Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Luna Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 12, 2016

After stunning the world with 1972’s “Last Tango in Paris,” and exhausting himself with the botched release of 1976’s “1900,” writer/director Bernardo Bertolucci changes pace with the intimate ways of 1979’s “Luna,” which intends to return the helmer to his softer, more observant side. Of course, there’s a return of controversy as well, as the picture is primarily about the ravages of grief, but also indulges a certain amount of incestuous thoughts and deeds, with the screenplay approaching themes of love and control with a plan of extremity to snap the material to attention. Bertolucci is never one to turn down a chance to attract attention to his work, and “Luna” certainly does a fine job of flailing to maintain eyes on the screen. However, the movie is also something of a mess, albeit a highly artistic one with committed performances. As much as Bertolucci believes in the power of such raw emotions, he fails to make a cohesive effort, with nearly every scene a random assortment of volatile emotions and blurry storytelling.

An opera singer with a successful career in New York, Caterina (Jill Clayburgh) is left a wreck when her husband, Douglas (Fred Gwynne), suddenly passes away, leaving her to care for their teenage son, Joe (Matthew Barry). Requiring a change of view, Caterina movies Joe to Italy, where she continues her stage work, only to discover her passion for the vocation is waning. While Joe fights the relocation, he discovers certain pleasures around town to help him deal with his tremendous emotional burden, eventually developing a heroin habit to cope with his grief and tolerate his volatile parent. Shocked by the discovery, Caterina does whatever she can to help her beloved child out, forcing her to confront past mistakes and hidden secrets, while using sexuality to distract her son from his self-destructive impulses.

The tone for “Luna” is set during its opening scene, where Caterina seductively sucks honey off her toddler’s son’s thigh, crawling around Joe in short shorts, ready to party an average afternoon away. It’s a disturbing sequence, and like much of the movie, its level of diseased behavior is up to the individual viewer, who’s tasked with judging if Caterina is immediately irresponsible or simply engaging in an innocent act of motherly bonding. Either way, “Luna” isn’t shy about depicting sexuality or reckless behavior, establishing Caterina’s refusal to accept boundaries and monitor Joe’s confusion, which only increases as the years pass, reuniting with the character as a 15-year-old boy eager to spend time with his father, only to be refused up to the point of the man’s death. To the screenplay’s credit, emotional cravings are understood, with Joe aching to be something to his dad, while Catarina pours her energy into her son, doting on him, requiring his attention to live. The effort opens vividly, but it doesn’t stay there.

Once the Caterina and Joe settle into their elite Italian life, “Luna” begins to lose contact with reality. Bertolucci has never been the most aggressive filmmaker, but his slack command of the picture is shocking at times, barely able to assemble a single coherent thought with characters who often snap over the slightest provocation. Joe’s heroin habit is a great example of the production’s erratic narrative, with this addiction only taking command of the feature when Bertolucci needs the manipulation, while Caterina is a blustery character straight out of “General Hospital.” Melodrama is the production’s primary goal, making “Luna” a tremendous success from a certain point of view. However, wild swings of inconsistent behavior, along with stagy direction and an amateurish performance from Barry, wears down the viewing experience, which, for reasons not understood, carries on for nearly 2 1/2 hours.

Most will come to “Luna” expecting a certain level of perversion. Mercifully, Bertolucci pulls back when necessary, working to explore the sexual energy between this mother and son as an extension of grief, with flirtations almost therapeutic. There are exploitive moments, but the film doesn’t go overboard, trying to massage in lustful ways naturally, with Clayburgh especially committed to creating an authentic cry for help as Caterina struggles to keep herself and her child together. “Luna” is too static to be emotional, often teasing utter ridiculousness the longer Bertolucci chases every impulse, culminating in a scene where the camera crew visibly follows Clayburgh around in a car, observing Caterina’s pointless confusion on city streets.

Luna Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a fulfilling sense of color, with hues generally communicative and stable, with costuming and greenery the highlights of the viewing experience. Detail is satisfying, though cinematography tends to favor a softer look for the film, maintaining its delicate subject matter. Facial particulars are available for study, and locations are pleasing, acquiring a feel for the beautiful surroundings. Grain is present and filmic. Delineation handles well, preserving frame information. Source is in relatively decent shape, with a few brief points of damage, and mild scratching and speckling.

Luna Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix does showcase some elements of age, with sharper, tinnier highs that emerge during heated conflicts and general loudness. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, managing accents and performances with intelligibility. Scoring is comfortable, offering decent instrumentation, and opera performances emerge with proper regality and vocal power. Atmospherics aren't precise, but urban bustle and rural expanse are communicated comfortably.

Luna Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features star Matthew Barry and filmmaker Elijah Drenner.

• Commentary #2 features filmmaker Howard S. Berger and journalist Nathaniel Thompson.

• Interview (41:52, HD) with Bernardo Bertolucci is a recent chat (this past June) with the director of "Luna," who doesn't delve too deeply into the particulars of the feature, preferring to explore his inspirations and the casting process. Also of interest to the helmer are location details, sharing tidbits about the production. Bertolucci admits he hasn't seen "Luna" since its initial release, but he shares some solid advice for newcomers to the movie.

• Interview (6:38, HD) with star Matthew Barry is a short recollection of his casting, which was approved by his liberal parents, who trusted Bertolucci's vision. Barry avoids specifics about the shoot, instead focusing on how overwhelmed he was by the film's reception, which allowed him entry into an adult world, and with it came a drug problem, resulting in career stasis. It's a little strange Clayburgh doesn't come up in the featurette, but Barry has interesting experiences to share about sudden fame.

• And a Teaser Trailer (:34, SD) is included.

Luna Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Luna" touches on disco, toxic influences, lesbianism, and growing jealousies, becoming a lukewarm stew of Freudian interests and hysterics (though one expertly shot by Vittorio Storaro). Bertolucci believes he's making something profound, and perhaps he was at one point. The finished film doesn't secure a lasting impression beyond fatigue, as "Luna" asks for more than it gives, eventually landing on a stretch of poignancy and operatic release it doesn't earn.