Marquis de Sade’s Justine – Blue Underground (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/USA/West Germany/Liechtenstein, 1969
Director: Jesús Franco
Writer: Harry Alan Towers
Cast: Klaus Kinski, Romina Power, Maria Rohm, Rosemary Dexter, Akim Tamiroff, Mercedes McCambridge, Sylva Koscina, Howard Vernon, Jack Palance, Rosalba Neri

Release Date: February 21st, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 124 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"An Erotic Masterpiece from the Tortured Pen of the Marquis De Sade Romina Power (18-year-old daughter of Tyrone Power) stars as Justine, a nubile young virgin cast out of a French orphanage and  thrust into a depraved world of prostitution, predatory lesbians, a fugitive murderess (Mercedes McCambridge), bondage, branding, and one supremely sadistic monk (an outrageous performance by Jack Palance). It’s a twisted tale of strange desires, perverse pleasures and the ultimate corruption of innocence as told by the Marquis de Sade." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "brand-new 4K restoration from the uncensored original camera negative."

Marquis de Sade’s Justine comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 80.9 GB

Feature: 76 GB

Blue Underground’s 2015 Blu-ray of Marquis de Sade’s Justine was one of their stronger Jess Franco/Harry Alan Towers transfers. This transfer looks just as great as that release transfer, and in many instances, this new transfer somehow improves upon the transfer used for Blue Underground’s 2015 Blu-ray. Colors are nicely saturated, and flesh tones look healthy. Also, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Marquis de Sade’s Justine comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.7 GB

Feature: 22.5 GB (Marquis de Sade’s Justine), 10.8 GB (Deadly Sanctuary)

The Blu-ray included as part of this release uses the same source that was used for the 4K UHD’s transfer.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. There are no issues with distortion or background noise; dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and the score sounds appropriately robust. This release comes with three subtitle options: English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a poster & stills gallery (88 images), a French theatrical trailer (3 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Perils and Pleasures of Justine (20 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco (17 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Rosalba Neri titled On Set With Jess (8 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, the shorter U.S. version of Marquis de Sade’s Justine titled Deadly Sanctuary (95 minutes 41 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), and a slipcover (limited to first pressing).

Summary:

Though Marquis de Sade's Justine was Jesus Franco's first full-fledged adaptation of the Marquis de Sade's literary works. There are traces of De Sade which can be found in other Jess Franco films as far back as The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus. Also, though there was no denying the influence that De Sade had on Jess Franco as a filmmaker, it should be noted that the screenplay for Marquis de Sade’s Justine was written by producer Harry Alan Towers under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck. That being said, Jess Franco still manages to infuse his undeniable imprint on the final product.

Whenever someone attempts to adapt the Marquis de Sade, there are just going to be some things that are never going to translate well or moments that, due to their graphic nature, would fall victim to various forms of censorship. And though this adaptation does a good job of retaining the essence of the source, it is far from a faithful adaptation. One of its most glaring changes is the handling of a character named Derroches.

In terms of production, Marquis de Sade's Justine would provide Jess Franco with the largest canvas he has ever worked with as a filmmaker. the reported budget being one million pounds. Needless to say, he would take full advantage of this rare opportunity to make a period drama set in the 18th century. Also, when it comes to customs and set designs, Marquis de Sade’s Justine does a superb job of maintaining the intended look of this era. Another area in which Marquis de Sade's Justine outperforms expectations is its use of Barcelona locations, some of which are considered landmarks.

When it comes to moments of sadism, the Marquis of Sade's Justine actually holds up very well in this regard. The most satisfying moments in this regard involve perverted priests, whose only quest in life is to find absolute pleasure. Of course, this is a Jess Franco film, and nudity is something he has never shied away from. And there are a bevy of beauties who are in various stages of undress.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Marquis of Sade's Justine is its incredible cast of who's who from European cult cinema. The Marquis de Sade is played by Klaus Kinski (The Great Silence), and though his role is only a cameo, he makes an impression. His presence is still felt throughout Marquis of Sade's Justine. Other recognizable faces include: Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil), Mercedes McCambridge (99 Women), Sylva Koscina (Hercules), Rosalba Neri (Top Sensation), Howard Vernon (The Diabolical Dr. Z) and the ever delirious Jack Palance (Companeros) in the role of a perverted priest named Antonin.

Unfortunately, the casting of Romina Power in the role of this film's protagonist, Justine, proves to be the thing that hurts this film the most. She gives an expressionless performance that never fully captures the other side of the story, where she starts to enjoy the pain being inflicted on her. Then there is Maria Rohm's (Venus in Furs) performance in the role of the other sister, Juliette. And once again, here is another character who is underused. which is a shame since she delivers a pitch-perfect portrayal of Juliette.

Marquis de Sade's Justine is brought to 4K UHD by Blue Underground in an exceptional release that includes solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer