Psyche 59 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Psyche 59 Blu-ray Movie Review

Suspense and intrigue in good measure

The under-the-radar classic Psyche 59 is a fascinating drama which delves into thriller territory as it explores a mysterious plot revolving around a surprising event. Based on the novel by Françoise des Ligneris, the film is an exciting production by Phillip Hazleton (Northeast of Seoul, That Man Bolt) that is highlighted with an impressive cast that includes Samantha Eggar and Patricia Neal.

Allison Crawford (Patricia Neal) becomes blind after a tragic accident which involved falling down a flight of stairs. Wearing luxurious shades and living out her life to the best of her ability, Allison is accompanied by her older husband, Eric (Curd Jürgens) and Paul (Ian Bannen), a family friend. Allison's much younger sister Robin (Samantha Eggar), the drop-dead-gorgeous sex-pot vixen, surprises the family and returns home. Sensuous Robin begins to flirt with Allison's husband Eric as well as other local townsmen as if she has no other care in the world.

As Allison and Robin discuss her plight of blindness, it comes to light that her loss of vision might by psychological and of her own infliction rather than due to injury to the eyes. What mysterious event caused Allison to lose sight and will she ever be able to see again? The mystery unfolds. Will she recover her memories and get to the bottom of the mystery? Trouble lurks ahead.

Psychological Blindness

A psychological drama with surprisingly dark undertones, the intelligent Psyche 59 is highlighted by the performances by Patricia Neal and Samantha Eggar. The lead role by Neal is altogether superb. Neal has remarkable heft as an actress and her dedication to the role can be felt throughout the storyline. Eggar, on the other hand, is such a gorgeous and charming vixen that one can't help but be seduced by her goddess-like qualities. Eggar also wears some sexy costumes by Julie Harris (A Hard Day's Night, Live and Let Die) and men will drool at her sumptuous figure.

The visuals are extraordinary and the cinematography by Walter Lassally (Heat and Dust, Zorba the Greek) gives the entire production a high-quality sensibility which permeates throughout the entire film. The outdoor scenery (such as scenes taking place at the beach) are beautiful to look at and the remarkable art direction by John Stoll (Lawrence of Arabia, How I Won the War) will win over the audience.

The music score composed by Kenneth V. Jones (Ferry to Hong Kong, Four Desperate Men) has some tense psychological undercurrents which make the drama more exciting to watch unfold. The score is further heightened by the impressive one-two combination punch with the page-turner screenplay written by Julian Zimet (The Naked Dawn, Crack in the World). Zimet's script makes the film a compelling drama.

Alexander Singer (A Cold Wind in August, Love Has Many Faces) directs Psyche 59 as if it is a drama that also wants to be a edge-of-your-seat thriller. The focus of the film is the characters and their unique story-lines yet the concepts seem to suggest something far darker and more sinister. Max Benedict (The Blue Max, Murders in the Rue Morgue) edited the film to flow as sufficiently as possible but the film sometimes feels as though it could use an extended cut. Nonetheless, Psyche 59 is an interesting (if imperfect) experiment that has more than enough going for it to make it worth a watch.

Psyche 59 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Powerhouse Films as part of the Indicator sub-label, Psyche 59 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1 widescreen. The transfer is impressive with exceptional detail and clarity throughout the presentation. The excellent black and white cinematography appears to be smooth without DNR. This is a nicely filmic presentation with natural film grain. There are only minor specks of dirt sparingly seen on occasion. No egregious damage or scratches can be seen on the presentation.

Psyche 59 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release of Psyche 59 is presented with an English uncompressed PCM mono audio soundtrack. The lossless audio is encoded in 24 bit depth. The track has exceptional quality and dialogue reproduction is consistently superb from beginning to end. There are no signs of egregious hiss, crackle, pops, or clicks to be found on the track. The score sounds impressive as well (though the music perhaps lacks the same degree of audio fidelity one can find on a modern production). A quality audio presentation.

Psyche 59 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The BEPH Interview with Walter Lassally (1.34:03) is an audio-only interview which was conducted by director Roy Fowler on 02/22/1988. The audio excerpt plays over the entire feature-film presentation as if an audio commentary track (though it isn't a traditional one in any sense of the word). The back-and-forth question and answer session should appeal to fans of Lassally.

Come to Silence (HD, 11:53) focuses on actress Samantha Eggar as she explores her direct involvement in the film and the process of being brought into the development. Eggar explores her career trajectory and focuses on the importance of being involved on Psyche 59. The interview focuses on new footage with the actress and is interjected with footage from the film (showcasing the beautiful actress in all of her gorgeous magnificence).

Intangible Visions (HD, 13:14) is an interview with composer Kenneth V Jones as he discusses his involvement with the project and the creative process he used in composing the score for Psyche 59.

An Abstract Quality (HD, 10:26) features Richard Combs and Alexander Singer discussing the significance of Psyche 59 and their respective views on the project.

Psyche 59 Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:44)

Image Gallery is a high-resolution click-through gallery featuring 20 significant images from behind-the-scenes or involved with the promotional release of the feature (from lobby cards to theatrical posters from around the globe).

Psyche 59 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A fascinating psychological experiment, the tense Psyche 59 is worth a watch for fans of drama interwoven with layers of suspense. The film features an exceptional lead performance by actress Patricia Neal and a strong supporting part by the stunning vixen Samantha Eggar. The Blu-ray features an exceptional audio-video presentation and a selection of interesting extras. Worth a watch.