Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Beast Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 3, 2014

Walerian Borowczyk's "La Bete" a.k.a. "The Beast" (1975) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; introduction by film critic Peter Bradshaw; the documentary film "The Making of The Beast" (2014); the Polish director's short film Walerian Borowczyk's "Venus on the Half Shelf" (1975); and more. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"I like forests and animals."

The Beast is available individually and as part of Arrow Video's Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection Blu-ray box set. Included with this review are photos of the individual release and the box set, which comes with an exclusive illustrated book featuring new essays and landmark articles as well as a collection of short stories by the Polish director.

Walerian Borowczyk’s La Bete a.k.a. The Beast was initially conceived as a short story, which was included in L'Age d'Or Cut of his Immoral Tales. After Immoral Tales was edited by the Polish director -- leaving it the four short stories La Maree a.k.a. The Tide, Therese Philosophe, Erzebet Bathory, and Lucrezia Borgia -- The Beast was developed into a feature film. It was completed in 1975, a year after Immoral Tales.

The film opens up with a long and quite graphic sequence in which two horses are seen mating while their trainer casually observes them from afar. (This particular sequence was one of the key reasons why The Beast was banned for a number of years). Paying attention to the trainer’s facial expression and his body movement and recalling them later on could be quite beneficial.

After the mating sequence, the viewer is introduced to the young and beautiful Lucy Broadhurst (Lisbeth Hummel) and her aunt Virginia Broadhurst (Elisabeth Kaza, Mr. Klein), who are on their way to meet the trainer, Mathurin de l’Espérance (Pierre Benedetti). As requested in her late father’s will, Lucy is to marry Mathurin in a special ceremony that will be blessed by Cardinal Joseph de Balo. She has never met her future husband, but his eloquent letters have convinced her that he is the right man for her. Now she can barely wait to meet him.

Lucy also cannot wait to see her future home. She has read a book by the famous Countess Romilda de L’Esperance (Sirpa Lane) in which she insists that the house is haunted. A lot could change in two hundred years, but was the Countess telling the truth?

There is no other film quite like Borowczyk’s The Beast -- it is shocking but has a great sense of humor, it is poetic but very sarcastic, it is unapologetic but also forgiving. Some of Italian director Marco Ferreri’s more extreme films have similar qualities, but they are meant to engage a specific group of viewers (the intellectuals). The Beast is a bold surrealist dream for the masses. Not everyone gets it, but those who see it rarely forget it.

The original short story is fractured into multiple pieces that appear in different parts of the film. Some of the transitions between the new and the old footage are not very good, but the pacing remains steady.

Though it is easy to tell that some of the explicit sequences were meant to test the viewer’s patience, they are hardly disturbing. On the contrary, Borowczyk’s sense of humor is easily felt in all of them, including in the one in which Countess Romilda de L’Esperance makes a surprising discovery. (Georges Franju's short documentary Blood of the Beasts, which takes its audience on a trip through Paris’ slaughter houses, is a genuinely disturbing film that could be quite difficult to endure).

The cast is quite good. Hummel, Kaza and of course Lane stand out. There are good cameos by Guy Tréjan, who plays Mathurin’s father, and Roland Armontel, who plays a suspiciously kind priest.

Borowczyk shot The Beast with cinematographer Bernard Daillencourt (Immoral Tales, Immoral Women). The original short film was lensed by Marcel Grignon (Is Paris Burning?, Taxi for Tobrouk).

The Beast Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Walerian Borowczyk's The Beast arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

Exclusively resorted in 2K, the film looks wonderful in high-definition. Excluding some extremely light flicker that I noticed in the every beginning, the image is beautifully balanced and pleasingly vibrant. Virtually all of the close-ups boast very good depth, while the outdoor footage has excellent fluidity (including the dream sequences from the original short film -- see screencaptures #3 and 9). Contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Color reproduction does not disappoint -- there is a good range of beautiful organic colors. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Finally, there are no serious stability or transition issues. Also, large debris, cuts, stains, damage marks, and scratches have been removed as best as possible. To sum it all up, this is a wonderful organic presentation of The Beast that will likely remain the film's definition presentation on the home video market. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Beast Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French LPCM 2.0 (with small portions of English and Italian). For the record, Arrow Video have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. They appear only where English isn't spoken.

The film does not have an elaborate soundtrack (only very small portions of pieces composed by Domenico Scarlatti are occasionally heard). There are, however, different nature sounds and noises that effectively enhance the film's unique atmosphere. The dialog is stable, clean, and well balanced. There are no pops, cracks, hiss, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in this review.

The Beast Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Original Trailer - original censored French trailer for The Beast. In French, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).

• Introduction (2014) - a short video introduction by film critic Peter Bradshaw. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• The Making of The Beast (2014) - this documentary film focuses on the production history of The Beast. It features archival footage from the production process as well a long new video interview with camera operator Noel Very. n English, not subtitled. (58 min).

• Frenzy of Ecstasy: The Evolution of the Beast (2014) - a look at the original sketches of the beast and designs sent by Walerian Borowczyk to his producer Anatole Dauman. With music and English text. (5 min).

• Venus on the Half Shelf (1975) - presented here is Walerian Borowczyk's short film Venus on the Half Shelf. In French, with optional English subtitles. (5 min).

• Cover - reversible sleeve with Walerian Borowczyk's original poster design.

The Beast Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Walerian Borowczyk's The Beast has earned a reputation that is well deserved -- it is an utterly outrageous film that has to be seen to be believed. If you are ready to experience it, I encourage you to also see the L'Age d'Or Cut of Immoral Tales, which has the original short that inspired The Beast. In my opinion, the short is more effective than the feature film. Arrow Video's new release of The Beast is a revelation. It represents a massive upgrade in quality over Cult Epics' old DVD release and more than likely will remain the film's definitive presentation on the home video market. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.