Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Mark of the Devil 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 7, 2023

The terror of witch trials in 18th-century Austria provides atmosphere for 1970’s “Mark of the Devil,” which examines the horror of weaponized accusations and frightening torture methods used to extract confessions. The production looks to sell itself as a fact-based study of history, but viewers will quickly realize the movie is merely exploitation, with a heavy emphasis on human suffering and exposed bodies. Co-writer/director Michael Armstrong isn’t shy about focusing on agony, but there’s some effort to put a story together, dealing with the drama of lustful people and their battle with political and religious order, which makes for an acceptable soap opera.

Albino (Reggie Nalder) is a witch finder who provides nothing but cruelty in his Austrian village, keeping the locals in a state of fear as he accuses women who won’t submit to him of witchcraft. He’s preparing to destroy Vanessa (Olivera Katarina), a barmaid who refused his advances, but his accusation is challenged by Count Christian (Udo Kier), a visiting man of religion working for Lord Cumberland (Herbert Lom), who arrives to take control of the witch trials. Albino resists such a change in power, and Christian falls in love with Vanessa, looking for a way to help her out of the grave trouble she’s in. Lord Cumberland presides over a few cases, on the hunt for confessions, using a system of torture to do so, but his own heart is black, in possession of a secret he protects violently if anyone dares to speak of it, complicating Christian’s service to his mentor.

“Mark of the Devil” opens with information concerning witch fever in Europe, offering news that three cases of accusation and punishment will be presented in the picture. In reality, there’s four, and the material isn’t even interested in the lives of the victims, preferring to focus on the arrival of Lord Cumberland, a man of extreme influence who’s secretly unable to enjoy his power due to physical limitations. He’s fresh to village drama, meeting with Albino, who’s openly contemptuous about his loss of position, which has limited his ability to sexually assault women, going into rage mode instead. Lord Cumberland is also a trusted mentor to Christian, whose eyes are opened to the witch trial process when Vanessa, who’s clearly innocent, is locked up, prepared for unimaginable abuse conducted in the name of God.

“Mark of the Devil” has its share of shock value, breaking away from the story to detail torture tactics used to pull confessions from pure souls. It’s grim stuff, but intentionally so, watching as women are pulled on the rack, burned alive, and have their tongues torn out. Men are left to rot under water-dripping devices and forced to sit on nails. Screaming is the unofficial co-star of “Mark of the Devil,” which exposes its marketplace ambitions by spending so much time on the sights of bodies being wrecked, but Armstrong isn’t completely committed to B-movie temptations. He also has a tale to tell, and it’s a passable one, exploring Christian’s loss of faith, Lord Cumberland’s turn to violence, and the idiocy of these uneducated religious warriors, who eventually target a family puppet show for Satanic practices.

For additional information and analysis, please read the 2015 Blu-ray review.

Mark of the Devil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray release.

"Mark of the Devil" was previously released on Blu-ray in 2015 by Arrow Video, and it returns to disc courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome, who offer a UHD release, "newly restored from its 35mm original camera negative." The 4K presentation is quite vivid when it comes to detail, examining textured skin particulars and makeup efforts, which capture wrecked bodies and weary faces. Period costuming is fibrous. Interiors are open for inspection, exploring decorative additions and housing materials, including rough stone. Exteriors are dimensional, visiting mountain sites and touring the village. Colors are strong, with rich primaries, including deep reds on blood, and accuser costuming also carries heavy hues. Delineation is satisfactory. Highlights are tasteful. Grain is nicely resolved. Source is in good condition, with a few blips of wear.

Mark of the Devil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"Mark of the Devil" is presented in two 1.0 DTS-HD MA tracks, including German and an English dub. Both mixes appear to be roughly similar, providing a clear sense of dialogue exchanges, handling surges of screaming during torture sequences. Scoring supports with decent instrumentation, offering dramatic surge when necessary. Sound effects are blunt.

Mark of the Devil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1

• Commentary features director Michael Armstrong.

• "Performing God's Work" (34:35, HD) is an interview with director Michael Armstrong, who was originally aiming to make a movie with Paramount before it fell apart, hastily taking a job in Germany to keep his career going. Facing rough material in "Mark of the Devil," Armstrong was determined to make changes, shaping the material to his sensibility while still retaining the violence of the era. Getting into battles with the producers, Armstrong eventually left the film, but he shot the feature in a way where editing could only follow his lead. The German shooting experience is detailed, along with character and content.

• "The Devil's Apprentice" (19:26, HD) is an interview with Udo Kier, who was working in England in the 1960s, eventually finding his way into acting, which gave him the attention he craved. Joining "Mark of the Devil," Keir offers his thoughts on co-star Herbert Lom and director Michael Armstrong, and he recalls the release experience, enjoying the marketing push for the movie. The interviewee celebrates the educational value of the picture, and details the premiere event.

• "Words of the Devil" (14:32, HD) is listed as "a brief guide to the screenplays of Michael Armstrong with lecturer and film historian Dr. Adrian Smith."

• "A Hell of a Place: The Locations of 'Mark of the Devil'" (23:13, HD) offers tourism and information from director Martin Nechvatal.

• "Mark of the Times" (47:42, HD) is a 2014 documentary on "The New Wave of British Bloodshed," directed by Calum Waddell.

Disc 2

• "Hallmark of the Devil" (12:13, HD) is a look at the business methods of Hallmark Releasing, hosted by Michael Gingold.

• Q&A (19:54, HD) is an interview with director Michael Armstrong, recorded at 2013's The Festival of Fantastic Films.

• Interview (23:04, SD) is a 2004 conversation with actor Herbert Fux.

• Interview (10:24, SD) is a conversation with actress Gaby Fuchs.

• Interview (9:02, SD) is a conversation with actress Ingeborg Schoner.

• "Rated V for Violins" (24:18, SD) is an interview with composer Michael Holm.

• Audio Interview (4:42) is a conversation with actor Herbert Lom.

• Outtakes (39:02, HD) offers a look at "Mark of the Devil" takes and shots, presented without sound.

• Alternative German Language Title Sequence (2:47, HD) is offered.

• Image Gallery (6:12) collects poster and VHS cover art, film stills, lobby cards, press kit pages, and newspaper ads.

• Radio Spots (2:03) offers three commercials for "Mark of the Devil," amusingly selling the hardcore torture aspects of the picture, but also reminding listeners the film is open to "all ages."

• And an English Trailer (3:25, HD) is included.

Mark of the Devil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mark of the Devil" isn't a riveting sit, but it has some dramatic escalation worth paying attention to, and the cast performs with energy, looking to sell the inner torment of repression and shame, but also external acts of aggression and survival. Surely the picture could do with less of the torture material, which stops the movie cold to play to a certain demographic, but it's not a deal-breaker. "Mark of the Devil" manages to hit some interesting notes of anguish before it leads to a chaotic conclusion, delivering a semi-satisfying study of religious hypocrisy and power trip madness.