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Women in Love
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (31st August 2016). |
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The Film
 “Women in Love” (1969) British author D.H. Lawrence’s ”The Rainbow” and “Women in Love” - two books that follow sisters Gudrun and Ursula Brangwen - two upper class sisters from the Midlands who mostly go against the norm of society, represented through expressionistic art, relationships with men, conflict of class, and freedom of expression. “The Rainbow” was published in 1915 and caused controversy in its native country challenging obscenity laws for its sexual content to the point that it was banned for 11 years. It was however available for purchase in America. With the controversy ensued the publishers were weary of releasing the sequel, but it was finally printed in America in 1920 and in Britain in 1921. Reception was also controversial for its frank sexuality portrayed which was not a surprise, and reactions from critics and the public were extremely negative - linked to pornography and trash. It was only after his death in 1930 at the young age of 44 that contemporary writers including Aldous Huxley and E.M. Forster came forward to state that he was one of the greatest English writers of the twentieth century. His works were reexamined years later and critics changed their minds - he was a writer way ahead of his time and pushed boundaries with his poetic works. In 1969 “Women in Love” was adapted into a feature film, written for the screen and produced by Larry Kramer and directed by Ken Russell. Kramer was a script doctor working at United Artists at the time and this was his first screenplay. Russell had directed multiple critically acclaimed television work for the BBC, but his two theatrical features “French Dressing” (1964) and “The Billion Dollar Brain” (1967) were critical and commercial disappointments. Expectations were not exactly high for the average budget production, and that also gave creative freedom to the filmmakers rather than a tightly watched big budget project. Kramer adapted the book fairly straightforward. The time period of post WWI England was unchanged. The dialogue was left as is. The largest difference is that the 500 plus page original novel had to be significantly cut down to become a feature film of about two hours. The biggest problem the filmmakers thought they would have was the sexual content and how much could be shown. The main actors cast in the production - Glenda Jackson as Gudrun, Jennie Linden as Ursula, Alan Bates as Rupert, and Oliver Reed as Gerald - all were aware of the nudity that would be part of the production, both female and male. The actors were prepared for skin being shown but this was not a “sex” film, but a film that dealt with sexuality. There were actual characterizations with how they fall in love and out of love, dealing with death, and also with society. It’s not only a sexual film between women and men but it also deals with male homosexuality. One of the most infamous moments in the film is when Rupert and Gerald wrestle in the nude - a clash of manhood in sweaty and intense detail with full frontal nudity shown. The two gay men in the Swiss Alps are also interesting minor characters that only appear very shortly near the end. Instead of “Women in Love”, “People in Love” or “Men and Women in Love” could have been more appropriate. The content may have been challenging and even blasphemous in 1920, but with the sexual revolution of the 1960s many aspects of the story mirrored the changing times of when the film was made. The filmmakers were careful in the sexual content especially with the male nudity which had never been shown in a studio film. But in a very unusual ruling, there were only minor cuts suggested for an adult rating for the UK by the BBFC and the US MPAA gave it an R rating. The sex scenes and the wrestling scene were left intact becoming the first studio production with frontal male nudity. It’s quite confusing how this would get an MPAA “R” rating but “Midnight Cowboy” (also released by United Artists) would get a higher MPAA “X” rating. Later years have been kinder with the rating - the uncut video release was rated “18” by the BBFC while the DVD release was also uncut but re-rated as “15”. The male wrestling scene did cause controversy in certain counties which had bans or optical censoring involved. The South American prints removed the footage - so instead the scene starts with two men entering a room, and cuts to them lying on the floor, shirtless and sweaty. Surely no one thought “Oh, they must have been wrestling!” Reception of the film exceeded expectations. Critics in Britain were hailing the film as a masterpiece, a worthy adaptation of Lawrence’s book, and a visually beautiful film to watch. The set designs, the costumes, and the environments were highly praised. The film was a hit in its native Britain when it was released in September of 1969, becoming one of the most popular films of the year. It was nominated for 10 BAFTAs though it happened to win none. It was released in March 1970 in America where it also opened to very positive reactions from audiences and critics. The film was nominated for 3 Golden Globe Awards for Best Director, Best Actress, and won the “Best English-Language Foreign Film” award (which doesn’t exist anymore as a category). It was also nominated for 4 Academy Awards - Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography (by Billy Williams), and won Best Actress for Glenda Jackson. “Women in Love” stands as a turning point in director Ken Russell’s career. The freedom he was given following the success would be challenged even harder with his next films - the Tchaikovsky biopic ”The Music Lovers” (1970) which was a critical and commercial failure, and “The Devils” (1971) - one of the most controversial films ever made and still has no official release of the uncut version. “Women in Love” is both an entertaining masterwork and an interesting point historically for both censorship and the director’s career. Note this is a region B Blu-ray which can only be played back on region B and region free players
Video
BFI presents the film in 1080p in the original UK aspect ratio of 1.75:1 in the AVC MPEG-4 codec. The picture was restored in 4K from the original Eastman Color negative. As Eastman Color fades over time, reference for the colors were taken from a Technicolor print of the film held at the BFI which was donated by cinematographer Billy Williams. Color fluctuations were corrected, deep colors were restored, major damage was removed, but minor imperfections remain. The very right side of the frame in certain scenes had more damage than the rest and damage still remains - though it does not distract from the full feature considering how gorgeous it looks. The costumes are vibrant and beautiful, detail is sharp, and grain is still visible. The film is a visual feast of colors and movement, and the transfer does it justice. In America the film was projected in 1.85:1 while in Europe it was in 1.66:1. The UK at the time had a middleground projection ratio of 1.75:1 and is preserved here on this Blu-ray for the first time with thin black bars on the sides of the frame. The previous MGM DVD was in the US ratio. The film is uncut with a runtime of 130:46.
Audio
English LPCM 1.0 The original mono track has also been remastered from the magnetic track masters. The separate dialogue track, music track, and effects track were digitally restored to create a newly composited mono soundtrack. The sound is balanced well with dialogue is always clear and easy to understand with music not interfering. Interestingly the soundtrack which featured compositions of Edward Elgar and original music by Georges Delerue was never issued on a soundtrack album until a CD was pressed in 2012. There are optional English HoH subtitles available for the main feature in a white font.
Extras
Audio commentary with director Ken Russell Recorded for the 2003 MGM DVD, Russell talks nearly non-stop about a variety of topics. The casting of the roles, the choice of costumes by his wife at the time Shirley Russell, the symbolisms scattered, about the original book, and many screen specific moments are talked about. It’s a very lively commentary with essential anecdotes. in English Dolby 2.0 with no subtitles Audio commentary with writer and producer Larry Kramer Also recorded for the 2003 MGM DVD, Kramer gives his impressions on the making of the film and with screen specific comments. He talks about topics such as the life of Lawrence, the real life counterparts, getting the rights to the film, plus specific comments on the film’s scenes, differences from the novel, and behind the scenes stories. This also goes non-stop and Kramer gives a lot of insightful comments. in English Dolby 2.0 with no subtitles Isolated Score in LPCM 2.0 The isolated score comes from the original magnetic masters and sounds wonderful. The MGM laserdisc release had a music and effects track as a bonus audio channel, but this Blu-ray presents only the music completely separate from the effects audio. LPCM 2.0 mono Glenda Jackson interviewed at the National Film Theatre (plays over the film) (76:39) On May 9th 1982, actress Glenda Jackson gave an on stage talk at the National Film Theatre in London. She talks about her career in theatre, television, and film, specific work about her Oscar winning performance in “Women in Love”, and more. Questions are taken from the moderator as well as the audience members. The audio is sometimes echoey but not too difficult to understand. The audio plays over the film for the first 77 minutes. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono with no subtitles Billy Williams OBE BSC in conversation with Phil Meheux BSC (49:17) This on stage conversation and Q&A with “Women in Love” cinematographer Billy Williams with fellow cinematographer Phil Meheux. Williams talks about his career behind the camera, from his father starting out as a cinematographer for silent films, his major work with Ken Russell, thoughts on digital vs film technology, and much more. He also gives an in depth explanation on how he acquired the Technicolor print of “Women in Love” which he donated to the BFI and about the remastering process for the Blu-ray edition. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 with no subtitles Stills and Collections Gallery (3:21) A gallery of on set photos, behind the scenes photos, posters, flyers, and other promotional stills. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, music Dolby Digital 2.0 mono "The Pacemakers: Glenda Jackson" 1971 documentary short (14:19) This documentary short was made during the production of the film “Bloody Sunday” which Jackson starred in. She talks directly to the camera about acting, filmmaking, editing, and also her career in a nutshell. There is footage of “Women in Love” featured as well as behind the scenes footage of “Bloody Sunday”. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 with no subtitles "Second Best" 1972 short film by Stephen Dartnell (26:33) Produced by “Women in Love’’s Alan Bates, this 1972 short film was also an adaptation of a D.H. Lawrence piece. Bates’ wife Victoria Bates stars in the main role while Alan Bates plays opposite her. It has rarely been screened and has never played on British television, only playing at a handful of festivals. This marks the first time the short film has been made available on home video. Transferred from the original 16mm, the colors are very vibrant especially the orange and green shades. Blacks are extremely dark on the other hand, making details extremely hard to see on dark portions of the frame. There is damage here and there on the frame but very minor since the film must have gone through projectors seldomly. The sound is also very clear with no major issues. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 with no subtitles Theatrical Trailer (3:31) This is the UK trailer which features many quotes from various publications. The colors are faded, damage marks are prominent. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.66:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono Booklet The 24 page booklet includes the essays “Women in Love”, by Michael Brooke, “The Costumes” by Claire Smith. Also included are stills, costume designs, special features information, a biography of Ken Russell written by Paul Sutton, information about the transfer, and acknowledgements. The only possible missing aspect in the extras department is more information such as a featurette focusing on the author D.H. Lawrence. Some info on his life and his work are talked about in the commentaries and mentioned in the booklet, but a more focused extra could have been a worthy addition to the already stellar collection of extras.
Overall
”Women in Love” stands as one of director Ken Russell’s most accessible and popular films, while breaking taboos and inciting some controversy. BFI’s restoration and presentation on Blu-ray is outstanding with great video and audio with very lengthy extras. Very highly recommended.
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