Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Savage Three Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 19, 2021

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers.

The Italian term Poliziotteschi may not be strictly grammatical, but it has served as shorthand for years to describe a subgenre of Italian cinema that was almost insanely popular in that country in the seventies in particular. If many films in this category were frankly the Italian equivalent of B-movies, some, like 1970's Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, achieved considerable renown and critical appreciation, and in fact that particular film ended up winning that year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Arrow's Years of Lead may not exactly be offering Oscar worthy outings in this set, but in a way that actually may be a better way to understand the idiom, since Poliziotteschi frequently featured gritty storylines and unvarnished characters. Some of the films in this set have been previously released on Blu-ray by German label Camera Obscura (and the reviews of those films will point to those prior releases), and some of the supplements produced for the Camera Obscura releases have been ported over to this set. But Arrow is also touting the fact that this set features a new 2K restoration of Colt 38 Special Squad, which is exclusive to this limited edition release.

Savage Three is one of the films in this set which has received a previous Blu-ray release courtesy of Camera Obscura in Germany, albeit under its original Italian title of Fango Bollente. Those interested in a plot recap are encouraged to read Svet's Fango Bollente Blu-ray review of that release. Svet's review is also a good resource for screenshot comparisons and seeing how the slate of supplements stacks up between the two releases.

Savage Three Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Savage Three is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the transfer:

Savage Three is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with Italian mono audio. The HD master was created and supplied by Intramovies. Additional color grading was completed by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios, London.

A cursory comparison to the screenshots Svet included in his review of the Camera Obscura release suggests that while this may not be identical to that release, it is at least often very similar. Arrow's statement about additional color grading may have at least ameliorated one area of concern that Svet expressed in his review about variances in color temperature, but that said, there are still some minor but noticeable shifts that do crop up, especially in the second half of the film. Detail levels are generally commendable, and to my eyes (and judging solely by screencaptures), grain may be a bit more tightly resolved on this release, but differences seem to be pretty minimal.

Savage Three Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Savage Three offers a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track in the original Italian which I'm assuming is, like the video, very similar if not identical to the LPCM 2.0 track included on the Camera Obscura release, but in the latest iteration of my frequent mantra "different reviewers, different opinions", I'm not giving the track quite the superlative marks Svet did in his review of the German disc. There is the typically somewhat boxy sound of post-looped Italian films from this era, something that may be most noticeable in terms of isolated sound effects and occasionally score. Some amplitude differences also occur from time to time. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

Savage Three Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Rat Eat Rat (HD; 40:49) is an interview with writer and director Vittorio Salerno and actress Martine Brochard, originally produced for Camera Obscura in 2017. For a bit more information, see Svet's Fango Bollente Blu-ray review. In Italian with English subtitles.


• The Savage One (HD; 40:56) is an interview with actor Joe Dallesandro, originally produced for Camera Obscura in 2017. For a bit more information, see Svet's Fango Bollente Blu-ray review .


• Poster (HD) features an image courtesy of Peter Jilmstad.

Savage Three Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's an early scene in Savage Three where lab worker Dallesandro is educated about mice, who do fine if they're kept separated, but who will attack and cannibalize each other if they're forced into small communal "living spaces". That's an obvious metaphor for the kind of societal disarray the film offers, but this is another entry where, while there is subtext, the nonstop violence seems to be the main calling card. Technical merits are generally solid and the two Camera Obscura supplements are very interesting, for those who are considering a purchase.