Phantom of the Paradise Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Phantom of the Paradise Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 14, 2010

Written and directed by Brian De Palma, "Phantom of the Paradise" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Opening Distribution. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are: "Paradise Regained", a look at the production history of the film; an interview with costume designer Rosanna Norton; trailers and more. Region-Free.

I see you!

Written and directed by Brian De Palma, Phantom of the Paradise is a terrific piece of psychedelia. It is colorful, wild, mesmerizing, frustrating, kitschy, hilarious, odd and beautiful. It is also a musical of sorts - one that bends forms and styles in such a wicked fashion that one must wonder what was going on in director De Palma's life when he shot the film.

Here's the plot: During a highly anticipated audition, Swan (Paul Williams, Stone Cold Dead), the owner of the successful Death Records, steals the score for the unfinished Faust cantata from a talented but incredibly naive composer, Winslow Leach (William Finley, Sisters), looking to make it big. Swan is so impressed by the music that he immediately decides to use it for the grand opening of his club, The Paradise. With the assistance of powerful friends, he frames Winslow and throws him in jail. But the composer manages to escape, and heads back to Death Records looking for revenge. There he accidentally falls and gets his face disfigured by a pressing machine.

Eventually, Winslow meets Swan but instead of revenge gets a contract, which he signs with his own blood -- Swan convinces him to finish the Faust cantata for Phoenix (Jessica Harper, Suspiria), a young and beautiful singer, with whom Winslow has fallen in love with. When he delivers the Faust cantata, Swan bricks him up alive in his studio, but Winslow manages to escape and all hell breaks loose.

De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise reminded me of American expatriate William Klein’s Mister Freedom. Both films allow for two profoundly different reads of their stories - one where the audience isn't required to pay close attention to the numerous references they contain, and another where reading between the lines is essential. Both films also seem fairly comfortable with the idea that kitsch allows for great storytelling so long as at the end the kitsch is somehow rationalized. In Klein's film the kitsch is used to effectively criticize America's imperialistic ambitions; in De Palma's film the kitsch is used to satirize the showbiz.

The flavor of the kitsch in Mister Freedom, however, differs considerably from the one present in Phantom of the Paradise. In Klein's film the exaggerations are blunt and frequently quite vulgar. As a result, the main protagonist is impossible to like; the political overtones in the film are also extremely easy to detect.

In Phantom of the Paradise the main protagonist is so weak that once he begins to suffer it becomes quite easy to feel for him; he is the ugly duckling that no one wants. Yet instead of embracing him De Palma proceeds to exploit his misery, thus ensuring that Phantom of the Paradise does not evolve into a cliched soap opera.

Visually, Phantom of the Paradise is overwhelming. What takes place on the screen has to be seen to be believed. During the film's final act it literally feels as if De Palma demanded everyone to go berserk in front of the camera, just like Fellini did in a few of his films. The only difference here is that Phantom of the Paradise lacks the grace and elegance of Fellini's films which, arguably, is precisely what makes it so special.

In 1975, Phantom of the Paradise was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation (Paul Williams and George Aliceson Tipton).

Phantom of the Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Opening Distribution.

This is a surprisingly strong transfer, which, according to the disc's back cover, has been sourced from a brand new high-definition master. Contrast, clarity and fine object detail are all very impressive. Blown through a digital projector, Phantom of the Paradise also reveals excellent depth and stability. Compared to the old FOX R1 DVD the color-scheme is also notably better - reds, blues, blacks, greens, blacks and whites are far richer here. Macroblocking was a serious issue of concern on the DVD release, but there are no traces of it on this high-definition transfer. There is a bit of mild digital noise that I noticed during a couple of scenes, but this isn't something that would affect negatively your viewing experience. The film grain is intact. Finally, I noticed a few tiny flecks very early into the film, but did not see any large scratches, cuts, warps, or stains. All in all, this is a lovely presentation that will surely impress fans of the film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL content on the disc).

Phantom of the Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio trackS on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, the French subtitles are optional (but you can turn them off only with your remote).

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong, and I don't have any major reservations with it (it would have been terrific, however, if the French distributors had also included a separate LPCM track). The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. Surround activity is extremely limited, but this should not be surprising. Especially during the second half of the film, after the crucial audition, the music, courtesy of Paul Williams, sounds great. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hiss, or drop-outs to report in this review.

Phantom of the Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.

Introduction - a hilarious introduction to the film by Gerrit Graham. In French, not subtitled. (1 min).

Paradise Regained - a terrific look at Phantom of the Paradise, its production history, reception by the critics and audiences around the world, etc. The featurette contains numerous interview sessions with Brian De Palma, producer Ed Pressman, actors Paul Williams (Swan), William Finley (Winslow Leach), Gerrit Graham (Beef), etc. In English, with imposed French subtitles (51 min).

Carte blanche a Rosanna Norton - costume designer Rosanna Norton recalls her work on the film. In English, with imposed French subtitles. (10 min).

Fausse publicite par William Finley - William Finley introduces the Phantom doll. In English, with imposed French subtitles. (1 min).

Film annonce - two theatrical trailers. In English, with imposed French subtitles.

Phantom of the Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am very pleased with Opening Distribution's treatment of Brian De Palma's cult film Phantom of the Paradise, and certainly hope that this is the year when the films of Alejandro Jodorowsky (I am looking at you, Carlotta Films), Andrzej Zulawski (yes, Mondo Vision, it is time), and Gregg Araki would begin appearing on Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.