How to Be Loved – Yellow Veil Pictures (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Poland, 1963
Director: Wojciech Has
Writer: Kazimierz Brandys
Cast: Barbara Krafftówna, Zbigniew Cybulski, Artur Mlodnicki, Wienczyslaw Glinski, Wieslaw Golas, Wieslawa Kwasniewska, Zdzislaw Maklakiewicz, Tadeusz Kalinowski, Andrzej Hrydzewicz

Release Date: July 25th, 2023
Approximate running time: 102 Minutes 52 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Polish, Dolby Digital Mono Polish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.98

"During a trip from Warsaw to Paris an actress reflects on the last few years of her life during the German occupation while hiding a fellow actor wanted for murder." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

How to Be Loved comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.5 GB

Feature: 22.5 GB

Though no information is provided about the source used for this transfer, the source used looks great. Image clarity, black levels, and contrast are solid; compression is very good; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Polish), 3.5/5 (Dolby Digital Mono Polish)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Polish and a Dolby Digital mono mix in Polish. The DTS-HD track is a vastly superior audio track. Range- and clarity-wise, the DTS-HD audio track sounds amazing. Sound plays a large role in The Hourglass Sanatorium, and the DTS-HD audio track does an amazing job with the nuances of this film's soundscape. Included are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an Introduction Notes on How to Be Loved by Annette Insdorf, Film Professor at Columbia University, and author of books including Intimations: The Cinema of Wojciech Has (7 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Post Screening Notes on How to Be Loved by Annette Insdorf (19 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Sebastian Smoliński who discusses How to Be Loved (13 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 2,000 copies), and 24-page booklet with an essay titled How To Appreciate “How to Be Loved” written by Annette Insdorf, and an essay titled Public and Private Performance written by Michael Brooke.

Summary:

Directed by Wojciech Has, who is best known for directing The Saragossa Manuscript and The Hourglass Sanatorium. How to Be Loved was adapted by novelist Kazimierz Brandys from his story of the same name.

The narrative revolves around Felicja, a radio actress who remembers, while on a flight to Paris, her time in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.

The narrative alternates between the present and the past, with the latter filling in the backstory about Felicja’s past. Her accomplishments since the end of the war are not enough to bring her happiness because of her inability to deal with her past. Notably, her inability to let go of Wiktor, a man she’s infatuated with who never shows any real interest in her.

How to Be Loved has a fabulous opening in which the camera focuses on a mirror as a woman (Felicja) puts on makeup. From there, the camera does a quick cutaway when Felicja looks directly at the camera. This is a superb way to introduce a character, and while all of this is going on, there is a voiceover narration that lays the foundation for what follows.

How to Be Loved features an excellent cast who are all very good in their roles, especially Barbara Krafftówna in the role of Felicja. She delivers an utterly convincing performance that perfectly hits the lows and highs of Felicja. Another performance of note is by Zbigniew Cybulski (Ashes and Diamonds) in the role of Wiktor, an arrogant womanizer who exploits Felicja's love for him.

Though How to Be Loved is a modest production compared to Wojciech Has’ most celebrated films, The Saragossa Manuscript and The Hourglass Sanatorium, the result is a film that maximizes its resources. Another strength of How to Be Loved is how its visuals never call attention to themselves; instead, they let the performances take center stage.

The films of Wojciech Has can be broken down into two distinctive eras; all of his films up to How to Be Loved are more based on reality than those from The Saragossa Manuscript, which are known for their surrealism. And with How to Be Loved, he creates an intense melodrama that quickly draws you, and its finale moments will linger on in your mind.

How to Be Loved gets a first-rate release from Yellow Veil Pictures that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer