The Brutes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Brutes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 13, 2016

Roger Fritz's "The Brutes" a.k.a. "Mädchen mit Gewalt" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German label Subkultur Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include the original U.S. version of the film; original trailers; audio commentary by director Roger Fritz, actor Arthur Brauss, and Christoph Draxtra and Sano Cestnik; second audio commentary by Pelle Felsch, Tino Zimmermann, and Christoph Draxtra; promotional materials; exclusive new video interview with actor Rolf Zacher; and a lot more. In German or English, with optional English and German subtitles. Region-Free.

The thrill seekers

There are two versions of this recently restored film on this release that give it completely different identities. They have different running times and one has quite a bit of additional content. The longer one is the German version of the film, which runs at approximately 98 minutes, and it is presented here fully uncut for the first time ever. The second version, which is approximately 82 minutes long, was produced for the American market and is edited differently. There is footage from the German version that is missing as well, though apparently the restoration team did not have full access to the original vault materials that were used by the American distributors and as a result it is unclear if the missing footage was intentionally removed or at some point destroyed. It is important to point out these differences because Mädchen mit Gewalt (which is the original title for the German version) and The Brutes (which is the title that was used to promote the film in America) can resonate very differently with viewers who are unaware of the film’s production history.

The film was directed by Roger Fritz, who worked as an assistant for the great Italian master Luchino Visconti, and follows closely two playboys looking for thrills across Germany. In the beginning of the longer version Werner (Klaus Löwitsch, World on a Wire) and Mike (Arthur Brauss, The Train) part ways with a beautiful girl and then hit the road without a clear idea where they are heading next. Soon after, they end up in a noisy bar where they drink, argue with strangers, and flirt with girls they think deserve their attention. By the end of the night, they convince Alice (Helga Anders, The Unnaturals) to come and have a good time with them at a nearby junkyard. They also invite some of Alice’s friends, but as soon as they leave the bar they send them in the opposite direction.

The rest of the film takes place at the junkyard where Werner and Mike tease Alice and then force her to play a dirty game with them. Initially, they have fun -- but not Alice -- but then the game slowly evolves into a dangerous macho contest that leaves the playboys with big bleeding wounds.

The longer version is vastly superior. The additional footage allows for a completely different take on Werner and Mike’s friendship and the eventual collapse of the bizarre game. Also, two important twists are misplaced on the shorter version and as a result the buildup before the climax feels weaker.

The tone and atmosphere of the longer version can easily be compared to those of Mario Bava’s Cani arrabbiati and Monte Hellman’s The Shooting. It does have an exploitation edge but it oozes dark and quite heavy intensity that almost completely overwhelms it during the final act. The end product is a rough yet notably atmospheric period thriller that feels completely out of sync with the type of films Germany produced during the early '70s.

The shorter version eliminates the important atmosphere and becomes a rather straightforward exploitation film. Whether it was intended to be one is difficult to tell as it is clear that there is missing footage, but the different edits certainly suggest that in America the film was expected to appeal to a very different audience.

The soundtrack for Mädchen mit Gewalt/The Brutes was created by Irmin Schmidt, one of the founding members of the German avant-garde/experimental rock band Can. The main track, “Soul Desert”, is a pure psychedelic masterpiece.

The Brutes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Roger Fritz's The Brutes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German label Subkultur Entertainment.

My one and only minor criticism pertains to the presence of some tiny white flecks that occasionally pop up here and there and frame jump with some light damage which could have been removed, though I assume that this would have requited extra manual work. The rest is mighty impressive. Indeed, the film has been fully restored and depth, clarity and fluidity are simply terrific. The color grading is outstanding as well. The primaries are solid, with terrific organic qualities, and there is am excellent range of very healthy nuances. There are absolutely no traces of questionable degraining or sharpening adjustments. Contrast and brightness levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Image stability is excellent -- transitions are very good and there is absolutely no edge flicker. Finally, viewers with large screens or/and projectors will also be pleased to know that fluidity is as good as one can expect from a period film of this caliber. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your Blu-ray player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Brutes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release German DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 for Mädchen mit Gewalt and English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track for the U.S. version. Optional English and German SDH subtitles are provided for the two versions.

The film was shot in English and later on each version was overdubbed in English and German. However, it appears that at least some supporting actors had lines in German. Regardless, the final German audio track is excellent. The English track on the U.S. version is also good. German Version: The audio is very crisp and stable. Balance is very good, though some small native fluctuations can be heard during the club/mass footage. Dynamic intensity is very good, but as it is always the case with these types of films there are some pretty obvious native limitations (I refer to limitations that are part of the film's original sound design). The dialog is stable, free of hiss and other age-related imperfections, and easy to follow.

The Brutes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this audio commentary features director Roger Fritz, actor Arthur Brauss, and Christoph Draxtra and Sano Cestnik. In German, not subtitled.

• Commentary Two - second audio commentary by Pelle Felsch, Tino Zimmermann, and Christoph Draxtra Draxtra. In German, not subtitled.

• U.S. Version of The Brutes - alternative U.S. version of the film, which was shot entirely in English. Presented with English and German (dubbed) audio tracks. Fully restored. (English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0/German DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0/1080p).

• Original U.S. Credits - presented here unrestored. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Interview with Roger Fritz - in this new video interview, director Roger Fritz recalls how he entered the UFA talent school and later on became an assistant director for Luchino Visconti, and discusses the production history of The Brutes. The interview was conducted exclusively for Subkultur Entertainment. In German, with optional English subtitles. (6 min).

• Interview with Arthur Brauss - in this new video interview, actor Arthur Brauss (Mike) discusses the early stages of his acting career (as a young man he went to Laramie, Wyoming, where he studied acting and in 1966 returned to Germany and began working at Infratest) and his contribution to The Brutes. The interview was conducted exclusively for Subkultur Entertainment. In German, with optional English subtitles. (8 min).

• Interview with Rolf Zacher - in this very, very entertaining interview, actor Rolf Zacher discusses his quite unusual career, various encounters with different actors (including an apparently rather wild one with Peter Sellers), the many pleasures great drugs and great sex offer, the power of authenticity, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Subkultur Entertainment. In German, with optional English subtitles. (13 min).

• Trailers -
  
  1. German trailer for The Brutes. In German, not subtitled. (3 min).
  2. U.S. trailer for The Brutes. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Gallery - a collection of stills and promotional materials for The Brutes.

• EDV Trailershow - trailers for other Subkultur Entertainment releases.

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet with writing on the film in German.

The Brutes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Roger Fritz's The Brutes is a big discovery for me. The film is quite wild and in a way very much in a category of its own. It has an exploitation edge but it oozes dark and quite heavy intensity that is practically nonexistent in other similarly themed German films from the '70s. The folks at Subkultur Entertainment have fully restored it and I have to say that it looks simply marvelous in high-definition. The Blu-ray release also offers some excellent English-friendly supplements. The exclusive interview with actor Rolf Zacher truly is a minor classic. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.