The Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 4, 2016

Gianfranco Parolini's "The Return of Sabata" a.k.a. "È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta!" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media. The supplemental features on the disc include various original trailers; promotional materials; before-and-after featurette; and more. In English, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

He is back!

The Return of Sabata is the most exotic entry in the Sabata trilogy. It is probably safe to say that folks that enjoyed the first film will have a good time with it because it reunites director Gianfranco Parolini and Lee Van Cleef, but there is also a good chance that its unusually frivolous attitude may turn off some viewers.

While following a group of counterfeiters the great gunslinger Sabata arrives in the town of Hobsonville, which is controlled by the greedy baron McIntock (Giampiero Albertini, Many Wars Ago). Its citizens are routinely taxed by the baron for some future improvements, but many of them know that the money is actually going straight into his pockets. One of them is the charismatic scammer Clyde (Reiner Schone, TV's Return to Treasure Island), an old acquaintance of Sabata, who has been trying to figure out a way to steal some of McIntock’s money. Clyde and Sabata meet and agree to temporarily become partners again, but it soon becomes clear that they can’t trust each other. Nevertheless, they proceed to relieve McIntock of his wealth.

The Return of Sabata is a film that is fully aware of the fact that it does not have a brilliant story to tell. This awareness is what gives it the confidence to bet heavily on style and in the process introduce some rather unusual secondary characters.

While this helps with some of the action sequences -- there is a pair of wacky acrobats, for instance, that side with Sabata and do some really amazing things -- the relationships between the different characters become quite complicated. Indeed, even after Clyde and Sabata agree to work together the film never truly accepts their partnership and routinely tests it. This is where its credibility suffers the most. There are many minor twists that make it easier to expand the story, but when these twists emerge the interactions between the characters become quite awkward.

Still, Van Cleef’s presence helps the film maintain a good atmosphere. He looks great during the one-on-one clashes and in the big shootouts and his lines are always sharp. Perhaps there are a few sequences where he seems a bit more aware of his star status than he does in the first Sabata film, but it never feels like he is given superhero powers that make him invincible.

Parolini teamed up again with cinematographer Sandro Mancori who also lensed the previousSabata films. This time, however, they traveled to Obrovac, Croatia to shoot the bulk of the outdoor footage. (The other two films were shot in Andalucia, Spain). The visuals are still quite beautiful, but there are no glorious panoramic vistas.

Marcello Giombini’s soundtrack perfectly matches the film’s energy. However, a few themes also have distinctive psychedelic qualities that seem slightly unusual for a period film of this caliber.

The Return of Sabata was produced by the legendary Alberto Grimaldi (Pier Paolo Pasolini's Trilogy of Life and Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris).

The Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Gianfranco Parolini's The Return of Sabata arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media.

The quality of the technical presentation is similar to that of the many releases that I have seen from Explosive Media -- there is some room for improvement, but the film has a very solid organic appearance. Indeed, there are absolutely no traces of recent digital corrections and as a result most close-ups boast nice depth (see screencaptures #2 and 4). During the wider panoramic footage it is easy to see that density could be better while the contrast and brightness levels could be better balanced, but there are no distracting visual anomalies. Colors are stable and never appear artificially boosted, but stability and saturation should be better. Interestingly, during the indoor footage there are actually plenty of very good and healthy nuances. The grain has not been tampered with, but if the film is fully remastered grain exposure and distribution will be more convincing. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. Overall image stability is very good. Some dirt specks and a few tiny scratches can be spotted, but there are no large cuts or warped frames to report in our review. So ideally The Return of Sabata certainly can look better in high-definition, but this is a fine and actually surprisingly stable organic presentation of the film. (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 Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

Depth, clarity, and sharpness are very good. More importantly, there is no distracting background hiss, though the audio does not appear to have been recently remastered. Balance is very good -- the music enhances well various segments as intended but there are no sudden drops or spikes in dynamic intensity. Lastly, there are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in our review.

The Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Sabata Trailer - original German trailer for Sabata. In German, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The Return of Sabata Trailer - original German trailer for The Return of Sabata. In German, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Adios Sabata Trailer - original German trailer for Adios Sabata. In German, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The Return of Sabata Original Trailer - original trailer for The Return of Sabata. Aspect ratio 1.33:1. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The Return of Sabata Original Trailer (Version One) - original trailer for The Return of Sabata. Aspect ratio 1.78:1. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The Return of Sabata Original Trailer (Version Two) - original trailer for The Return of Sabata. Aspect ratio 1.78:1. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The Return of Sabata Original Trailer - original trailer for The Return of Sabata. Aspect ratio 1.85:1. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The Return of Sabata Original Trailer - original trailer for The Return of Sabata. Aspect ratio 2.35:1. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Locationvergleich - presented here is a before-and-after location featurette with footage from Obrovac, Croatia, where large portions of The Return of Sabata were shot. Music only. (9 min).

• Deutsche Aushangfotos - a collection of original photos and promotional stills. With Music. (2 min).

• Filmprogramm - copies of original printed film programs for The Return of Sabata. In German.

• U.S. Lobby Cards - with music. (1 min).

• U.S. Aushangfotos - original promotional materials from United Artists. With music. (1 min).

• Plakate - original theatrical posters for The Return of Sabata. (1 min).

• U.S. Radio Spot - original U.S. radio spot. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Insert - an illustrated insert with writings on the film in German.

• Cover - reversible cover.

The Return of Sabata Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some of the criticism the final Sabata film has received during the years is well deserved. It does not have a brilliant story to tell and it tries hard to compensate for it with plenty of over-the-top action that at times makes it look quite exotic. However, I still think that Lee Van Cleef's presence helps the film maintain a proper atmosphere. You can add it to your collections, but your priority should be to see and order a copy of the first Sabata film. It is a true genre classic. RECOMMENDED.