To Be Twenty Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

To Be Twenty Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 21, 2020

Fernando Di Leo's "To Be Twenty" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Raro Video U.S. The supplemental features on the disc include archival program with vintage interviews as well as a fully uncut version of the film. Also included with the release is a 10-page illustrated booklet with writings on the film and technical credits. In English or Italian, withoptional English subtitles. Region-Free.

The beautiful hitchhikers

Before Raro Video U.S. released Fernando Di Leo’s To Be Twenty on DVD in North America, there was another English-friendly DVD release the company’s Italian branch, Raro Video, produced. This was the release that made it possible for me to see the film for the first time.

I liked the film, but to be honest, I did not know what to make of it. Why? Because there is just nothing else like it in Di Leo’s body of work. It is very surreal, with a fluid and quite unpredictable sense of humor, which actually leaves the impression that Di Leo might have done some ‘research work’ with the recreational drugs some of its characters take. The problem with this scenario is that Di Leo did not have to do such ‘research work’ because he produced the original story and screenplay for the film, so it would appear that when he started shooting, he knew exactly what he was trying to accomplish. I have one other theory that might explain how the film came to exist, which begins with Lilli Carati’s involvement, but I don’t have enough evidence proving that I am right. Before Carati transitioned to the adult film industry, she appeared in quite a few mainstream Italian films and had earned a reputation as a very extroverted actress with admirable ambitions. You won’t see too many vintage reviews praising her work, but I think that she was quite good. I wonder if Di Leo conceived the film as a pretext to engage Carati and perhaps even pursue a relationship with her. Gloria Guida is still around and she probably knows plenty about its production history, but I have not seen any interviews or articles in which she addresses it. In fact, from the little that I have seen, it would appear that she does not think highly of it.

The film follows closely two hitchhikers (Carati and Guida) who head to the Eternal City to experience life. After a few surprising encounters, which are arranged differently in the Italian and English versions of the film, they arrive in a notorious hippie house where a perpetually stoned host (Vittorio Caprioli) allows them to get a room. The girls then quickly begin sharing the beds of other ‘tenants’ that are experiencing life as they understand it and make a disappointing discovery -- the men cannot meet their expectations. Visibly frustrated, they begin exploring the city and not too far away from the house pick up a handsome drunk (Ray Lovelock) who seems able to perform even when he passes out. While having fun with their new toy, however, the girls become involved with some seriously shady criminals running a prostitution ring and then attract all kinds of other weird characters.

What makes the film awfully difficult to rationalize is the fact that it pulls in different directions at the same time and in the process produces contrasts that become quite suspicious. For example, while the girls are enjoying their time in the city the film works well as a light ‘70s comedy with an open mind. But amidst the jokes and sexual fireworks there is quite a bit of ugly material that would have been right in a completely different type of film. Graphic drug use, police raids, group beatings, rape and murder, the film just gets darker and nastier, and eventually permanently abandons its positive attitude toward life. On top of this, the more the film alters its identity, the more comfortable Di Leo becomes with the ugliness.

There are two different versions of the film on this Blu-ray release which were also present on the previous DVD releases. (I replaced the old Italian DVD release with the newer U.S. release which offers a stronger technical presentation, and I can confirm that the slightly harder Italian version is fully uncut. Unfortunately, it is sourced from a standard definition master). The Italian version rearranges some sequences and even uses alternate footage. The identity of the film, I think, remains the same, but the Italian version seems like the one that captures the essense of the chaos in Di Leo’s head better.

The film was lensed by Roberto Gerardi, who had previously worked on Mario Monicelli‘s timeless classic The Great War and Vitorio De Sica’s Marriage Italian Style.

To Be Twenty Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, To Be Twenty arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Raro Video U.S.

The release features two versions of the film, English and Italian, and only the former is sourced from a proper high-definition master. How good is this master? It is pretty decent. I have the U.S. DVD release in my library, which was a step up in quality over the old Italian DVD release, and a direct comparison with this release reveals plenty of good upgrades. For example, density levels are much better, so there is improved delineation and depth. A lot of the background information looks much healthier as well. On the DVD release there is blockiness, flatness, and plenty of lost nuances, so on a larger screen the difference in quality becomes significant. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. However, a proper new 2K/4K master will produce much healthier visuals. The color scheme is convincing, but it looks slightly dated. Saturation levels and overall balance can be improved, especially in darker areas where there is noticeable light crush. Image stability is good. Some minor specks and blemishes remain, but there are no distracting large damage marks, cuts, or torn frames to report. 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).

To Be Twenty 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 provided.

Well, the Italian and English tracks features post-production overdubbing, and both are quite hilarious. I have viewed the film with both tracks and I think that I prefer the English track, but you can test them both. The audio is stable and clear, but there are some small traces of ageing. It is nothing distracting, just the type of traces that modern technology can quite easily eliminate.

To Be Twenty Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Uncut Version - presented here is the fully uncut Italian version of To be Twenty. It is sourced from a standard definition master. In Italian, with English subtitles. (01.37.41/480/60i).

• Twenty Years for a Massacre - in this archival program, Fernando Di Leo discusses the stylistic identity of his work, the manner in which he treated female actresses, the importance of authenticity, and the production of To Be Twenty. It is a very interesting program, but you should keep in mind that there is quite bit of information the late director shares that simply isn't factual. Or, to be more precise, it is revisionist in nature. Actor Ray Lovelock also discusses his involvement with the film and Di Leo's working methods. In Italian, with English subtitles. (30 min, 480/60i).

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet with writings on the film and technical credits.

To Be Twenty Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

To Be Twenty is the oddest film in Fernando Di Leo's body of work, which is one of the reasons why it was a major box office flop. However, this film is a lot more interesting to deconstruct than the majority of the director's straightforward poliziotteschi. If you watch the vintage program on this release, you will see that Di Leo and a lot of other people explain what the film should have been with all kinds of different excuses, which is just as odd. Why? Well, it is pretty clear that they are not always telling the truth, and that the complete Italian version of the film actually turned out exactly as Di Leo envisioned it. So, what was going on in Di Leo's head when he conceived the film? Plenty, I think, which is why the film is such an unconventional time capsule. The original negative was apparently cut when the film bombed, so the complete Italian version that is included on the release is a reconstruction sourced from a standard definition master. However, the English version, which was properly remastered a few years ago, is quite good. In fact, I think that I prefer it. RECOMMENDED.