Private Crimes – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Release Date: Italy, 1993
Director: Sergio Martino
Cast: Edwige Fenech, Ray Lovelock, Victoria Vera, Gudrun Landgrebe, Lorenzo Flaherty, Davide Bechini, Silvia Mocci, Paolo Malco, Cinzia de Ponti, Vittoria Belvedere, Annie Girardot, Gabriele Ferzetti, Alida Valli, Jacques Perrin

Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 86 Minutes 44 Seconds (Part 1), 89 Minutes 39 Seconds (Part 2), 87 Minutes 5 Seconds (Part 3), 87 Minutes 8 Seconds (Part 4)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95

"When a prominent businessman is found murdered, an ambitious newspaper reporter (Fenech) and a local police inspector (Ray Lovelock of Almost Human) will uncover a bizarre web of small-town corruption, violence and dark secrets." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "scanned in 2K from the original RAI-TV 16mm elements".

Private Crimes comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.7 GB

Feature: 20.9 GB (Part 1), 21.4 GB (Part 2)

Private Crimes comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 20.8 GB (Part 3), 21.1 GB (Part 4)

The sources look excellent; this is the best-looking RAI-produced series/film that Severin Films has released. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image looks organic. 

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include an interview with actress/producer Edwidge Fenech titled Edwige, Queen of Giallo (23 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of All The Colours of Sergio Martino. A word of warning: the audio commentary spoils who the killer is.

Extras on disc two include an interview with director Sergio Martino titled Giallo in Lucca (27 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Private Crimes was directed by the versatile Italian filmmaker Sergio Martino, who worked in whatever genre was popular at the time. That said, he is best known for his work in the Giallo and Commedia sexy all'italiana genres. Notable films he directed include The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, All the Colors of the Dark, The Violent Professionals, Torso, and The Suspicious Death of a Minor.

An ambitious reporter, investigating the murder of a prominent businessman, learns that her daughter was killed nearby. Not willing to go, she launches an investigation into the murder of her daughter, which upsets the affluent and those who are in power.

Though some of Private Crimes' music cues sound similar to Angelo Badalamenti’s music from Twin Peaks, there are no other areas that connect these two series. Tone-wise, Private Crimes is based in reality, whereas Twin Peaks has an otherworldly quality. When it comes to the killers’ motives and how the narrative unfolds, Private Crimes fits firmly into the Giallo genre.

Anyone familiar with Giallo films knows they feature a vibrant array of characters who serve as numerous red herrings. In this respect, Private Crimes succeeds. The opening setup is superbly executed as a pair of initial deaths sets in motion the events that follow. That said, when it comes to carnage, these moments are not as visceral as Sergio Martino’s earlier forays into the Giallo genre.

Edwige Fenech and Sergio Martino have a long history; before Private Crimes, they had collaborated on ten films. Though Edwige Fenech often portrays a woman in distress, this time around she gets to portray a character opposite of what she’s known for. Her performance is rich with depth, making you truly feel her character's pain. This may very well be her best performance to date. Besides Edwige Fenech, that cast is rounded out with familiar faces like Ray Lovelock (Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man), Paolo Malco (The House by the Cemetery), Annie Girardot (Black List), Gabriele Ferzetti (Once Upon a Time in the West), Alida Valli (Suspiria), and Jacques Perrin (Cinema Paradiso).

At just under six hours in length, Private Crimes' duration is equal to four feature films. The narrative follows a linear path, and it only does a recap of events once before part 2. Given its length, it's understandable that there are several moments that slow down the momentum; however, these issues are not detrimental. The narrative's greatest strength lies in how effectively it utilizes flashbacks.

Although Sergio Martino stayed active throughout the 1980s while many of his contemporaries struggled to find work, his budgets continued to shrink. He was given ample resources and surrounded by an excellent cast for Private Crimes. His direction is rock solid, the visuals are stylish, and the camera flows and is filled with arresting compositions.

Private Crimes is just as much a Giallo as it is a Poliziotteschi; there are many areas where these two genres overlap. When it comes to the killer's motives, the Giallo always comes up with finales that are surprising, and Private Crimes succeeds in this regard. Without giving too much away, the revelation of the killer's motivation makes Edwige Fenech’s character's journey all the more heartbreaking and potent. Ultimately, Private Crimes is a well-crafted thriller and one of the high water marks of 1990s Italian genre cinema.

Private Crimes gets an excellent release from Severin Films, highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer