Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Duke of Burgundy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 6, 2015

Peter Strickland's "The Duke of Burgundy" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; audio commentary with the director; deleted scenes; stills galleries; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Evelyn and Cynthia

The entire film tiptoes around the fine line that separates the real from the surreal. It has a very unique Gothic ambiance, but it is set in the present. There is plenty of role-playing in it as well, but the relationship between the two leads is based on honesty.

Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen, After the Wedding), the elegant owner of a large Victorian mansion, is frequently visited by Evelyn, (Chiara D'Anna, Berberian Sound Studio), a beautiful maid. Initially, there is an obvious distance between them which makes the occasional exchanges sound quite cold. Cynthia instructs Evelyn how to clean the mansion and then asks her to do the laundry. While she works, there is heavy silence but nothing unusual happens.

Then slowly one begins to realize that the two women are actually playing an elaborate erotic game. (There is a specific act that reveals the true nature of their relationship which is intentionally ignored in this article). Their behavior, their lines and even the clothes they wear are carefully selected. No one is watching, but the two women do not care.

In another episode of the game Cynthia ties Evelyn’s hands and then places her in a vintage coffin-like box in the bedroom they share. She complains, but it is obvious that the reaction is again pre-scripted. Cynthia then goes to sleep alone in her giant bed.

When Cynthia and Evelyn are not playing the game, they either make love or do research work at a local entomological institute. Occasionally, they also attend academic events where visiting female scholars share their findings. Seductive looks are frequently exchanged, but the two women never flirt.

Eventually, the game overwhelms one of the players and important questions are asked. The women agree that they want to stay together, but without the game it looks like their relationship is missing a crucial element.

There is an interesting video interview on this release in which director Peter Strickland mentions that The Duke of Burgundy was partially inspired by a specific range of films that became popular during the 1970s thanks to directors such as Jess Franco. (These films are frequently referred to as Euro Trash/Euro Sleeze and some of the best ones were actually directed by the likes of Joe D'Amato, Jean Rollin, Jean-Claude Roy, and Erwin C. Dietrich). Unsurprisingly, its ambiance does remind of that present in Franco’s A Virgin Among the Living Dead and Lorna the Exorcist -- Strickland apparently even considered shooting a remake of the latter -- but it actually has the type of modern identity Jean-Claude Brisseau’s films are known for (see The Exterminating Angels and À l'aventure).

Cynthia and Evelyn’s relationship is quite unusual, but the film does not attempt to deconstruct it and one isn’t expected to fully comprehend its logic. And there is a good reason why -- an attempt to do so will produce cliched descriptions that will almost certainly frame it as a perverse romantic relationship, which it is most certainly not. In other words, one is invited to observe its progression, but isn’t given a chance to judge it.

The dreamy visuals are complemented by a tremendous soundtrack produced by Rachel Zeffira and Faris Badwan a.k.a. Cat’s Eyes. It blends melancholic electronica and some wonderful baroque themes that make even the riskiest sequences look and feel tremendously elegant.

The two leads are excellent. There is some phenomenal control on display that makes the role-playing and casual interactions fascinating to behold.

The Duke of Burgundy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Peter Strickland's The Duke of Burgundy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

Shot with the Arri Alexa camera, the film looks exceptionally rich and vibrant in high-definition. There are numerous close-ups that boast exceptional clarity; some are so striking that they actually look like recent digital photographs. The wider panoramic shots impress with excellent depth and fluidity. Light is managed in a variety of different ways and large portions of the film are quite dark, but shadow definition is very good. There are some unique reflections (a few with interesting overlappings) that give the film a special dreamy quality. Colors are lush but natural. Generally speaking, the encoding is excellent, but around the 57-minute mark I spotted a whiff of extremely light banding creeping in. A couple of extremely light compression artifacts try to sneak as well (see the upper right corner of screencapture #1), but never become distracting. Overall image stability is outstanding. To sum it all up, this is a very strong technical presentation of The Duke of Burgundy that makes it easy to appreciate the film's unique visual style and ambiance. My score is: 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

The Duke of Burgundy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles have been provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The film does not have an overly aggressive soundtrack, but there is a wide range of nuanced dynamics. Furthermore, sound is actually managed and mixed with incredible precision to enhance separation and fluidity (listen to the insect noises). The soundtrack has an important role in the film and the woodwind solos are typically quite rich. The dialog is exceptionally crisp, stable, and very easy to follow.

The Duke of Burgundy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Director Interview - in this video interview, Peter Strickland explains how The Duke of Burgundy came to exist (and addresses the Franco-esque/Euro Trash elements in it), and discusses the casting process, the shooting of the film (in Hungary), the excellent soundtrack that compliments the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for The Duke of Burgundy. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Stills Galleries -
  
  1. The Manor - Before and After
  2. Production Design and Art Department
  3. Pre-production
  4. Shooting
  5. Pinned Insects
  6. Digital Insects
  7. Posters

• Deleted Scenes - presented here are twenty one deleted scenes with text descriptions. In English, not subtitled. (46 min).

• Cat's Eyes" Requiem for The Duke of Burgundy" Promo - from the duo that created the soundtrack for The Duke of Burgundy.(5 min).

• Short Film: Conduct Phase - director Peter Strickland shot this short film in Greece in 1996 amongst the stray dog community in a village south of Athens on his Braun Nizo 156 XL Super 8 camera. Music only. (8 min).

• Mole Cricket Field Notes - presented here are detailed notes in text-format and a short video (with the insect noises heard in the film). In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Peter Strickland discusses the shooting of The Duke of Burgundy in Hungary and the various sets and designs that were used in the film, some of the obvious visual references (Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby), the lensing and the unique management of light (with the Arri Alexa camera), the film's special ambiance (which was inspired by Jess Franco's films), Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna's performances, Cat's Eyes' soundtrack, etc.

The Duke of Burgundy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Peter Strickland's The Duke of Burgundy was apparently inspired by Jess Franco's work, but I actually think that it will appeal to viewers who like Alain Robbe-Grillet and Jean-Claude Brisseau's films. It is a stylish baroque tale about two women with very unusual personalities whose unorthodox relationship might be spinning out of control. Artificial Eye's technical presentation of the film is very good and the Blu-ray also comes with plenty of informative supplemental features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.