Closed Circuit – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1978
Director: Giuliano Montaldo
Writers: Nicola Badalucco, Mario Gallo, Giuliano Montaldo
Cast: Elisabetta Virgili, Mattia Sbragia, Aurore Clément, Maria Pia Attanasio, Micaela Pignatelli, Franco Mazzieri, Flavio Bucci, Luciano Rossi, Sergio Doria, Tony Kendall, Luciano Catenacci, Ettore Manni

Release Date: March 26th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 106 Minutes 17 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"At the local cinema, an audience watches a Spaghetti Western matinee. During the film’s on-screen climactic duel, a bullet is fired into a patron. With no leads and a theater full of suspects, police investigators lock the doors, put everyone back in their seats and run the movie again. But will this shot in the dark reveal the real killer?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 2K from RAI-TV vault film elements".

Closed Circuit comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.5 GB

Feature: 30.6 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise, things sound excellent.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a re-release trailer (1 minute 32 seconds, DTS-HD mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Giuliano Montaldo titled Murder at the Matinee (21 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by film historian Kat Ellinger on actor Flavio Bucci titled Il Sociologo (13 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Kier-La Janisse, author of House of Psychotic Women (11 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Howard Berger.

Summary:

Giuliano Montaldo directed Closed Circuit. He’s known for Grand Slam, Machine Gun McCain, The Fifth Day of Peace, and Sacco & Vanzetti.

The police stop an audience from leaving a movie theater when one of the viewers is shot dead.

Though Closed Circuit unfolds like a police procedural, it ventures into the realm of fantasy, particularly in its finale. The crime scene is a theater where an audience is watching a spaghetti western film, and when it comes to a scene where two characters are dueling, someone in the audience is shot and killed. This event sets in motion an investigation in which the police have the audience recreate the moments leading up to the shooting. When another person is shot and killed, the police are even more baffled and have to go back to square one.

The cast's most notable names, Giuliano Gemma (Day of Anger) and Mario Adorf (The Specialists), are via footage from A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof. That said, there are other recognizable faces like Luciano Rossi (Death Walks at Midnight), who portrays the theater projectionist; Luciano Catenacci (Almost Human), who portrays the deputy police commissioner; and Ettore Manni (Tony Arzenta), who portrays the police commissioner. Flavio Bucci's (Property Is No Longer a Theft) portrayal of a sociologist whose observations lead to the crime being solved is the standout performance.

For a film that utilizes one location, the visuals are always inventive, and they do a superb job holding your attention. The narrative is well-crafted, and when it comes to the finale, it is a surprise that no one will see coming. Closed Circuit is a film that relies heavily on atmosphere; the visuals and the score effectively reinforce the mood. Ultimately, Closed Circuit is a unique cinema experience that does not fit neatly into one category.

Closed Circuit gets an excellent release from Severin Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer