Thriller: A Cruel Picture – Synapse Films (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Sweden, 1973
Director: Bo Arne Vibenius
Writer: Bo Arne Vibenius
Cast: Christina Lindberg, Heinz Hopf, Despina Tomazani, Per-Axel Arosenius, Solveig Andersson, Björn Kristiansson

Release Date: February 8th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 106 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Swedish, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Growing up mute after a childhood sexual assault, a young girl (Christina Lindberg) spends years working on a remote farm. After missing the bus one day, she is picked up by a suave young man who takes her out to dinner, drugs her and forces her into a life of prostitution.

Torn away from home, she rebels against her captor, only to have one of her eyes gouged out as punishment. After learning of the death of her parents, she secretly trains herself in martial arts, defensive driving and gun use! Transformed into a one woman killing machine with a sawed-off shotgun, she uses her new skills to enact bloody revenge on those who’ve done her wrong." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “Uncut and uncensored high definition 1080p (1.66:1) presentation.” 

Thriller: A Cruel Picture comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.2 GB

Feature: 30.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks dated. There’s source-related debris that varies in degree throughout. Colors generally look good, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, and the grain remains intact. That said, there are some density-related issues.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with two audio options: a LPCM mono mix in Swedish and a LPCM mono mix in English. Both audio mixes sound great. There are no issues with background hiss or distortion; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. There are two subtitle options: English subtitles for the Swedish language track and English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, They Call Her One Eye theatrical trailer (1 minute 29 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with non-removable Swedish subtitles), TV spot (28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), double feature trailer Hooker's Revenge (Thriller: A Cruel Picture) and The Photographers Model (2 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Thriller: A Cruel Picture theatrical trailer (1 minute 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), outtake reel (1 minute 6 seconds, footage silent), alternate Harbor footage (5 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), Thriller: The Story in Pictures (39 seconds), stills galleries: in bedroom with Christina (19 images), behind the scenes (37 images), advertising and promotion (21 images), deleted fight scene (26 images with text information about scene) and production photos (29 images). 

Included with this release is a DVD with the "Vengeance Edition" of Thriller: A Cruel Picture (103 minutes and 15 seconds, 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital mono Swedish with removable English subtitles, Dolby Digital mono English). This version is the R-rated U.S. theatrical edit of the film, which removes the explicit sex present in the uncensored version. The only extra is the theatrical trailer under the title Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1 minute 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Summary:

The creative force behind Thriller: A Cruel Picture was Bo Arne Vibenius, who produced, wrote, and directed the film. His own origins as a filmmaker can be traced back to Ingmar Bergman's Persona and Hour of the Wolf.

Thriller: A Cruel Picture is a revenge story about a young woman named Madeleine who has not spoken since a traumatic event from her childhood. From there, her idyllic life on her parents' farm is disrupted when she accepts a ride from a stranger named Tony, a pimp who gets her hooked on heroin and turns her into a prostitute. Things take a darker turn when Madeleine learns about her parents' suicide. This event breaks her and sets her on a path of vengeance against those responsible.

From its opening moments, Thriller: A Cruel Picture establishes an unsettling tone that some viewers may find a grueling trek. In the opening sequence, Madeleine is molested by an old man in the park. This sequence's tonal shift from playful to sinister makes it all the more potent. Other notable disturbing moments include a scene where Tony slices Madeleine’s eye after she attacks one of her John's and hardcore XXX sex inserts that were always intended to be part of the film, despite the performers' obviously being doubles.

Thriller: A Cruel Picture is a textbook example of how casting can make or break a film. Fortunately for Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Christina Lindberg (Sex & Fury) was a perfect choice for the role of Madeleine. She does a great job of portraying a character whose only means of communication are her facial and body expressions. She is also convincing in her character's evolution from naivety to cold-blooded killer.

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where Thriller: A Cruel Picture does not deliver and then some. The premise is well-executed, and the narrative does a great job of building momentum to its explosive finale. The narrative can be separated into three sections: the opening act focuses on Madeleine’s downward spiral, the middle section shifts the focus to Madeleine’s preparation for her revenge, and the last act is a series of bloodletting sequences. That said, the revenge sequences are very effective; slow motion and unrealistic sound design heighten these moments.

Every now and then, when you revisit a film, your opinion of said film changes. And this is what happened to me when I revisited Thriller: A Cruel Picture for the first time in fifteen years. But upon that initial viewing, I could see why Thriller: A Cruel Picture had a devoted fan base. I have to say that I was not one of those who enjoyed Thriller: A Cruel Picture when I first encountered it. Flash forward all these years later, I decided to give Thriller: A Cruel Picture another chance. And to my surprise, my opinion had drastically changed. Ultimately, Thriller: A Cruel Picture is an in-your-face exploitation film that lives up to its reputation.

Though this release's transfer improves upon Synapse Films' DVD release, It is still a transfer that leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Written by Michael Den Boer