The Comfort of Strangers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Comfort of Strangers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 20, 2018

Paul Schrader's "The Comfort of Strangers" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute. The supplemental features on the disc include a vintage trailer for the film; exclusive new audio commentary with Paul Schrader; recorded audio interview with the director; and more. The release also arrives with a 32-page illustrated booklet featuring writings on the film and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Why are we here?

The Comfort of Strangers was Paul Schrader’s attempt to secure a spot amongst established European stylists like Nic Roeg and Bernardo Bertolucci. But it was destined to be a misfire because Schrader’s genes quite simply aren't the same. He sees and feels differently, which is why his early films Hardcore and American Gigolo stuck out like sore thumbs. Not convinced? Name two other films from the early ‘80s like Hardcore and American Gigolo that reach the American gutter, get a big sample of its stench, and then bounce right back up to safety. You can’t, because they don’t exist. Schrader was at his very best when he ignored all conventional red flags and just followed his instincts. But only when he did it on his turf. It is why on the other side of the Atlantic his instincts failed him -- it wasn’t his turf and he had to rely on other people to tell him how to get things right.

The location is Venice, the beautiful ancient city that a few decades earlier Roeg gradually transformed into a nightmare factory in the classic Don't Look Now. Schrader sets out to produce a very similar transformation with The Comfort of Strangers but while referencing Ian MacEwan’s popular novel and a script by Harold Pinter.

The couple in Schreider’s film is younger. His name is Colin (Rupert Everett) and her name is Mary (Natasha Richardson). They are British and are in Venice to relax, make love, and do all the other fun things that two people that genuinely care about each other would do while they are on a romantic vacation. Their love and the beauty around them frequently make them feel like they are in Paradise. One day while exploring the city they meet Robert (Christopher Walken), an eccentric foreigner who runs a small restaurant and lives in a lavish home with a spectacular view of the sea. They like the way he talks so when he invites them to have dinner with him they enthusiastically accept. Then Robert invites them to his place, and after they spend the night there on the following day meet his wife, Caroline (Helen Mirren), who has terrible back pain. Here the film switches gears. It gets a lot darker, and some of its admirers have argued goes on to deliver interesting revelations about the corrosive power of beauty, the awkward ways in which people connect, etc.

In an exclusive new audio commentary included on this release Schrader confirms the existence of the revelations, as well as all sorts of other supposedly thought-provoking themes that apparently make his film a lot more interesting than it sounds from the description above.

I have never been able to identify the revelations or the themes. I am sorry but it is the truth, and I don’t think that the film comes even remotely close to being intellectually stimulating.

Here’s the one and only deconstruction of the film that makes sense to me, which is not at all complicated. During a seemingly perfect vacation, two young lovers make some very poor decisions while pondering the future of their relationship. Then, while ignoring common sense and logic, double-down on the poor decisions. Trouble, of course, is right around the corner. Schrader and cinematographer Dante Spinotti (Heat) follow them around and do some neat things to counter the city’s timeless beauty with a very creepy atmosphere. The great maestro Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks) also joins their efforts with a predictably solid chamber score.

The buildup during the first half is mostly good because for awhile it does seem like something very special is about to materialize. But it never does. Then the beauty slowly tires the eyes and it becomes painfully obvious that the film is just drifting away in a very predictable direction.

The Comfort of Strangers 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, Paul Schrader's The Comfort of Strangers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute.

The release is sourced from an older remaster that was provided by MGM. (I also own this German release, which is sourced from the older remaster as well). While there are no traces of serious anomalies that have been introduced by questionable digital corrections, it is very easy to see a wide range of limitations that are common for older/dated remasters from the DVD era. For example, during darker/indoor footage plenty of fine nuances are either on the verge of disappearing or replaced by crushed blacks and general flatness. Highlights also have a difficult time appearing as they should. Colors are stable, but I do not find the balance between the current primaries and nuances to be overly convincing. In fact, plenty of the panoramic shots actually suggest that the current color temperature is off (see screencaptures #3 and 5). There are no traces of degraining corrections, but a new remaster will offer improvements and ensure better grain exposure. Image stability is very good. Finally, there is a fair amount of dirt specks, some tiny black spots, and even a few small stains. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Comfort of Strangers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear, but a new remix could very well enhance stability because there are a couple of segments where I noticed the music becoming a bit unstable. The dialog is very easy to follow. Dynamic intensity is also very good. There are no audio dropouts to report.

The Comfort of Strangers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for The Comfort of Strangers. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Images of Venice in Archive Film - presented here are three short features, all recently remastered.
  
  1. Venice in War Time (1918) - a Topical Budget item that shows how munitions were moved around the city. With music. (2 min).
  
  2. The Glass Makers of Murano, Venice (1928) - this feature highlights the process of Murano glass making. Taken from the Pathe Pictorial cine-magazine. With music. (4 min).
  
  3. City Lights (1964) - this feature focuses on the export of coal to Venice. Taken from Mining Review. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• The Guarduan Interview - in this vintage interview, Paul Schrader discusses some of his projects, trends in the film industry, critical responses to his work, certain themes in his work, the anti-religion nature of most films, etc. The interview was conducted by Derek Malcolm in London in 1993. Audio only. (85 min). In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Prospectus for a Course Not Given: The Paul Schrader Film Masterclass - in this recorded session, Paul Schrader offers an engaging follow-up to a masterclass that he presented earlier in the United States. A wide range of topics are addressed, from narrative construction and theme management to the importance of tone and style. The session was held at the National Film Theatre in 1982. Audio only. (100 min).

• Commentary - in this brand new audio commentary, Paul Schrader discusses in great detail the production history of The Comfort of Strangers, his interactions with Harold Pinter, the evolving themes in the film, the conception of various contrasts that supposedly define the film, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for the British Film Institute. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Booklet - 32-page illustrated booklet with full film credits and new writing by Director of Photography Dante Spinotti, film historian Dr. Deborah Allison, Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington, and Little White Lies essayist Paul Fairclough.

The Comfort of Strangers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I was drawn to this release because the BFI recorded an exclusive new audio commentary with Paul Schrader for it and I wanted to hear his thoughts on The Comfort of Strangers. I was not disappointed. Schrader shares a lot of interesting information about the production process and then discusses some of its themes. However, the engaging and thought-provoking film that he describes in the commentary remains elusive to me, and trust me, I have attempted to locate it multiple times over the years. I like Schrader's early work a lot. Hardcore, American Gigolo, and Blue Collar, I think that these are all very solid films. But I am not a fan of The Comfort of Strangers. At times it can look strikingly beautiful and Angelo Badalamenti never disappoints, but I find the end result almost unbearably pretentious. This release is sourced from an older remaster that was prepared by MGM.