Mozambique Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Mozambique Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 16, 2016

Robert Lynn's "Mozambique" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original trailer for the film, but on the same disc you will also find Lynn's film "Code 7, Victim 5" (1964). In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"How come Da Silva throws his weight around?"

The film begins in Lisbon where blacklisted American pilot Brad Webster (Steve Cochran, Private Hell 36, Il Grido) hurts a couple of guys in a bar and gets arrested. Soon after, Detective Commaro (Paul Hubscmid, Funeral In Berlin) offers him a job in Mozambique. If he accepts it, he will be freed immediately and given a one-way ticket to the African country. If he rejects it, he will have to spend the next sixty days behind bars. Webster accepts the job and is told that the man who will be his boss is the owner of the popular Club Valdez.

On the plane Webster befriends the elegant blonde Christina (Vivi Bach, Holiday in St. Tropez, Love Italian Style), who is also on her way to the same club. She is a singer who has had a tough time in Europe and is desperate to begin her professional career. However, when the two arrive in Mozambique they are told that the man that has hired them has died and the club has a new owner, Da Silva (Martin Benson, The Omen), who has made a lot of changes. Later on, Webster also learns from the late owner’s widow, Ilona (Hildegard Knef, Fedora, The Snows of Kilimanjaro), that Da Silva has taken over her husband’s remaining assets because he did not leave a will.

Meanwhile, Christina begins performing in the club and immediately impresses a very wealthy client. Then she disappears without a trace. Around the same time Webster is told to get ready to fly to a secluded location with one of Da Silva’s assistants. When on the way back Webster begins asking questions and the assistant pulls out a gun, he realizes that he has started working for criminals with dangerous ambitions.

The tone and atmosphere of Mozambique are very similar to those of Code 7, Victim 5. This isn’t surprising as it was also directed by Robert Lynn and produced by the prolific Harry Alan Towers.

Much like the American detective in Code 7, Victim 5 Cochran’s pilot is an outsider who must improvise in a country he does not know, but he is a much tougher hero. It feels right that he is because Mozambique lacks the style and glamour of Cape Town and the situations he finds himself in demand different responses. Also, there are more men than beautiful women around him and they are impossible to like. They are either manipulators or criminals who would do anything to get what they are after.

In Code 7, Victim 5 there is a good dose of humor that brings lightness and charm. This isn’t the case here. Cochran’s pilot has only a few witty one-liners that make him look like an exotic but very rough replica of Philip Marlowe.

Many of the chosen locations are wonderful, but Martin Curtis’ cinematography feels mostly casual. On the other hand, Johnny Douglas’ soundtrack is so good that it easily could have been used in a much bigger and much more ambitious film.

Mozambique Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Robert Lynn's Mozambique arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground.

The film has a dated appearance, but the bulk of it still looks quite nice. The most vulnerable area is color saturation. While balance is mostly decent it is not difficult to see that there should be a wider range of color tonalities, especially during some of the daylight footage where the primary colors look somewhat weak (see screencapture #16). The indoor footage, however, looks quite good. The best news is that there are no traces of recent problematic degraining corrections. Obviously, there are visible density fluctuations, but the visuals do have rather nice organic qualities. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. Overall image stability is good. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, or damage marks, but a few tiny blemishes can be spotted. So the film can look better in high-definition, but this is still a surprisingly pleasing organic presentation. (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).

Mozambique Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional yellow English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The surprisingly lush period soundtrack by Johnny Douglas easily breathes in all the right places, and there are plenty as the film relies on it to make it look a lot more stylish than it actually is. There are beautiful solos that are well rounded and crisp. The dialog is stable and always easy to follow. There is some room for rebalancing work in the upper register, but there are no distracting distortions.

Mozambique Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Mozambique. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Mozambique Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The formula behind Mozambique is practically identical to the one director Robert Lynn and producer Harry Alan Towers used for Code 7, Victim 5. This time instead of a detective there is a blacklisted pilot who is sent to a foreign country where life is very cheap and left to improvise. The plot is better here, but Code 7, Victim 5 is a more stylish film. Mozambique is included in this upcoming release from Blue Underground, which should not be missed by fans of '60s exotic action films. RECOMMENDED.