Mord und Totschlag Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Mord und Totschlag Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 27, 2019

Volker Schlöndorff's "Degree of Murder" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German label Subkultur Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional and production materials for the film; exclusive new interview with the director; and exclusive new interview with actor Hans Peter Hallwachs. In German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Volker Schlöndorff's second feature film, Degree of Murder, is the most straightforward German answer to Jean-Luc Godard’s Pierrot le fou. However, even a casual deconstruction of Degree of Murder quickly reveals that Schlöndorff actually used multiple blueprints for it, and they all emerged from the work of the Nouvelle Vague directors.

The film opens up in Munich where Marie (Anita Pallenberg) has recently broken up with her boyfriend and after trying to move on with her life has hit a wall. Her failure to get on the other side, where in the past she has frequently seen herself leading a happier life, has exhausted her so much that all she wants now is peace and quiet to recover.

On a night when Marie could barely stand on her feet, however, her agitated boyfriend returns to her apartment and they have a huge argument, at the end of which she accidentally pulls the trigger of his gun and kills him. She does not panic. She leaves the apartment and then in a nearby bar offers cash-strapped Gunther (Hans Peter Hallwachs) five hundred marks to help her get rid of the body. At first the stranger turns down the offer, but then changes his mind and they take a taxi to her place in Harras. They relax for a few days, make love, and eventually decide to go to work. But Gunther correctly predicts that they would need another set of strong hands to carry the cold body down the stairs to their car, which is why he asks his drinking buddy Fritz (Manfred Fischbeck) if he would be willing to help in exchange for cash. When he agrees, they remove the body from Marie’s apartment and leave the city.

The trio's plan is to drive deep inside the countryside and then dispose of the body at a remote location where no one would ever bother to look for it.

This recent release from German label Subkultur Entertainment has a new program featuring an exclusive interview with director Schlöndorff whose colorful title, Fuck the Message, actually sums up his film perfectly. (The line actually comes from a lengthy description that Schlöndorff provides in the interview, which may very well be the most candid one he has ever recorded). Here’s why:

Much like Pierrot le Fou, Degree of Murder is essentially a ‘rebel’ that is concerned primarily with the rejection of the proper ways of doing a whole range of different things in contemporary German films. (A quick reminder: The era is the 1960s and Schlöndorff has already done quite a bit as an assistant director in France. He has worked on a couple of films with Jean-Pierre Melville (Le Doulos, Léon Morin, Priest), Louis Malle (The Fire Within), and of course Alain Resnais (Last Year at Marienbad), and while being part of the ‘movement’ feels that perhaps he can instigate a change in his native country as well). Predictably, in it there is much greater emphasis on tone and especially attitude than character arcs and storytelling.

The thing that Degree of Murder lacks, which is precisely what makes Pierrot le Fou a great film, is the ‘lesson’ that legitimizes its new tone and attitude. What does this mean exactly? Pierrot le Fou does a lot that allows its audience to be an observer and participant in its story at the same time. The interaction is what produces the ‘lesson’ that ultimately places all of what was once perceived to be exotic in it in a meaningful context. So, even though Pierrot le Fou may seem like a casual and fluid film, it is in fact one very intelligent ‘rebel’.

Next to Pierrot le Fou Schlöndorff’s film leaves the impression of a small-town German hippie trying to be cool amongst the popular international boys. In other words, it is a simple time capsule whose strongest asset was the enthusiasm of its creator to make a statement that ‘different’ films can flourish in Germany as well. This is something that is worth admiring, though, particularly given the fact that Schlöndorff managed to make it on a budget.

Mord und Totschlag Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Degree of Murder arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Subkultur Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration for which the folks at Subkultur Entertainment accessed the original camera negative. The makeover is outstanding and the film looks gorgeous in high-definition. Indeed, the consistency of the density, the outstanding fluidity, and overall wonderful color scheme ensure a rock-solid organic appearance that makes revisiting these types of older, and often rarely seen, films a special experience. Volker Schlöndorff must be very pleased with the quality of the work because this is the type of treatment that much bigger big-budget films usually receive. Well done. (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).

Mord und Totschlag Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: German DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is excellent. Obviously, the audio has been fully remastered because clarity and stability are outstanding, plus there isn't even a whiff of the age-related imperfections that usually pop up on older, unrestored audio tracks of older films.

Mord und Totschlag Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Fuck the Message" - in this new video interview, Volker Schlöndorff discusses the exact environment in which he conceived Degree of Murder and some of its key themes, the cinematic trends that were underway in Europe at the time, his interactions and work with the directors from the Nouvelle Vague, and the evolution of his work and career. The interview was conducted exclusively for Subkultur Entertainment. In German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. (40 min, 1080p).

• "Hans Peter Hallwachs is Not Acting" - in this new interview, actor Hans Peter Hallwachs, who plays the character of Gunther in Degree of Murder, discusses his experiences as a theater performer/actor, as well as his involvement with the film and impressions of Volker Schlöndorff's working methods. The interview was conducted exclusively for Subkultur Entertainment. In German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. (14 min, 1080p).

• Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional and production materials for Degree of Murder. (1080p).

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet. In German.

Mord und Totschlag Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even though Degree of Murder very clearly attempts to emulate the 'free' style of the big Nouvelle Vague films, I liked it quite a lot. It is basically a small German 'rebel' that now functions best as a time capsule because of its authentic environment. The film has been beautifully restored in 4K and this recent release from Subkultur Entertainment also features an outstanding new video program with its creator, Volker Schlöndorff. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.