Goto, Isle of Love – Arrow Academy (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1969
Director: Walerian Borowczyk
Writer: Walerian Borowczyk, Dominique Duvergé
Cast: Pierre Brasseur, Ligia Branice, Jean-Pierre Andréani, Ginette Leclerc, Fernand Bercher, Michel Charrel, Guy Saint-Jean

Release Date: September 8th, 2014
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 37 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B (Blu-ray)/Region 2 PAL (DVD)
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Walerian Borowczyk’s second feature was just as original as his first. Almost entirely live action this time, it is situated on the archipelago of Goto, which has been cut off from the rest of human civilisation by a massive earthquake and has consequently developed its own arcane rules. Melancholic dictator Goto III (Pierre Brasseur) is married to the beautiful Glossia (Ligia Branice), who in turn is lusted after by the petty thief Gozo (Guy Saint-Jean) as he works his way up the hierarchy." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “The film was exclusively restored by Arrow Films for this release, with all work performed at Deluxe Digital-EMEA, London. The restoration work was supervised by James White on behalf of Arrow Films, carried out in close collaboration with project manager Daniel Bird and Walerian Borowczyk’s long-term colleague Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin. The film was scanned in 2K resolution on a pin-registered Arriscan and were graded using the Nucoda Film Master color grading system. Restoration work was carried out using a combination of software tools and techniques. Thousands of instances of dirt, scratches, and debris were carefully removed frame by frame, damaged frames were repaired, and density and stability issues were improved. Some minor picture and audio issues remain, in keeping with the condition of the film materials”

Goto, Isle of Love comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.5 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

The source used for this transfer has undergone extensive restoration, and it looks excellent. Image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. When compared to Goto, Isle of Love’s previous home video releases, this transfer is a substantial upgrade and easily the best Goto, Isle of Love has looked on home video. It should be noted that there are a few very brief moments of color in Goto, Isle of Love.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. Dialog comes through with the utmost clarity; everything sounds balanced and robust when it needs to be, especially the film’s main theme. Range-wise, this is an area that far exceeds all expectations, as there is a tremendous amount of depth and the more ambient aspects of the soundtrack are well represented throughout.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 46 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an introduction with artist and Turner prize nominee Craigie Horsfield (8 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about Walerian Borowczyk’s unique approach to sound in his films titled The Profligate Door (13 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French removable with English subtitles), a documentary about Goto, Isle of Love with comments from actor Jean-Pierre Andréani, camera operator Noël Véry and focus puller Jean-Pierre Platel titled The Concentration Universe (21 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, and a 40-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Engulfed in Bric-A-Brac written by Daniel Bird, Contemporary Reviews, an essay titled Crystal Clear written by Patrice Leconte, an essay titled The Theater of Walerian Borowczyk written by Phillip Strick, and information about the restoration.

Included with this release is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray included as part of this combo release.

Summary:

Directed by Walerian Borowczyk, an animator turned provocative filmmaker whose notable films include Blanche, The Beast, Story of Sin, and The Margin.

The narrative revolves around a sadistic dictator who rules the people on the remote island of Goto. On this island, criminals are used as a form of entertainment, with the winner of the death match given their freedom.

With Goto, Isle of Love, Walerian Borowczyk smoothly makes the transition from animation to live-action features. Content-wise, Goto, Isle of Love has all the qualities one would expect from a fairy tale. A story that does not look itself into any known period of time and a place or island that the characters live on is a world unto itself.

From a visual standpoint, the imagery often borders on the surreal. Walerian Borowczyk directs Goto, Isle of Love, with a silent film-like quality that lets the sequences flourish to their full potential. Also, George Friedrich Handel’s ‘Concerto No. 11 Opus 7’ perfectly complements Goto, Isle of Love’s black and white photography. Another way the cinematography often excels is that there is a voyeuristic quality to the way he lets moments unfold. And though this is his first live-action feature film, with Goto, Isle of Love, he will already show glimpses of the things that will dominate many of his films.

A few standout moments involve the scene where Grozo taunts the criminal who tried to kill him in the opening moments and a scene where Goto takes Glossia to the beach. Another moment of note and one of the moments that resonates the most is the scene where Grozo reveals his intentions to Glossia, and to further impact this moment, he informs her that her lover is dead.

When compared to his later films, Goto, Isle of Love is very tame in regards to its depiction of eroticism. With the most erotica moments being a scene involving women bathing at a bathhouse or another moment when Glossia’s naked backside is shown while she is having sex with her lover.

A theme that runs throughout Goto, Isle of Love is that of totalitarianism. And not just in the social structure present on the island, but in the way that Glossia is not able to be with the man she wants. Though she is the wife of the ruler of the island, she so desperately wants to leave the only place she has ever known with her lover. And when the moment arises for her husband to confront her about said affair, another man named Grozo seizes the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Unfortunately for Grozo, tragedy is just around the corner.

Performance-wise, the entire cast is superb in their respective roles, especially Ligia Branice's mesmerizing performance in the role of Glossia, the object of several men’s desires. Another performance of note is Guy Saint-Jean in the role of Grozo. He does a remarkable job portraying a character who often does despicable things. Ultimately, Goto, Isle of Love is a compelling story that will hold your gaze and linger in your mind long after its tragic final moments.

Goto, Isle of Love gets a definitive release from Arrow Academy; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer