The New Godfathers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The New Godfathers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 28, 2023

Alfonso Brescia's "The New Godfathers" a.k.a. "I contrabbandieri di Santa Lucia" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the release is an exclusive new program with critic Mike Malloy. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

If you sit down to view Raro Video’s release of Alfonso Brescia's The New Godfathers, the disc will direct you toward the Italian version of the film. In the bonus section of the disc, there is a second version, which is advertised as a U.S. release cut, with an English audio track. This is the only version of The New Godfathers that I had seen in the past and enjoyed. I do not think that it is correct to advertise it as a U.S. release cut because The New Godfathers was conceived to impress internationally. Also, if you sample the Italian version of The New Godfathers, you will quickly discover that in various sections of it different actors clearly utter their lines in English, so the disc should be directing to the U.S. release cut and presenting the Italian version as a bonus.

Another important detail I would like to highlight is the quality of the English track. It is wild, at times even hilariously exotic. The dubbers routinely use the wrong tone and energy, so all sorts of different exchanges that are supposed to be serious are out of sync with the drama and change the identity of The New Godfathers. Oddly, the Italian track features very similar overly dramatic dubbing. But the quality of the English track ends up enhancing what makes The New Godfathers interesting because it creates the impression that a powerful party, like a state censor, might have interfered to make the film appear less disturbing and ultimately authentic. The other night, while revisiting The New Godfathers for the first time in years, I wondered if this may have been done intentionally. I am unconvinced that it was because a lot of Italian crime films from the 1970s and 1980s have such wild English tracks. It just so happens that the one that was created for The New Godfathers works in a different, much better than anticipated by the English dubbers way.

In New York City, the heads of the biggest Italian crime families resolve some minor disagreements and vow to bring into the country five hundred kilograms of pure Iranian heroin. A Turkish businessman, Achmet (the great Franco Diogene), becomes their European connection, and shortly after the precious cargo leaves war-torn Iran.

When U.S. officials are tipped by European colleagues about the cargo and its destination, they quickly conclude that a big Atlantic port will be used by the Italian crime families to smuggle it into the country. However, Italian customs official Ivano Radovich (Gianni Garko), an expert on international drug trafficking, convinces them that this is the most obvious route and therefore the cargo will be broken into multiple shipments so that it is easier to redirect to smaller and safer ports. Radovich also suggests that the most likely European port where the cargo will be received is Naples because it is the mafia’s biggest stronghold in the South. Radovich is then tasked to figure out how and when the cargo will arrive in Naples and prevent the mafia from redirecting to the U.S.

But the only way Radovich can get the job done is by working with one of the local mafia bosses, Don Francesco Antiero (Mario Merola), whose people supply the black market with contraband cigarettes. The two quickly strike a deal, but a different mafia boss, Don Michele Vizzini (Antonio Sabato), surprises them and makes it irrelevant.

While the drama and action do not disappoint, what makes The New Godfathers an interesting film and perhaps an invaluable time capsule is its depiction of Naples as a city in which a very large portion of the working class and the mafia are operating as a team. There are several episodes where it is casually stated that the relationship is unavoidable and therefore the best that the authorities can do is manage it. It is why Radovich goes to work with Don Antiero, too. Also, The New Godfathers visits areas of Naples that will eventually become too dangerous and fall entirely under the control of the mafia. (This inevitable development is one of the key themes in the terrific recent TV series Gomorrah).

The light humor, the wild English track, and the wide range of shocking contrasts -- a kid is given a piece of candy laced with heroin, a mother and her daughter sell contraband cigarettes together, fishermen spy for mafia casually working on their nets -- make viewing The New Godfathers an unusual experience. Even if you have never been to Naples in the past, you will easily conclude that there is plenty of authentic material in it that is simply not right for a conventional poliziotteschi. This is what makes The New Godfathers different.

The New Godfathers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The New Godfathers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Raro Video.

I viewed the English-language version of the film and sampled various sections of the Italian version. Both are remastered and look quite good, but have some rougher areas that a proper restoration would have addressed. For example, there is one small section with a couple of chemical stains (see screencapture #24). In another section, several noticeable drops in density levels are exacerbated by aging. Signs of small color fading can be spotted as well. However, there are no traces of problematic digital corrections and the entire film has an attractive organic appearance. Color balance is convincing too, though it is very easy to see that some primaries and supporting nuances can be better saturated. Grain exposure is good but because of the density fluctuations a bit uneven in select areas. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from good to very good, so on a large screen the visuals are usually quite nice. Image stability is good, but some small enhancements can be introduced. All in all, I think that this release offers a good but slightly inconsistent organic presentation of The New Godfathers. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The New Godfathers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

THere are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are available only for the Italian track.

The English track is very good. However, I must remind you that it is a dub track, so it is a bit uneven at times and its dynamic range is far from impressive. There are no traces of serious age-related anomalies, like distortion, instability, hiss, crackle, etc.

The New Godfathers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• U.S. Release Version - the English language version of The New Godfathers is presented here as a bonus feature, but it is actually the one to see. In English, not subtitled. DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. 1080p. (94 min).

• Mike Malloy on The New Godfathers - in this new program, critic Mike Malloy discusses Alfonso Brescia's career and body of work, the production of The New Godfathers, some of the key themes in it, and the evolution of Italian mafia films during the 1970s.

The New Godfathers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The New Godfathers was not conceived to be a time capsule. However, it visits various unglamorous areas of Naples and casually reveals that the working class and the mafia have begun operating as a team, so this material makes it a pretty intriguing time capsule. On the other hand, the light humor, the wild English track, and the wide range of shocking contrasts give the film a genre identity that is quite unusual, to say the least. I enjoy The New Godfathers a lot, but primarily because it is a product of its time, not because it is a masterful film. Raro Video's release is sourced from a slightly rough but fine organic remaster and has a good exclusive new program with critic Mike Malloy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.