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Released by: Cult Epics
Released on: November 10th, 2015.
Director: Tinto Brass
Cast: Katarina Vasilissa, Francesco Casle, Cristina Garavaglia, Raffaella Offidani, Antonio Salines
Year: 1994
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The Movie:
Tinto Brass' The Voyeur (or, if you prefer, L'uomo Che Guarda) is one of his better known and more popular pictures - and for good reason. While it's just as sultry and wonderfully shot as films like All Ladies Do It and The Key, it's obvious that this film (based on Alberto Moravia's novel of the same name) is at least a little bit autobiographical. Tinto Brass likes to watch, and he has no problems letting you know that because he knows you like to watch too.
The picture follows a man named Eduardo 'Dodo' (Francesco Casale), a university professor who spies on his wife, Silvia (Katarina Vasilissa), who very definitely has a life of her own. She comes and goes at all hours of the night and he'd like to know what she's up to. In the same house lives Alberto (Franco Branciaroli), Dodo's aging father. Dodo spies on him too, through a conveniently placed hole in the bathroom wall. Thanks to Alberto's lusty relationship with Fausta (Cristina Garavaglia), his gorgeous and promiscuous maid, it would seem that Dodo's old man has a healthier sex life than he does.
Through some flashback scenes we learn about Dodo's love life through the years. As these memories play out in Dodo's head he slowly starts to realize what his real problem is, all while his students and seemingly everyone around him is getting some action and almost always in a place where he can watch (the movie is called The Voyeur for a reason after all and sex in public places seems to be a recurring theme noticeable throughout many entries in Brass' filmography). Will Dodo be able to sort out his issues and get back to basics, rekindling the spark missing from his marriage, or will he simply fizzle out and be doomed to a life of sexual boredom?
Very well written and plot-heavy with more than enough intelligently thought out character development to stand apart from the countless other softcore offerings out there, The Voyeur is as interesting as it is erotic. Brass' storyline wraps everything up quite nicely during the final fifteen minutes or so and while there's no denying that the sex is graphic to a point, the copulations that do occur generally add to the storyline rather than pull viewers out of it. You do, after all, come to a Tinto Brass movie primarily for the sex but those familiar with his work know he can offer more than just that. The story is engaging enough that this is definitely the case here and the performances from pretty much all involved work quite well.
This being a Tinto Brass film, it should go without saying that the picture looks great. Massimo Di Venanzo (who also shot Brass' All Ladies Do It, Frivolous Lola, Cheeky! and Black Angel) pulls out all the stops this time around. The female form is fetishized and worshipped by the camera throughout the film but there's more to look at here than just some well-constructed European ladies. The sets, the locations, the architecture used in the film - it's all framed very carefully and lit with precision ensuring that the entire picture looks completely stylish without ever feeling like it's 'too much.'
Adding to the film's noteworthy qualities is an excellent score from the legendary Riz Ortolani. The man responsible for scoring such films as Cannibal Holocaust, Mondo Cane and Day Of Anger provides a fantastic backdrop for Brass' quirky little soap opera to play off of. Everything comes together very nicely, resulting in a truly cinematic effort from Brass and company. Its basis in reality is obviously debatable but who cares about realism when you've got a film as wonderful looking and as intriguing as The Voyeur to enjoy.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The Voyeur arrives on Blu-ray in a very nice AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfer framed at 1.78.1 widescreen and looking vastly improved over the previous DVD release. Detail is considerably better here, you'll notice a lot more in the close ups and in the medium and long distance shots and flesh tones look much more natural and lifelike than ever before. Texture is more readily apparent in the clothing and in the sets used throughout the film while color reproduction is more natural and well defined than it ever was on DVD. There's the expected amount of fine grain as you'd hope there would be, but very little in the way of actual print damage, dirt or debris to note. Keep in mind, if you're unfamiliar with Brass' output, that he tends to use a lot of filters and likes to shoot things with a soft look in mind, so expectations should be set accordingly. Overall, however, this is a very, very nice improvement over previous versions made available.
The Italian language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track (sadly, no lossless option is offered) is well balanced, clean and clear. An alternate English language Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track is also included, but the film plays out better in Italian (removable English subtitles are included). There's little to complain about here as for the most part everything sounds quite good. A bit more channel separation in a few scenes might have opened things up a little more but as it stands this stereo track is a pretty active one and the score in particular sounds quite nice.
Cult Epics have supplied, as the primary extra on this release, a twenty-three minute long on camera interview with director Tinto Brass, filmed in July of 2007 (carried over from the previous DVD release and presented stretched to fill the 1.78.1 frame for some reason). Brass speaks in English about the making of the film and about the cast and crew that he worked with on the picture. Sitting in a mirrored lounge, his trademark cigar in hand, the aged director is quite upfront about the picture and about his experiences working on it. He comments on the importance of cinematography, the pros and cons of real life voyeurism, actors and actresses (he's joined by one towards the end of the interview!), the use of music in the film and more.
Aside from that we get a trailer for the feature, trailers for a few other Tinto Brass titles available from Cult Epics, menus and chapter selection.
The Final Word:
The Voyeur remains a highlight in Brass' filmography, it's obviously a fairly personal film for the director and he's put plenty of care and effort into the picture. An attractive cast of ladies highlight the film and they're all shot with the style and grace you'd expect from Brass, and on top of that, we're given a fairly meaty story to enjoy alongside the sultry visuals and slick cinematography.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
