Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Romeo Is Bleeding Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 20, 2023

Peter Medak's "Romeo is Bleeding" (1993) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sandpiper Pictures. The only bonus feature on this release is an original trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) has been a dirty cop for years. His secret tips have helped the mafia eliminate many snitches and made him a wealthier man. He has not been able to save enough to give his beautiful wife (Annabella Sciorra) the life she deserves, but it is only a matter of time now. If he remains smart, in a year or two he will be ready.

After pocketing yet another large payment for a job well done, Grimaldi is tasked to take out Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin), a deadly Russian beauty who has been a thorn in the side of the powerful Dol Falcone (Roy Scheider). He reluctantly agrees and takes a new payment from his contact, but immediately after meeting Demarkov his world begins to spin out of control. While trying to tame the animal Demarkov has unexpectedly awakened in him, Grimaldi then makes a series of crucial mistakes that initially threaten to collapse his perfect plan to retire as a very rich man and then destroy him.

Peter Medak’s Romeo is Bleeding is one of those very special film noirs that emerged in the early ‘90s that are now rightfully considered genre classics. Indeed, it is as brilliantly scripted as The Last Seduction and almost as sexy as The Hot Spot, plus it has the best soundtrack of the entire bunch.

This film has arguably the greatest contemporary femme fatale as well. Yes, this is a big statement, but it is entirely deserved because the powerful presence and versatility of Olin’s character remain unmatched. Oldman is predictably good and does plenty to make the drama exciting, but it is undoubtedly Olin’s unleashed performance that elevates it to a level that ensures a pretty unique experience.

Medak worked with an original screenplay by Hilary Henkin, who a couple of years earlier teamed up with Rowdy Herrington on another cult classic, Road House. Given Medak’s history with such screenplays, it is fair to speculate that the final version of Romeo is Bleeding likely features some changes that made him happier, but it is clear that the quality of Henkin’s writing is another very big reason why the end product is terrific. For example, as Oldman’s character realizes that he has severely misjudged his target, Henkin infuses the drama with some very, very subtle dark humor that makes it possible to view Romeo is Bleeding as a completely different type of film, one that has plenty in common with Quentin Tarantino’s most outrageous projects. But the serious side of it remains unharmed, so when eventually the resolution comes the audience is left with the impression that what Oldman’s character has gone through is just the proper punishment dirty players deserve.

The supporting cast includes various excellent character actors that have had leading parts in other terrific genre films. Juliette Lewis is the dirty cop’s secret lover who thinks that together they might have a future. Dennis Farina plays a mafia guy-turned-informer that is getting ready to testify against his former boss in exchange for a clean record and brand new identity. Ron Perlman is a fast-talking lawyer with an attitude. Michael Wincott is the mafia guy that requests ‘favors’ from the dirty cop. Will Patton Michael Wincott is one of the good guys who eventually see the big picture exactly as it is.

Despite plenty of graphic visuals the film looks very stylish and sexy. It has that very fluid quality that is present in some of the greatest classic film noirs as well. It was lensed by Polish-born Oscar-nominated cinematographer Dariusz Wolski (The Crow, Dark City).

Romeo Is Bleeding Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 10890p transfer, Romeo is Bleeding arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sandpiper Pictures.

The release is sourced from the same older master that MGM has licensed to other boutique labels. I have this Region-B release in my library and earlier tonight I did some comparisons with it. While the limitations of the master remain the same, I think that the film looks marginally better on this release. The difference is most noticeable during close-ups, but there are a couple of indoor sequences that looked a tad better on my system. Still, I think that it is quite easy to conclude that a brand new 2K/4K master will produce healthier and noticeably more attractive visuals. Some of the wider panoramic shots clearly look softer than they should, plus the color scheme should boast lusher, healthier, and better balanced primaries and nuances. In darker areas, shadow nuances can be superior, and if they are, depth will instantly benefit as well. While there are no serious stability issues, there are select areas where minor stability enhancements can be introduced. A few dirt spot and blemishes can be spotted, but there are no large cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Romeo Is Bleeding 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 English SDH subtitles are provided for the ain feature.

The lossless track is good. It is very potent and in different areas of the film produces some quite wonderful dynamic contrasts. The dialog is clear, stable, and easy to follow. The jazzy score sounds wonderful, too. (When I upgraded my DVD release, I thought that this was one of the biggest improvements on the Blu-ray release. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.

Romeo Is Bleeding Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is an original theatrical trailer for Rome is Bleeding. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Romeo Is Bleeding Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Neo-noir's greatest femme fatale is in this super-stylish film directed by Peter Medak. Also, Mark Isham's sultry soundtrack is a notch above the one Jack Nitzsche cooked up with John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis, Taj Mahal, and Roy Rogers for The Hot Spot. Needless to say, in my book Romeo is Bleeding is a genuine genre masterpiece, and I consider it one of the best films to emerge from the '90s. This release is sourced from the same older master that MGM has been licensing to various boutique labels. I think that Romeo is Bleeding looks a tad better here than it does on BFI's Region-B release, which is the only other release of it that I have, but to be honest, I would have loved to have it restored in 4K and released on 4K Blu-ray. I am a huge fan of this film and will be enormously disappointed if this is the end of the line for it on physical media. If you do not have it in your collection yet, please consider a purchase. RECOMMENDED.