Maria's Lovers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Maria's Lovers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson May 17, 2024

While Maria's Lovers (1984) is one the least known productions from Cannon Films, it's notable for the fact that a Russian citizen (Andrei Konchalovsky) was permitted entry into the United States to film a feature for the first time since the early 1930s when Sergei Eisenstein worked on the ill-fated ¡Que viva Mexico! (1932). Actually, Konchalovsky was originally going to film Maria's Lovers in France. In a 1984 interview with Roderick Mann of the Los Angeles Times, the Moscow-born director divulged that he and his screenwriter friend Gérard Brach co-wrote the script for Isabelle Adjani. But Konchalovsky had always wanted to work with Nastassja Kinski and over dinner with the Tess star, they discussed collaborating on a play by Shakespeare or Chekhov. Kinski openly suggested doing a movie together but Konchalovsky didn't envision her in the title role. But when he told her the basic scenario, she jumped up and said, "I want to do it." When Konchalovsky approached Cannon Films, the production company and distributor agreed to finance it, but under the condition that it be made in America.

Maria's Lovers is a somewhat misleading title because it's much more than just about Maria Bosic's (Nastassja Kinski) romances with male companions. The picture is set in a working-class Pennsylvania neighborhood among Yugoslavian émigrés. US soldier Ivan Bibic (John Savage) has just returned home after detention in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. Ivan's grizzled father (Robert Mitchum) wants to know what occurred there. His shell-shocked son isn't ready to open up. Maria was Ivan's sweetheart before his deployment. When he sees Maria for the first time, she is with Al Griselli (Vincent Spano), a handsome Army captain also back from the war. The Mitchum character doesn't believe that Ivan is good enough for Maria. He lines his son up with a neighbor, Mrs. Wynic (Anita Morris). But Maria and Ivan get back together. Ivan thought about her all the time he was interned at the camp. This causes him problems when attempting to consummate love with her. Clarence Butts (Keith Carradine), a troubadour and traveling guitarist, becomes smitten with Maria and chases her around.

Ivan and Maria together.

When Maria's Lovers first came out, critics generally misread John Savage's performance. Since he was the male lead, they expected more dialogue and theatrics from him. They didn't grapple with how the postwar trauma not only stifled his sexuality and affected his manhood, but how it also impacted his general disposition. He often appears reserved and is sometime withdrawn. His performance as Steven in The Deer Hunter (1978) couldn't have better prepared him for this role. Keith Carradine looks like a natural twanging his guitar. (Did brother David give him lessons after Bound for Glory?) The wonderful ensemble cast is rounded out with terrific work by Vincent Spano and small but important roles from Mitchum, Bud Cort, and a young John Goodman in the last section of the film.

Maria's Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Maria's Lovers received its global debut on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red with distribution by Kino Lorber. (There's also a recent limited edition released by French label Intersections.) This BD-50 (disc size: 43.29 GB) employs the MPEG-4 AVC encode. The movie appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía often uses both edges of the frame to their full extent (see Screenshot #s 5, 9, 10, 12, 23, 24, 25, and 26).

Film critic Ed Blank, who was Drama Editor for The Pittsburgh Press when he reviewed Maria's Lovers in 1985, was apparently familiar with the filming conditions and perhaps what transpired in post-production. He observed that the the film stock was treated with a "bleached look. Everything was desaturat­ed to create a washed-out light pink look." In a fairly recent interview included on this disc, Vincent Spano spoke along similar lines. He remembered seeing the dailies and how well-saturated the colors were until they were toned down in post. You can see how soft and light the image looks, for instance, in Screenshot #s 1, 9, 12, and 16. The presumed 2K scan looks relatively clean throughout. There are minor and very small film artifacts that pop up periodically (but not frequently) in Code Red's presentation. Notice a light scratch across Mrs. Wynic's chin in frame grab #7. Editor Humphrey Dixon excerpts John Huston's WWII documentary, Let There Be Light, and splices in John Savage's character (see screen capture #30). The feature sports an average video bitrate of 37438 kbps.

The 109-minute film has received fifteen chapter breaks.

Maria's Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Code Red has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono mix (1895 kbps, 24-bit). MGM's European DVDs for Maria's Lovers are all presented with Dolby Digital monaural tracks. However, the R1 DVD has a stereoized mix. I saw a 1985 review in The Hollywood Reporter and can confirm the film's original recording was processed in mono. Code Red's track is clean and clear but it lacks any fine detail. Noise reduction has likely been applied. The treble on this mix sounds excellent but there's little bass except when a train passes. I have copy of Cannon's original press kit, which describes the train as "chugging" and "smoke-spouting." That's precisely how it sounds and looks on disc. Spoken words are intelligible. Keith Carradine sings "Maria's Eyes," which Konchalovsky wrote the music to. Composer Gary S. Remal contributes a nice underscore for the film.

The disc has optional English SDH for the feature.

Maria's Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Interview with Actor John Savage (5:48, 1080p) - in this 2021 interview, the veteran actor recalls first becoming acquainted with Cannon Films and gives brief recollections of working with Andrei Konchalovsky, Robert Mitchum, Keith Carradine, Bud Cort, and John Goodman. Savage also describes what he brought to his character in the film. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Interview with Actor Vincent Spano (15:34, 1080p) - in this 2021 interview, Spano remembers reading the script for Maria's Lovers, meeting and/or collaborating with executive producer Menahem Golan, Andrei Konchalovsky, Nastassja Kinski, DP Juan Ruiz Anchía, Robert Mitchum, Anita Morris, and Karen Young. He remembers where the cast/crew stayed, the picture's shooting locales, his research for the movie, the legacy of Maria's Lovers and the place it holds in his career. Spano also shares a very intimate story. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:36, upconverted to 1080p) - an unrestored original trailer for Maria's Lovers presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

• Bonus Trailers - original trailers for La Cage aux Folles II, Mass Appeal, One More Train to Rob, Starflight One, Story of a Woman, and Sunnyside.

Maria's Lovers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Maria's Lovers is a very fine "coming home" film that's been overlooked since the decades it was first released. The aforementioned critic Ed Blank stated in his review for the movie that "many scenes were shortened or cut altogether in paring the picture to a final 1¾ hours." It's unknown whether or not the omitted scenes have survived and unfortunately, none have showed up on this Code Red disc. The Blu-ray, however, displays a very good transfer that's likely faithful to the original theatrical appearance. The lossless monaural mix sounds clean without any source anomalies but doesn't feature much detail. The interview with Vincent Spano is really good as the actor has a lot more to say about this film than John Savage does in a much briefer interview. A SOLID RECOMMENDATION for Maria's Lovers.