Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Privilege Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 10, 2010

Peter Watkins' "Privilege" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute. The supplemental features on the disc include Peter Watkins' short films "The Forgotten Faces" (1961) and "The Diary of an Unknown Soldier" (1969), as well as the film's original trailer. The disc also arrives with an extensive illustrated booklet with new essays by film historian Robert Murphy and John Cook. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The Idol

The first ten or so minutes in Privilege make it clear that we are about to see something different. A man (Manfred Mann’s singer Paul Jones) is handcuffed and dragged to a massive stage with a big cage right in the middle of it. Lights are flashing while two angry cops begin flogging the man with long black sticks. After a while, the man is locked in the cage. Bleeding all over the place, he begins singing.

The man is Steven Shorter, Britain’s pop idol. He has become so big that the British government is now trying to figure out how to best use him to keep young people out of politics. One way is to carefully direct what he does. Another is to actually have him do exactly what they want him to.

Big banks and powerful private organizations are also interested in using Shorter. Anything that he likes wearing and eating is branded, carefully hyped, and then sold to the masses. Even religious officials are interested in taking advantage of the idol’s popularity.

The bigger Shorter becomes, however, the less satisfied he is with his image. He feels that he is losing his ability to think independently and make decisions unaided by higher powers. Concerned about his abnormal behavior, the higher powers introduce Shorter to Vanessa Ritchie (Vogue and Vanity Fair supermodel Jean Shrimpton), a beautiful young painter, who must comfort him and make sure that he is well.

But Shorter gets worse and Vanessa sides with him. During a very important publicity event, he delivers a controversial message and much to everyone’s dismay walks away with Vanessa. He is immediately condemned for betraying his fans and, consequently, his country.

Peter Watkins’ Privilege is an unconventionally bold and very angry film about Britain of “the near future”. Strangely enough, however, it feels a lot like a film about contemporary America ruled by ruthless corporations and obsessed with pop stars and dull reality shows.

The film is narrated by Watkins in a pseudo-documentary fashion, similar to the one he favored for The War Game. During key scenes, he explains the words and actions of the main protagonist as well as what their importance is within the context of the film. However, Privilege does not mimic the structure and radical tone of The War Game.

The occasional jabs at communism, capitalism and organized religion feel slightly dated but are nevertheless effective. The large parade during the final third of the film, for instance, where the main protagonist is “set free”, is outstanding. It feels as eerie as the fascist march in Alan Parker’s The Wall.

For the better part of Privilege, Jones does look like a man on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown. Ironically, he is least effective when he is on stage -- his songs are neither moving nor as rebellious as the actions of the crowds suggest. Shrimpton, who looks like a young Jane Birkin, is notably relaxed in front of the camera. Some of the supporting actors, however, are not convincing.

*This is the first time Peter Watkins’ Privilege appears on DVD/Blu-ray since its original cinema release.

Privilege 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, Peter Watkins' Privilege arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the BFI.

This is a good but slightly inconsistent high-definition transfer. Generally speaking, fine object detail is pleasing, but minor noise corrections have been applied, and during facial close-ups occasionally they are easy to spot. There are also some minor clarity fluctuations. Contrast levels, however, are mostly stable. Furthermore, mild edge enhancement is noticeable during specific scenes; macroblocking, however, isn't. The color scheme is convincing. Blues, yellows, greens, reds, blacks, and whites look stable, though not always fresh and well-saturated. Finally, I did not detect any serious stability issues to report in this review. I also did not see any large cuts, marks, warps, or stains. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Privilege Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, BFI have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The English LPCM 2.0 audio track is pleasing. Its dynamic amplitude is rather limited, but the dialog is stable and easy to follow. This being said, the more sensitive amongst you are likely to detect the presence of some light background hiss, mostly during some of the musical performances, as well as a few of the speeches. However, there are no disturbing pops, clicks, or audio dropouts that I detect while viewing the film.

Privilege Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Trailer - the original trailer for the film. With optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

The Diary of an Unknown Soldier (1969) - a short film, set during the First World War, about a young soldier describing his feelings before he is sent into battle. Directed by Peter Watkins. B&W. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (18 min, 1080p).

The Forgotten Faces (1961) - a fascinating look at the Hungarian uprising of 1956. Directed by Peter Watkins. B&W. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (19 min, 1080p).

Booklet - an illustrated booklet with new essays by film historian Robert Murphy and Watkins specialist John Cook.

Privilege Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The BFI deserve a lot of credit for bringing Peter Watkins' Privilege out of the shadows for everyone to see. I found it to be incredibly stimulating and, strangely, actually indicative of what America endured during the last ten years. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed looks and sounds good. It is, however, Region-B "locked". VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.