Man of Violence / The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Man of Violence / The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 31, 2009

Pete Walker's "Man of Violence" (1971) and " The Big Switch" (1968) arrive on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute (BFI). The supplemental features on the release include original trailers and alternative title card. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Poker is a serious game

The BFI Flipside series was introduced to “revisit and reappraise British films that have slipped through the cracks of cinema history – films that were overlooked, marginalized, or undervalued at the original time of release, or sit outside the established canon of recognized classic.” Well, there is absolutely no doubt that Pete Walker’s Man of Violence and The Big Switch fit the above description. They are strange and most certainly overlooked films that have retained the spirit of a time when directors weren’t afraid to experiment. In other words, these two films are in a league of their own.

Man of Violence (1971)

A bisexual mercenary, Moon (Michael Latimer, Got It Made), is hired by two rivaling underground bosses to help them smuggle a large load of gold from a Third World country. Initially, he does not know precisely what “the job” entails, but after he meets a beautiful girl with a shady past and a bit of history with one of the bosses, Angel (Luan Peters, The Flesh and Blood Show), he begins to see what’s in the making. Moon decides to keep the gold for himself and, if possible, the girl.

There is certainly more nudity than violence in Man of Violence. Large portions of the film come dangerously close to what you would typically see in Italian Exploitation Cinema from the late 60s and early 70s. The film’s main protagonist is also quite wild – he is a good shooter and great lover. Women want to sleep with him and so do some of the men he meets.

The film’s plot is surprisingly complex. There are a number of shocking twists in it that often come a lot quicker than they should. Somewhat disappointingly, many occur right in the middle of the hottest scenes. The dialog is rather basic but entertainingly colorful.

The Big Switch (1968)

Everything in The Big Switch a.k.a. Strip Poker begins to make perfect sense if one concedes that Pete Walker wanted it to look and behave like a tough American film noir. Not one of those massive Hollywood projects that united several A-listers, just a tough crime film, imitating as much of what made the American film noirs famous as possible.

The Big Switch did not turn out as Walker intended. Oddly, it is worth seeing precisely because Walker could not control it and instead ended up with a very British chameleon that repeatedly mishandles several fake personalities. Crime material, ‘kitchen sink’ drama, and sexploitative material define these fake personalities as they frantically overlap each other while Walker rushes to wrap up The Big Switch.

There are two versions of The Big Switch: Domestic Version, which is approximately 68 minutes long, and Export Version, which is approximately 77 minutes long. The latter features zestier, but not sexually explicit, material. While decent and representative of Walker’s style, this material does not make The Big Switch a better film.

In both versions, despite being edited differently, the cocky playboy and gambler John Carter (Sebastian Breaks) picks up a hot blonde in a posh nightclub and they drive back to her place. However, while Carter is out to buy a pack of cigarettes, someone kills the blonde. A day later, Carter loses his job in an advertising agency and is tortured by several guys playing strip poker with another blonde at his place. Then a third blonde (Virginia Wetherell) abruptly enters Carter’s life, and together they end up in Brighton to do a job to satisfy crime boss Karl Mendez (Derek Aylward), who knows about his short rendezvous with the dead blonde and a large unpaid gambling debt. The job turns out to be far more complicated and dangerous than advertised.

It is difficult to tell what Walker’s preferred version might have been because both are flawed. The Export Version makes The Big Switch look like a sexploitation flick pretending to be a crime film, while the Domestic Version transforms it into a cheap crime thriller that heads in multiple directions at the same time. However, in both, the footage from the apartment in Brighton causes the most damage. It is just not good enough, even for a B-film.

The best material comes from a wild, surprisingly well-staged and filmed shootout at the Brighton Pier. This material reminds of the memorable finale from another, much bigger and better British crime film, Neil Jordan’s Mona Lisa.

Man of Violence / The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pete Walker's Man of Violence arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute (BFI).

Man of Violence has been transferred in High Definition from the original 35mm combined negative. The picture has been restored using HD-DVNR and MTI restoration systems, where multiple scratches, flecks, and warps have been removed. As a result, the film looks quite fresh and pleasingly stable. Contrast is very good, detail excellent and clarity very impressive. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The majority of the daylight footage looks particularly strong. Color reproduction and balance are convincing. Reds, blues, greens, yellows, browns, blacks and whites are lush and stable. I did not see any distracting age-related anomalies.

The Big Switch is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and granted a 1080p transfer. It has been transferred in high-definition from the original 35mm combined negative. There are two versions of the film offered on this release: Domestic Version and Export Version. According to the BFI, picture and audio for the sections making up the Export Version were transferred from separate picture and sound negatives. Overall, The Big Switch looks quite strong. Contrast, clarity and detail are very good. I spotted a few flecks popping up here and there, but large stains, scratches, debris, and warps are nowhere to be seen. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. All in all, I believe that this is the best The Big Switch has ever looked. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no PAL content preceding the main menu).

Man of Violence / The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both Man of Violence and The Big Switch arrive with English LCPM 2.0 mono tracks. Both films can also be viewed with optional English HOH subtitles.

Both tracks sound convincing. The dialog is clear and easy to follow. I certainly did not feel the need to turn on the English subtitles so I could follow what is being said. There are no balance issues to report, either. Generally speaking, the supporting music soundtracks blend well with the dialog. As mentioned in the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc, BFI's tech crew has removed a number of clicks, pops, and cracks. As a result, the audio is probably as good as it has ever been. I personally have no reservations with it whatsoever. The English subtitles are legible and very well done.

Man of Violence / The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Trailers - two trailers, one for Man of Violence and one for The Big Switch. (1080p).

Title card - a title card for "Moon". (1080p).

Booklet - a 26-page booklet containing the following essays: "The Dark Side of the Moon" by Cathi Unsworth, "The Big Switch" by David McGillivray, "British exploitation cinema: a precarious existence" by Julian Petley, and "Pete Walker recalls making Man of Violence and The Big Switch".

Man of Violence / The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is a terrific package! Some viewers (and critics) may find plenty of flaws in Pete Walker's Man of Violence and The Big Switch, but I had a terrific time with them. I absolutely loved how rough they looked. Keep them coming BFI! Recommended.