The Third Part of the Night / The Devil – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Poland, 1971 (The Third Part of the Night), Poland, 1972 (The Devil)
Director: Andrzej Żuławski (Both Films)
Cast: Małgorzata Braunek, Leszek Teleszyński, Michał Grudziński, Jan Nowicki, Marek Walczewski – Rozenkranc, Jerzy Goliński, Anna Milewska (The Third Part of the Night), Małgorzata Braunek, Leszek Teleszyński, Wojciech Pszoniak, Iga Mayr, Wiktor Sadecki, Michal Grudzinski, Maciej Englert, Monika Niemczyk (The Devil)

Release Date: July 27th, 2021
Approximate Running Times: 107 Minutes 33 seconds (The Third Part of the Night), 125 Minutes 8 seconds (The Devil)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Both Films)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Polish (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"Rich with multilayered symbolism and apocalyptic imagery, The Third Part of the Night is Żuławski’s highly influential debut feature film. After his whole family is slaughtered during the Nazi occupation of Poland, Michal (Leszek Teleszyński) decides to join the resistance but descends into madness after encountering a doppelgänger of his murdered wife. The Devil is a violent tale of Satanic seduction during the Prussian invasion of Poland in the 17th century, which proved so controversial upon release that it was banned for 16 years." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Both Films)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "Both films are presented in 1080p HD on Blu-ray, using definitive digital restorations from 4K scans."

The Third Part of the Night comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.8 GB

Feature: 29.2 GB

The Devil comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.3 GB

Feature: 34 GB

The sources are in excellent shape; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5 (Both Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Polish with removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks are in excellent shape; they sound clear, balanced, and robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras for The Third Part of the Night include an interview with Michael Brooke, who discusses The Third Part of the Night (15 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras for The Devil include an interview with Michael Brooke, who discusses The Devil (18 minutes 18 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with Lukasz Żuławski, who discusses The Devil (19 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

The Third Part of the Night: A man who witnesses the death of his mother, wife, and son at the hands of Nazi occupiers joins the resistance. He narrowly escapes being captured by the Gestapo and finds refuge with a woman who had her husband arrested and tortured in his place.

Even at this early stage, Andrzej Żuławski was a filmmaker who made films that were challenging but ultimately enlightening. His approach to filmmaking and narrative structure in general is best described as layers; he did not focus on the things everyone sees but instead on what is beneath visible surfaces. Although his films are often perceived as overly cerebral, the key to appreciating them lies in the new things you find each time you revisit them.

Andrzej Żuławski co-authored the screenplay with his father's personal experiences working at the Weigel Institute in Nazi-occupied Lviv, where people subjected themselves to experiments with lice for more food rations and the ability to move more freely in an occupied country. That said, The Third Part of the Night gives a view of a country occupied by Nazis during World War II that is unlike anything else.

The Third Part of the Night begins with what is arguably the most conventional moment Andrzej Żuławski ever filmed: a family spending time in the countryside, enjoying life and not having a care in the world. Then their serenity is broken when the Gestapo arrives and kills the protagonist's mother, wife, and son, while he and his father watch from the woods nearby. From there the narrative begins a downward descent into madness in which the protagonist tries to make sense of what is happening to him after that traumatic event.

After the aforementioned opening setup, the rest of the narrative unfolds in a non-linear way, which is best described as moments from the protagonist's past. The narrative is bookended by a single location: the house in the country where the protagonist's family is killed. The events this time around instill a sense of hope that circumstances may differ, yet the eventual outcome demonstrates that the past cannot be altered.

When gauging performances in an Andrzej Żuławski film, one has to throw out any semblance of conventional acting. Performances in his films are more about the cast connecting with their characters' inner emotions than relying on spoken words and body language. That said, the entire cast are exemplary in their roles, especially Leszek Teleszyński’s portrayal of Michal. What unfolds is told from his character's viewpoint, and his performance does a phenomenal job conveying his character's fractured state of mind.

What is The Third Part of the Night, a melodrama, a horror film, or an allegory? It is all of these things. It is a film that embodies avant-garde cinema; it is laced with symbolism, existentialism, and surrealism. Although the camera's main purpose is only to observe, there are many key moments where the visuals help heighten the mood. Ultimately, The Third Part of the Night is an audacious debut from one of cinema’s most unique filmmakers.

The Devil: A Polish nobleman involved in a conspiracy to assassinate the king is rescued from imminent death by a stranger. In exchange for his life, the stranger demands a list of the nobleman's co-conspirators.

Set in the aftermath of the Second Partition of Poland, The Devil begins in the middle of the chaos and carnage following that event. Instead of being executed by soldiers like all of the other prisoners, the protagonist and a nun are freed from a prison engulfed in suffering and death by a man dressed in black who is someone of importance. From there they embark on a journey to the protagonist's home, in which familiar things no longer resemble themselves and they encounter immoral people responsible for the decaying of society.

The nun and the stranger (the devil) clearly represent good and evil as they accompany the protagonist on his journey. Where the former allows the protagonist free will to dictate his actions, the latter guides him in the direction of embracing the darker side of humanity. The stranger (the devil) gives the protagonist a knife, which he then uses against those who have done him wrong, settling accounts and cleansing himself of burdens from his past.

The more you watch Andrzej Żuławski’s cinema, the more you begin to appreciate what he’s able to get out of his actors. His films are known for expressive performances where characters' inner feelings are fully exposed in favor of traditional acting. Leszek Teleszyński delivers a flawless performance in the role of Jakub, the protagonist who goes on a journey through a hellish landscape. The most memorable performance is Wojciech Pszoniak’s sinister portrayal of the stranger (the devil).

The Devil is a period-set horror melodrama whose exemplary production design creates an utterly believable world. The visuals are exquisite; landscapes look breathtaking, and the camera movement does a phenomenal job of capturing the frantic chaos that's unfolding. Another area that excels is an exceptional discordant score, which, in conjunction with the horrors depicted on-screen, heightens the mood, reinforcing the dread. That said, the narrative is deliberately paced, and it requires your full attention.

The audience who watch Andrzej Żuławski’s cinema can be broken into two distinct groups: those who embrace and are enthralled by what he’s showing them and those who quickly tune out. In the case of the latter, some people just want easily digestible cinema that does not challenge them. That said, I am someone who likes filmmakers who think outside of the norm; my appreciation for Andrzej Żuławski grows with each new film I see and subsequent revisit of his films. Ultimately, The Devil is an unforgettable exploration into madness that stays with you long after.

Eureka Video brings together two films directed by Andrzej Żuławski, gives them solid audio/video presentations and a trio of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer