Bare bodies, weird comedy and a fairy tale character reinvented as a sadistic fascist: the equally grotesque and gory comic thriller “Bluebeard” takes the eponymous fairy tale by author Charles Perrault (best known for “Cinderella”) and drags it into vibrant macabre realms. Areas in which parallels between perverted sexuality and fascism are outlined.
In combination with the level of violence in the film, this was sometimes too much for the German youth protection: For 25 years, “Bluebeard” simmered on the Index. After being released on DVD uncut, it now gets its HD upgrade: “Bluebeard” is now available on Blu-ray for the first time – uncut with FSK 18.
Parallel to the Blu-ray premiere of the thriller in 1972 is also a DVD re-release* published with an improved image compared to previous editions. Both the new DVD and the Blu-ray contain a booklet with background information about this special film.
“Bluebeard”: sex comedy thriller starring a fascist serial killer
Baron Kurt von Sepper (Richard Burton) is immensely wealthy, was a fighter pilot in World War I and is celebrated as a heroic veteran. Moreover, he has a reputation as a seducer – and he is a convinced fascist. When he marries the American Anne (Joey Heatherton), she makes a gruesome discovery in his remote, sprawling castle: there is a hidden room where the corpses of women are piling up!
The baron wants to kill his wife because of her curiosity, but before he can lay hands on her, she manages to convince him that he owes her one thing: he must tell what happened to the other women. So the killer looks back on his past actions – and at the same time figures out the right method to kill Anne too…
Accompanied by music from “The Hateful Eight”, composer Ennio Morricone, director Edward Dmytryk, best known for war films, turned this material into one satirical-dramatic Thriller with proud tasteless sense of humor and eccentric setting – which can now finally shine in HD.
You never quite know if ‘Bluebeard’ is meant to be a boring exploitation film with softcore eroticism, drastic violence and superficially lurid themes. Or as a subversively thought-out attack on conservative taste boundaries. Consequently, there is not even such a thing as a well-founded consensus of reviews on “Bluebeard”, since opinions on the thriller are scattered all over the four corners of the world:
It’s crap to despise. waste to love. A daring comedy. Pure provocation! Dear camp! Schmonzes, who offers surprisingly intelligent criticism of the lax way of dealing with fascists! All in one?! There is little point in theorizing with “Bluebeard”.
Written by Dmytryk, Colossus of Rhodes author Ennio De Concini, and journalist/screenwriter Maria Pia Fusco (“Hitler: The Last Ten Days”), you have to see the mix to understand it. Those who take the plunge will also be rewarded with an illustrious cast:
Supporting characters include style icon Raquel Welch, Rolling Stones muse Nathalie Delon, B-movie legend Sybil Danning and combative actor Mathieu Carrière. You have to get such a couple together first!
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