A beautifully restored tale of revenge
Released by: Arrow Video
Release Date: October 13, 2015 (US)
Production Year: 1967
Region Code: A + B
Running Time: 1:46:42
Audio: Italian LPCM Mono / English LPCM Mono
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH
THE FILM - [ 3 / 5 ]:
Lou Castel ("Fists in the Pocket" and "A Bullet for General) plays a young man who was raised to be a pacifist by a travelling preacher after Confederates massacred his family. But when his step-sister (Barbara Frey) runs away, the pursuit reveals a natural talent as a sharpshooter as well as a bloody and unexpected confrontation with his past. Joining Castel in "Requiescant" are Mark Damon ("Black Sabbath" and "The Fall of the House of Usher") as the sadistic aristocratic villain, Franco Citti (Accattone, "The Godfather") as his henchman, and great Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini (Salò) in a rare acting role as a revolutionary priest.
"Requiescant," Latin for "rest in peace," was directed by Carlo Lizzani ("Wake Up and Kill" and "The Hills Run Red") and features a great soundtrack by Riz Ortolani ("Day of Anger" and "Cannibal Holocaust").
No sign of the traditional John Wayne hero character in this film. I've had a fondness for spaghetti westerns for quite some time, primarily thanks to Clint Eastwood. They don't travel the same road as the more typical Hollywood westerns. The bad guys are downright ruthless at times and sometimes the hero is as well. They don't always wait for the villains to turn around and face them like a man, they might just gun them down where they sit, stand or perhaps while they are still in bed.
In "Requiescant" our would be hero tries to walk the righteous path and take the high road in life. But if he did that, we wouldn't have much of a movie now would we. Thankfully for the viewer, his step-sister runs off and he runs afoul of some real unsavory men who keep pushing his buttons until they push him too far and our hero turns in to a blazing weapon of revenge.
AUDIO - [ 4.5 / 5 ]:
"Requiescant" comes with two audio options. There is an English LPCM Mono track as well as an Italian LPCM Mono track. There are also optional English SDH subtitles. The sound quality is very good throughout the film. There was a nice balance between the dialog, score and sound effects and the audio level was very consistent. I did not encounter any problems with the audio such as hissing, pops or dropouts.
VIDEO - [ 4.5 / 5 ]:
"Requiescant" rides on to Blu-ray thanks to Arrow Video via a brand new high definition 2k restoration from the original camera negative. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85 Aspect Ratio. Once again Arrow Video does not disappoint. The film looks brilliant with rich colors and strong black levels. At times, the characters are wearing some very colorful outfits like in scenes that take place in the saloon and the film just looks gorgeous with all the bold colors. The film has a nice sharpness to it throughout and displays a good amount of fine detail in some scenes. There is a thin layer of grain present which looks great. Skin tones have a pleasant, natural appearance as well. Aside from some small white specks that appear sporadically throughout and a very brief glimpse at what may have been a scratch, I did not notice any issues with the video quality of the Blu-ray. This was my first time watching the film, so I feel a bit spoiled that I get to see in high definition.
SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 2 / 5 ]:
Lou Castel Interview (13:38) - Mr. Castel discusses some of the films in his career, how he learned Italian, and how a political movement in films happened in 1968. (English subtitles)
Carlo Lizzani Interview (27:43) - Mr. Lizzani talks about his early career as a critic and screenwriter. He mentions going through a rough time in film making during the 1950's. Mr. Lizzani discusses working with Dino De Laurentiis on a few films such as "The Violent Four" and "Crazy Joe." He also talks about the production of the film including the screenplay, securing the funding, some of the cast members and the music by Riz Ortolani. (English subtitles)
Trailer (2:59)
Reversible cover art featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
Illustrated collector's booklet containing new writing on the film by Pasquale Iannone
IN CONCLUSION:
The Blu-ray looks and sounds terrific. It is a bit light on special features compared to most Arrow Video releases but I imagine it probably isn't too easy to get extras for a release like this due to when and where the film was made. But at least there are two interviews included, with one being brand new for this release. A DVD is also included in this combo pack. I believe spaghetti western fans will enjoy this one. Lou Castel did a good job at playing our hero in the film and making him likable and evoking some sympathy from the audience.
OVERALL [ 3.5 / 5 ]