Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Destructors Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 13, 2015

Robert Parrish's "The Destructors" a.k.a. "The Marseille Contract" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only supplemental features on the disc are two original trailers. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The American

Steve Ventura (Anthony Quinn, Zorba the Greek) is an aging U.S. intelligence agent with two big problems that have pushed him on the verge of a nervous breakdown. There is a woman (Alexandra Stewart, Day for Night) he loves, but she belongs to someone else and he can see her only when her husband isn’t around. They have talked about it many times, but she feels that it is too late to start a new life with him. Then there is Jacques Brizard (James Mason, Odd Man Out), a very powerful gangster from Marseilles who has flooded the country with cheap drugs. Ventura has tried to bring him down many times, but it has been impossible to do it from his tiny office in Paris. In fact, the more he challenged Brizard during the years, the stronger he became. His friends in Paris also multiplied.

During a routine meeting, Ventura is offered a solution to one of his problems. Inspector Briac (Maurice Ronet, Purple Noon, Elevator to the Gallows), a veteran Parisian cop with an impressive reputation, suggests that he hires a professional killer that eliminates Brizard and triggers the collapse of his empire. Briac then arranges a meeting between Ventura and the right man for the job.

The two meet in a public park and Ventura is shocked to discover that the professional killer is John Deray (Michael Caine, Play Dirty), an old friend with whom he served in the army. Deray agrees to kill Ventura’s target, but doubles his fee when he learns that it is Brizard.

Meanwhile, far away from Paris Brizard and his men finalize an important deal which will allow them to smuggle a massive shipment of drugs into the country. An informer then reveals to the authorities the date the shipment will arrive, but not the location.

The Destructors (once titled The Marseille Contract) isn’t a typical crime thriller about cops and gangsters trying to outsmart each other. It is actually an elegant drama about aging men whose lives have become so empty that they decide to risk them and prove to themselves that they are worth living. Some of the films that Jose Giovanni contributed to as a writer or directed have a similar dual identity -- they follow closely jaded cops and gangsters as they try to rediscover the simple pleasures of life (see The Gypsy and Two Men in Town).

The events in the film are seen through Ventura and Deray’s eyes. They both pretend to be tough go-getters, but it isn’t difficult to tell that they are in fact lonely and vulnerable men. After he is rejected, the former is pushed on the verge of a nervous breakdown and risks his job and life when he decides to finance Brizard’s killing. The latter seduces Brizard’s beautiful daughter (Maureen Kerwin), but before he can get to him learns that he isn’t immune to her charm and love.

Unfortunately, Brizard isn’t the formidable figure the film needs to impress. Indeed, Mason is very much miscast and it shows throughout the entire film. With his fake French accent his lines frequently seem pretentious and even silly and when eventually he decides to crush the men that have dared to go after him it is hard to imagine that he could run a ruthless organization.

Robert Parish and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe (The Servant, Julia) shot the film on location in Nice, Cannes, Marseilles, and Paris and there are large parts of it that look strikingly elegant. (See the chase and the final scene with the beautiful sunset).

The lush jazzy score was created by the great Roy Budd (Get Carter, Soldier Blue).

The Destructors 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, Robert Parrish's The Destructors arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a new master -- not from a large-scale restoration project -- and the bulk of it looks quite healthy. Most close-ups typically convey decent depth and the large panoramic shots boast good clarity. Contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Though saturation could be better, color reproduction is also good. This being said, the film could look somewhat soft at times. This isn't something that would affect your viewing experience, but the encoding could have been optimized for better results. The good news here is that there are no traces of recent compromising degraining and sharpening adjustments. Naturally, even though the film could look more vibrant, it still has a nice organic appearance. For the record, a couple of small stains and flecks can be seen, but there are no large cuts, damage marks, or debris to report in our review. All in all, the Blu-ray most certainly represents a good upgrade in quality over the previous MOD release of the film. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Destructors Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles have not been provided for the main feature.

Depth and clarity are good. During the chase sequence, for instance, it is easy to tell that the mid and high-frequencies have benefited from the lossless treatment as balance remains good. Roy Budd's score is also given plenty of room to breathe. Ideally, however, the film should have a fully remastered mono track, as well as optional subtitles for those that need them.

The Destructors Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - two original trailers.
  
  1. The Destructors
  2. Billion Dollar Brain

• Cover - reversible cover with original poster art. (See screencaptures).

The Destructors Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Parrish's The Destructors has the relaxed pace and atmosphere that define many of the films Jose Giovanni was involved with. I think that it is quite elegant and perfect to see late at night. It initially appeared on DVD via MGM's on-demand program, but now Kino Lorber are bringing it to Blu-ray. The film could look better in high-definition, but the current presentation is fine. RECOMMENDED.