Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Bed Sitting Room Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 8, 2009

Based on the play by Spike Mulligan and John Antrobus, Richard Lester’s imaginative “The Bed Sitting Room” (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors BFI (British Film Institute). The film has been transferred to High-Definition by MGM and supplied for this release via Hollywood Classics. The picture has been restored by the BFI using HD-DVNR and MTI restoration systems, removing dirt, scratches, warps, torn or missing frames and stability issues. Region-B “locked.

After World War III

Richard Lester’s The Bed Sitting Room is a truly bizarre film. It borrows a lot of the weirdness seen in William Klein’s Mister Freedom (1969), the avant-garde visuals seen in Alejandro Jodorowsky’s El Topo (1970), and the edgy eccentricity from Dusan Makavejev’s W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism (1971). There is probably a bit of that unique Monty Python humor in it as well.

The film opens up in the future, after the end of World War III. England has been destroyed and those who have survived the Nuclear Apocalypse are now scattered throughout giant slums where chaos reigns. Some have chosen to live underground, riding trains full of debris. Others have chosen to live on the ground, constantly searching for a “home”. The two groups almost never meet.

Lester’s camera follows a number of different characters - two policemen (Peter Cook and Dudley Moore), who are constantly patrolling one of the slums and encouraging people to move so that they are not an easy target, an older couple (Arthur Lowe and Mona Washbourne) and their pregnant daughter (Rita Tushingham), the extravagant Lord Fortnum of Alamein (Ralph Richardson), the Plastic mac man (Roy Kinnear), and a kooky man (Frank Thornton), who has become the face and voice of BBC – who are in a perpetual state of denial about the present. They try to live and communicate as if World War III never took place.

It is quite difficult to explain how all of these characters are brought together. Some of them meet when they begin to make their way through the giant slum and discover that there are other survivors. Others simply appear out of nowhere and join the ones we’ve already been introduced to. Once they start interacting, The Bed Sitting Room begins to make some sense.

Ironically, however, the first half of the film is slightly more entertaining; this is where the really good humor is. Lord Fortnum of Alamein’s eccentric behavior in particular is absolutely hilarious. The second half of the film is a bit more serious. A lot of the main protagonists for example switch into a reflecting mode. This is where director Lester channels plenty of his own views on then-contemporary England and its socio-political ordinance.

The finale certainly proves that The Bed Sitting Room is not a comedy. As noted by director Lester in an interview supplied on the Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, “any comedy that you would see in the film is for alienation purposes only”. I tend to agree. Behind the eccentric words and abstract visuals, there is a very serious message about the fallacies of modernism and Western-type democracies.

Technically, The Bed Sitting Room rivals some of the best avant-garde films that I have seen during the years. Frankly, I am not quite so sure why it was received so unfavorably – the film was an undisputed critical and commercial failure – given how far reaching its message is, though I suspect that its subtle political jabs probably had a lot to do with it.

The Bed Sitting Room 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, Richard Lester's The Bed Sitting Room arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of BFI.

I feel very comfortable stating that the film has never looked better. This is not to say that the transfer BFI have provided for this Blu-ray release is perfect, but it is most definitely very pleasing. As noted in the booklet supplied by BFI, The Bed Sitting Room has been transferred in High-Definition by MGM and consequently restored by the British distributors using HD-DVNR and MTI restoration systems. This being said, contrast is strong, clarity consistent and detail acceptable. There are a few rougher areas that I noticed where the age of the film shows, and you would definitely notice a few image fluctuations – mostly softer areas that will likely be easier to spot when the film is projected on large screen – but, your viewing experience won't be affected dramatically. Furthermore, the color-scheme looks great as well. The marquee reds, greens, blues, yellows, blacks and whites are rich and stable (there is no color bleeding that I spotted). Additionally, edge-enhancement and macroblocking are not a serious issue of concern. Finally, even though there are a few minor specks that noticed popping up here and there, the print appears to be in very good condition. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" release. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or Region-Free player, you won't be able to playback this disc).

The Bed Sitting Room Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0 (48 kHz). BFI has also supplied optional HOH track for the main feature.

It is fairly easy to tell that LPCM 2.0 has been given plenty of attention. The dialog is very well balanced, crisp, clear and easy to follow. There are no disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or dropouts that I could detect either. This being said, there are two minor audio fluctuations that I spotted, both during the second half of the film, but these will certainly not detract from your viewing experience. Ken Thorne's lovely soundtrack also sounds good. Now, a couple of days ago, I was sent a note from a fellow reviewer, who asked me to check my disc for synchronization issues – and I did. I watched the entire film and most definitely did not detect any major issues with the audio presentation to report in this review. Therefore, I must conclude that if such were indeed noticed, they must have been generated by the Blu-ray player BFI's disc was played on. All in all, as far as I am concerned, everything in the audio department appears to be handled adequately.

The Bed Sitting Room Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Original Trailer – (AVC-encoded, 3 min).

Richard Lester Interview (1967) – the British director talks about a number of issues, from politics to film directing. (AVC-encoded, 18 min).

Spike Milligan Interview (1967) – the actor (Mate) talks about England's past, present and future, as well as the obstacles modern democracies are facing. Subtitled in English. (AVC-encoded, 42 min).

Peter Cook Interview (1967) – the actor (Inspector) talks about England's political climate, America and President Kennedy, the war in Vietnam, etc. Subtitled in English. (AVC-encoded, 32 min).

Notebook – as usual, BFI have provided a lovely 28-page booklet containing Michael Brook's essay "The Bed Sitting Room", Russell Cambell's review of the film (published in Monthly Film Bulletin, April 1970), Neil Sinyard's "Richard Lester", and Bernard Braden's "Now and Then" interviews with Richard Lester, Spike Mulligan, and Peter Cook (originally written for BFI InView by Dylan Cave, Jez Stewart, and Vic Pratt).

The Bed Sitting Room Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Richard Lester's The Bed Sitting Room arrives on Blu-ray as part of BFI's newly introduced Flipside collection. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed looks good, and there are some very provocative interviews on it with Richard Lester, Peter Cook and Spike Milligan that I urge you to see. Most unfortunately for film aficionados residing in Region-A, the Blu-ray disc is Region-B "locked".