Sigi Rothemund, etc. I listened to the entire commentary and thought that it was excellent.

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Julia. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Promotional Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for Julia.

• Trailers - trailers for two more films from the Sylvia Kristel 1970s Collection Blu-ray box set.

• Booklet - 40-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by author Jeremy Richey and technical information.

• Poster - see screenshots.

Julia Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sigi Rothemund's Julia reminded me of Steno's comedies because it instantly put me in a good mood. It is a gorgeously lensed film, too. Honestly, folks, considering the type of entertainment it was conceived to deliver, I am unsure if it could have been any more effective. Perhaps only a surprising cameo by Edwige Fenech could have made it better. Of course, my endorsement of Julia won't mean much if you approach it with the wrong mindset. In other words, you won't be impressed if you expect the film to tell a great story, rather than offer a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. This release is sourced from a very solid organic master and is included in Sylvia Kristel 1970s Collection, a four-disc box set produced by Cult Epics. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.