Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Raging Moon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 22, 2016

Bryan Forbes' "The Raging Moon" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; gallery of production stills; and two exclusive new video interviews with Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Bruce and Jill

Malcolm McDowell plays two completely different characters and the overwhelming majority of the film is about the second one. He emerges some time after he is relocated to a secluded nursing home and reluctantly begins to reevaluate his life.

The first character is a cocky football player who lives his life one day at a time. He parties hard and treats the girls that are willing to go out with him like disposable objects. Because no one seems willing to confront him and question his lifestyle, he assumes that it is his God-given right to be different. But when he falls seriously ill and then in a matter of weeks becomes disabled, something deep inside him snaps and forces him to begin seeing the people around him from a completely different angle.

Initially, what he sees angers him. In the nursing home he feels like a bird in a cage and assumes that it is only a matter of time before he loses his mind. Then he befriends a beautiful girl (Nanette Newman, The Stepford Wives, Anyone for Sex?) who just like him has been trying to cope with her condition. There is an instant attraction between them, but they are unsure if their relationship could evolve into something more serious -- or if they should even think about it. There is even a bigger obstacle -- for years the girl has been engaged to a man she does not love.

Still, the former football player and the girl continue to spend time together and openly talk about the way they feel. And the more they do, the more they begin to realize that they are experiencing true love, the kind that a lot of normal people never discover in their lives.

It is difficult to understand why this extremely poignant romantic film directed by Bryan Forbes wasn’t received better by the critics and filmgoers. It is not a lavish production but it is wonderfully lit and shot and its two stars are simply terrific. It even has a lovely score by Stanley Myers, who some years later will contribute to Michael Cimino’s powerful war drama The Deer Hunter and Stephen Frears’ excellent biopic Prick Up Your Ears.

The bulk of the film takes place inside the nursing home where the two lovers are trying to overcome everything that makes their love look impossible in the eyes of those who do not understand how they feel. It is slow but it never drags. The fantastic chemistry between McDowell and Newman makes the long conversations fascinating to behold and gently force one to think about the many things those that are supposedly more fortunate take for granted.

The ending is rather predictable but the melodrama is kept at bay. For a short moment it may seem that the way things have turned out isn’t fair, but everyone moves on and the familiar rhythm of life inside the nursing home is restored.

The film is based on Peter Marshall's 1966 novel "The Raging Moon", whose title was used to distribute it in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the film was screened with the alternative title Long Ago Tomorrow.

The Raging Moon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bryan Forbes's The Raging Moon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The the release is sourced from a wonderful new 2K restoration of the film. Detail and clarity are consistently very pleasing. Depth is also good, but during some of the indoor footage some minor density fluctuations emerge. Typically, they become more prominent when light is either restricted or captured in a specific way by the camera. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Grain is evenly distributed and appears well resolved. Contrast levels are also stable. Colors are well saturated and appear natural. During the wedding celebration there is a light push towards sightly warmer nuances, but the overall balance is convincing. Image stability is outstanding. There are no large debris, damage marks, scratches, cuts, or torn frames to report in our review. 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 player in order to access its content).

The Raging Moon 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.

Despite the fact that the film had a fairly small budget, there is a wonderful soundtrack by Stanley Myers that has a very important role. It is used during a number of transitions and in scenes where the drama depends on it. The audio is lush, clean, and always stable. Sharpness and depth are also excellent. The dialog is clean and stable, never sounding dull or hollow. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions.

The Raging Moon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Raging Moon. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Stills Gallery - a gallery of production stills.

• Interview with Nanette Newman - in this brand new video interview, actress Nanette Newman discusses her personal and professional relationships with director Bryan Forbes and shooting and reception of The Raging Moon. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Interview with Malcolm McDowell - in this brand new video interview, Malcolm McDowell recalls how became involved with The Raging Moon and discusses the shooting of the film, his interactions with Nanette Newman, Bryan Forbes' directing methods and career, etc. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

The Raging Moon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A rough football player becomes disabled but discovers true love in Bryan Forbes' wonderfully acted and directed romantic drama The Raging Moon. The film has been recently restored in 2K by StudioCanal and is now included in the studio's Vintage Classics series. The Blu-ray comes with excellent new interviews with stars Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman which were conducted exclusively for the home video premiere of the new restoration. Fans of classic British cinema should not miss it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.