The Seventh Continent Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Seventh Continent Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 10, 2023

Austrian director Michael Haneke's startling 1989 debut film The Seventh Continent is currently only available on Region "A" Blu-ray as part of Criterion's Michael Haneke: Trilogy, a three-disc set that also includes 1992's Benny's Video and 1994's 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance along with a few old and new bonus features.

The Seventh Continent is a slow-moving drama divided into three parts ("1987", "1988", and "1989") that follows nuclear family Anna (Birgit Doll), Georg (Dieter Berner), and Eva (Leni Tanzer) during their day-to-day lives at home, in school, and at work; specifically, many of the more uncomfortable parts of each one. The film's coldly detached visual aesthetic favors abstract, unconventional compositions; for example, material goods are often shown instead of faces, and dialogue is rarely spoken on-screen. Its first two parts are almost tonally identical, regurgitating most of the same fragments with subtle changes, such as a new pair of shoes being tied or more responsibility given to the growing Eva. Both "1987" and "1988" are purposefully dull, occasionally comforting, and numbingly similar endeavors -- which, like it or not, eat up a combined 51 minutes of the film's 108-minute runtime -- but they're turned upside down later in the final chapter, a dirge-like and disturbing account of their almost inevitable self-destruction. It all adds up to a mostly engaging and eventually intense experience, but one that feels self-indulgent and padded.

The Seventh Continent Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For a cursory overview of this film's 1080p transfer, please see my review of Michael Haneke: Trilogy.

The Seventh Continent Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For an analysis of this film's German LPCM mono mix, please see my review of Michael Haneke: Trilogy.

Optional English subtitles are included for translation purposes only, but unfortunately this does not apply to German-language TV/radio clips, letters, and even the opening cast/crew credits (a personal pet peeve), which leaves a few small but possibly substantial context gaps for non-German speakers. It's unknown whether this was an intentional choice or a simple oversight, but this problem doesn't affect the other two films in the trilogy.

The Seventh Continent Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The following extras appear on Criterion's Blu-ray of The Seventh Continent in Michael Haneke: Trilogy.

• Michael Haneke (16:42) - This DVD-era interview with the director was conducted by Cinémathèque Française director Serge Toubiana in 2005 and features comments about the making of The Seventh Continent.

• Alexander Horwath (27:43) - Produced for The Criterion Collection in 2018, this interview with film historian Alexander Horwath was recorded in Vienna. Among other topics, it focuses on director Michael Haneke's early career including several of his 1980s television films and, of course, The Seventh Continent.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:52)

The Seventh Continent Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Seventh Continent has its moments, but it's often cited as one of the most confident and successful directorial debuts of its era which I can't fully agree with. Its visuals are extremely purposeful and there's a clear method to the madness, yet as a whole it feels more than a little padded and the soul-crushing finale just might ruin your entire life. That said, it's a big draw in Criterion's Michael Haneke: Trilogy, which includes two other early Haneke films and a few choice bonus features. At the current price point, it's a pretty affordable set for interested parties.