First Love: 4K Restoration – VCI Entertainment (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany/Switzerland/Hungary, 1970
Director: Maximilian Schell
Writers: Maximilian Schell, John Gould
Cast: John Moulder-Brown, Dominique Sanda, Maximilian Schell, Valentina Cortese, Marius Goring, Dandy Nichols, Richard Warwick, Keith Bell, Johannes Schaaf, John Osborne

Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 24 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Bittersweet study of a sixteen-year-old boy who becomes infatuated with an impoverished princess during an era of social decay and impending revolution." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negatives."

First Love comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.6 GB

Feature: 25.5 GB

Despite being given a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negatives, the result is far from optimal. Colors look better in some moments than others, and black levels are not convincing; there are instances of black crush. That said, the image is generally crisp, and there are some compression-related issues, most noticeable during darker moments.

Audio: 3/5

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

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 41 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a featurette titled From First Love to Lasting Art: John Moulder-Brown (2 minutes 50 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Maximilian Schell: The Quiet Titan (2 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Dominique Sanda: The Enigmatic Muse of Cinema (1 minute 22 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor John Moulder-Brown titled Deep Passions (24 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian, podcaster, and artist Rob Kelly.

Included is a DVD that contains the same contents.

Summary:

First Love was Maximilian Schell’s theatrical debut as a director. Notable films he directed include The Pedestrian, Tales from the Vienna Woods, and Marlene. First Love was adapted from Ivan Turgenev's novella of the same name.

A teenage boy spends the summer in the countryside with his family and falls in love with the slightly older woman who lives next door.

First Love is not only a story about a young boy's first love but also a story of coming-of-age. Though he falls in love, all of his interactions with the woman are superficial; there is no depth to their interactions. It is clear early on that her feelings for him greatly differ; she sees him more like a brother than a romantic suitor. She is also a free-spirited individual who surrounds herself with numerous potential suitors, expressing affection for them in various ways.

Outside of the two leads, John Moulder-Brown (Vampire Circus) and Dominique Sanda (The Conformist), none of the other performances stand out. Fortunately, the performances work well within the story that unfolds. John Moulder-Brown is convincing in the role of a young man who's discovered love, and there is a naivety to his performance that makes his journey all the more potent. Dominique Sanda’s character is a mystery; she’s enchanting and bewitching at the same time, and she more than fulfills the role of an object of desire.

First Love is a period set melodrama, and its solid production design creates an utterly believable world. The narrative moves at a deliberate pace, and visuals are in lockstep with languid shots of beautiful landscapes. That said, there is an abundance of atmosphere, which more than makes up for the narrative’s shortcomings. Ultimately, First Love is an engaging film about unrequited love and betrayal whose bittersweet ending serves as a perfect coda.

VCI Entertainment gives First Love an underwhelming audio/video presentation.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer