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Angst – Cult Epics (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Austria, 1983
Director: Gerald Kargl
Writers: Gerald Kargl, Zbigniew Rybczynski
Cast: Erwin Leder, Silvia Rabenreither, Edith Rosset, Rudolf Götz, Renate Kastelik, Hermann Groissenberger, Claudia Schinko, Beate Jurkowitsch, Rosa Schandl, Rolf Bock, Emil Polaczek

Release Date: September 15th, 2015
Approximate running times: 86 Minutes 45 Seconds (With Prologue), 79 Minutes 3 Seconds (Without Prologue)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Surround German, Dolby Digital Stereo German, Dolby Digital Stereo French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"Erwin Leder (Das Boot, Schindler’s List) plays a maniacal killer based on the real-life serial murderer Werner Kniesek. As he stalks through the bland Viennese countryside." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New High-Definition Transfer."

Angst comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.5 GB

Feature: 16.1 GB

This release comes with two viewing options; you can watch it with or without a prologue. The source used for this transfer is in great shape, but there is some minor debris that remains. Colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is very good. That said, there appears to be some digital noise reduction, which is more noticeable in some scenes.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Surround German)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 surround mix in German, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in German, and a Dolby Digital stereo mix in French. For this review, I only listened to the DTS-HD 5.1 track, which is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-presented. Range-wise, this track sounds very good. Included are removable English subtitles for the German-language tracks.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a trailer for Angst (3 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM stereo with English text, no subtitles), a trailer for Schramm (1 minute 31 seconds, LPCM stereo with English text, no subtitles), an introduction by filmmaker Gaspar Noé (5 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an interview is with actor Erwin Leder (21 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview is with cinematographer Zbigniew Rybzcynski (36 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Gerald Kargl, moderated by filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit (27 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Gerald Kargl and moderator film critic Marcus Stiglegger, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 40-page booklet with a text piece titled Prologue Introduction by Nico B, a Q & A with Gerald Kargl, an essay titled Angst Essen Seele Auf (Fear Eats the Soul) written by Carl Anderson, a Q & A with Edwin Leder, a Q & A with actress Silvia Rabenreither, illustrated with rare photos and Werner Kniesek original Kurier articles and a text piece titled Epilogue written by Nico B.

Summary:

A deranged psychopath, who was recently released from prison, stalks the Viennese countryside in search of victims.

Throughout the history of cinema, there have been countless films that have explored the psyches of mass murderers. The majority of these films focus on acts of carnage instead of trying to dig deeper into the reasons why a person would commit such acts. On the other side of the spectrum is a film like Angst, which shifts its focus towards the psychological aspects of the story at hand.

The narrative takes place over the course of twenty-four periods. With the point of view of the narrative being squarely focused on the protagonist K. And this extends to the visuals, which do an extraordinary job reinforcing the protagonist's state of mind. The cinematographer on Angst was Zbigniew Rybczynski, a filmmaker in his own right who won an Academy Award for his short film Tango.

Content-wise, Angst is not a film that can easily be digested, and it is needless to say that it is not for the faint of heart. Also, it would be a great disservice to judge Angst solely on face value. And more importantly, this is not a horror film; it is a psychological exploration of the darker side of human nature. And nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to the depiction of violence; it is presented in a raw, inflicting way that is in direct contrast with other similar-themed films.

Not to be overlooked is a score that does a pitch-perfect job of maintaining the mood. The score was composed by Klaus Schulze, one of the founder members of Tangerine Dream (Thief). Other notable scores composed by Klaus Schulze include Body Love, Barracuda, and Next of Kin (1982).

Performance-wise, most of the cast are mere props that are used to help propel the narrative forward. There is one performance that does deserve to be singled out, and that is Erwin Leder’s (Das Boot) utterly convincing portrayal of the protagonist named K. His characters’ moment of truth is the scene where he kills his last victim.

From a production standpoint, there is not a single area where Angst does not deliver, and then some. Its most surprising asset is its director, Gerald Kargl, a first-time director who, due to circumstances related to Angst, has not directed another feature film. That said, Angst is one of cinema's most unique film debuts, and for far too long, it has languished in obscurity.

Angst gets a first-rate release from Cult Epics that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, recommended.