Malèna – Imprint Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/USA, 2000
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Writers: Giuseppe Tornatore, Luciano Vincenzoni
Cast: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana, Pietro Notarianni, Gaetano Aronica, Gilberto Idonea, Angelo Pellegrino, Gabriella Di Luzio, Pippo Provvidenti, Maria Terranova, Marcello Catalano, Elisa Morucci

Release Date: June 28th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 108 Minutes 4 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: M (Australia)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: AUD$39.95 (Australia)

"Malèna (Monica Bellucci) tells the story of the most beautiful woman in an Italian village, who becomes the subject of malicious gossip among the lustful townsmen and their jealous wives. But only her most ardent admirer will learn the untold true story of the mysterious and elusive Malèna, who inspires new heights of compassion, courage, and independence." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "from a 2K scan of the original uncut Italian version".

Malèna comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 26.3 GB

Though the source looks great, there’s no denying that this film is in need of a new 2K or 4K transfer. Flesh tones look accurate, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and Ennio Morricone’s score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include 3 TV spots (1 minute 36 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a home video trailer (1 minute 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled In Studio – recording the score with composer Ennio Morricone (21 minutes 53 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled On Location – behind-the-scenes (35 minutes 26 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Giuseppe Tornatore and composer Ennio Morricone (22 minutes 30 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with  Giuseppe Tornatore (9 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled The Making of Malèna (11 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Italian film clips), an archival documentary The Life & Dream of Giuseppe Tornatore (52 minutes 56 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), and a slipcase (limited to 1,500 copies).

Summary: 

Malèna was directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. His other notable films are Cinema Paradiso, The Star Maker, The Legend of 1900, and The Best Offer.

Malèna is a story about a young boy named Renato whose life is forever changed the moment he lays eyes on Malèna. From that moment on, Renato spends every moment thinking of Malèna, which causes him to get into trouble at home and at school. And though Renato desires Malèna, the more time he spends with her from away, the more he sees her as a person and not a sex object.

Malèna is a film overflowing with subtext. Malèna can be seen as a metaphor for what Italy went through during the war, despite most people interpreting it as an exploration of sexual desire. And the way in which Renato reacts when other men disrespect Malèna represents Italians' reaction to what happened to their country in World War II.

Malèna is a period-set drama that takes place during World War II in Sicily, and the production design is exemplary; it really draws you into the story that unfolds. Though Malèna takes place during a dark time in Italy’s history, once again Giuseppe Tornatore draws heavily on nostalgia. That said, the result is a film that always affectionately looks at Italy.

When discussing Malèna, everything comes back to Monica Bellucci (Irreversible) in the role of Malèna. She delivers a towering performance where her physical presence dominates every moment she’s in. That said, her performance is an economy of words; despite her character saying little in the way of words, so much of her character's screen time is told via Renato's point of view. She’s perfectly cast; like her character, she exudes sexuality.

Giuseppe Sulfaro (in his film debut) delivers a remarkable performance in the role of Renato. What starts off as an unattainable young boy’s fantasy becomes an act of kindness. His character's evolution enhances the story that unfolds. That said, when it comes to the rest of the cast, all of the performances are excellent.

For a film where everything falls into place, one cannot overlook the importance of Ennio Morricone’s score. Starting with Cinema Paradiso, Ennio Morricone would compose all of Giuseppe Tornatore’s theatrical films until Ennio Morrione’s death in 2020. He delivers an extraordinary score that enhances the mood and perfectly fuses with the visuals.

Malèna is a film that effortlessly shifts from lighthearted to bleak moments. Voyeurism is rampant throughout; whenever Malèna walks through town, all men leer at her. And when it comes to the more lighthearted moments, most of these are fantasies where Renato imagines himself and Malèna in movie-inspired moments/parodies. On the other end of the spectrum, some of the bleaker moments are when Malèna stops fighting rumors about her and becomes what everyone believes she is.

Miramax released Malèna with significant alterations, cutting the film by 16 minutes. These cuts greatly harm Malèna, and the only way to watch Malèna is the complete 108-minute version. Ultimately, Malèna is a text-book example of why one should not judge a book by its cover. That said, what lies within is a thought-provoking multilayered melodrama that gets better every time you revisit it.

Malèna gets a first-rate release from Imprint Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer