Il Demonio – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1963
Director: Brunello Rondi
Writers: Ugo Guerra, Luciano Martino, Brunello Rondi
Cast: Daliah Lavi, Frank Wolff, Anna María Aveta, Tiziana Casetti, Dario Dolci, Franca Mazzoni, María Teresa Orsini, Rossana Rovere

Release Date: October 15th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 99 Minutes 53 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"In rural Southern Italy, an emotionally disturbed young woman turns to witchcraft to curse her former lover. But is her increasingly alarming behavior due to obsession or possession?." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative."

Il Demonio comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.4 GB

Feature: 28.6 GB

The source looks great; image clarity is solid, contrast and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. Though the audio sounds clear and balanced, it is limited range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a documentary short about the Tarantula bite curing process in Italy titled La Taranta directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi (19 minutes 9 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Brunello Rondi biographer Alberto Pezzotta who looks at Il Demonio and the themes that dominated Brunello Rondi’s eclectic career titled Once Upon a Time in Basilicata (22 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Tim Lucas titled “The Kid From a Kibbutz” — Daliah Lavi and the Road To Il Demonio (27 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian Kat Ellinger.

Summary:

Brunello Rondi, who also directed notable films such as A Violent Life, Il demonio, and Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle, directed Il Demonio. Besides directing, he’s worked extensively as a screenwriter, notably working with Federico Fellini on eight films.

An uninhibited woman obsessed with an engaged man becomes mentally unstable when he rejects her.

Il Demonio is a melodrama rooted in folklore; its narrative revolves around a woman named Purif, who is viewed as a pariah by the people of her village. Her state of mind deteriorates, and she becomes increasingly unstable when a man she’s infatuated with rejects her. Her family wants an exorcism performed, believing she is possessed by the devil.

Il Demonio is a film that takes full aim at superstitions and rituals. Though the protagonist is singled out for her behavior, there are many other people in her village whose behavior connected to rituals is just as disturbing. That said, a lot of the protagonists' issues have more to do with trauma, past and present, inflicted by those in her village than with being possessed.

Though no performances are lacking, they all pale in comparison to Daliah Lavi (The Whip and the Body), who portrays the protagonist Purif. She delivers an inspired performance that is easily her best. Another performance of note is Frank Wolff (Once Upon a Time in the West); he portrays the man that Purif lusts after.

Besides Daliah Lavi’s aforementioned performance, one must not overlook the role that the visuals play in heightening the mood. Some of the most striking moments are a scene where Purif sees a young boy by the river, only to discover he was already dead, and a scene where Purif does a spider walk. Also, the visuals are filled with symbolic imagery and overflowing with foreboding atmosphere.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Il Demonio does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, and a well-executed narrative does an excellent job building momentum to its tragic finale. Piero Piccioni (The 10th Victim) delivers a remarkable score that is very effective in reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Il Demonio is a riveting film that quickly draws you in and lingers on long after its final haunting image.

Il Demonio gets a solid release from Severin Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer