Malpertuis — Malpertuis( Blu Ray boxset)
Malpertuis is an early 70’s blend of fantasy, horror, and off-kilter family drama. It’s a film that’s laden with occult imagery/ themes, with a huge cast of weird ‘n’ wonderful characters that appear from nooks and crannies of the Labyrinthian house the film is set in. Here from Radiance is a wonderful, classy reissue of the film, taking in a 4k fully uncut version of the picture, a second Cannes cut, new interviews with the director/ genre experts, and a good selection of new/old extras. It comes presented a mystical symbol-dotted slip case, with a colourful eighty-page booklet.
Malpertuis ( aka The Legend of Doom House) is a Dutch, French, and West German co-production from the year 1971. It was directed by Antwerp-born Harry Kümel, who is most known for his mysterious & haunting vampire film Daughters Of Darkness. He had thirteen features to his name. These went from crossdressing tragic drama Monsieur Hawarden (1968), small town drama Paradise Lost (1978), and romantic tragedy Eline Vere (1991).
The main version of the film here rolls in at two hours and five minutes, and it most certainly is a trip & half. Shifting from a sort of whimsical, almost family drama/ fantasy start, to something rather wonderful & puzzling blending horror, fantasy, and elegant oddness.
We kick off portside, as we see two comic book-like bad guys watching a just come in navy ship- they are looking for someone specific on the boat- several sailors pass by, then they see him, the blond pixie-haired and blue-eyed Jan (Mathieu Carrière).
Jan jumps off the ship, after his fellow sailors have left, making his way through the period set street of the city, looking for his old house- to find out it’s been knocked down- with our two shady characters sneaking behind him. Next, Jan spots of woman in a grand blue dress- he follows her, calling, but to no response. Finally leading him to a gated off street, where dirty postcards are sold & a garish strip club stands, one thing leads, he gets bloody smashed in the face.
Jan comes around in a bedroom surrounded by nautical items, next to him is a female figure dressed in blue- we find out this is Nancy( Susan Hampshire), and the pair are in Malpertuis- the house of their grumpy/ shouty/ suited/ in bed uncle Cassavius ( Orson Welles).
As things unfold, we find out Malpertuis is truly huge- possibly endless property- like a fantastical/ weird version of the Winchester house. Cassavius is near the end of his life, so he calls all of the houses' odd denizens to his bedroom to read his will, and as the film unfolds, things get stranger & stranger.
As I just mentioned they are odd characters, and boy we get a lot- there’s a not-quite-with-it taxidermist, a drifting set hair goddess like woman, a randy forty something who wants to get her claws into Jan, Nancy’s bohemia/ artists boyfriend, a catholic priest, a long bearded Holyman, a dirty/ ripped clothes man who chats to weird/ unseen small creatures, etc.
Really, the less you know about the rest of the film, the better, as it goes on some wonderful/surprising places- rather twist & stretching the old dark house concept into some weird and wonderful places.
This recent Blu-ray features a new 4k scan approved by director Kümel. This brings out more clarity and depth when needed, but equally retains mood and mystery too. So it’s clear the director has be very much of the process bringing this new print to life.
On the extras side, we get a decent selection of both old and new things. So firstly on the new side, we get an audio commentary by Harry Kümel and assistant director Françoise Levie- this is a nicely chatty affair, with some great titbits of fascinating info regarding the film & its production. They begin by declaring the film is an astonishing adventure that starts in Ostend- be truly international production, with three languages used in its making. We find out that seven arc lights were used to make the sailors and the boat as white as the sky. They talk about the picture being a fairy tale set in an imagined Flemish city. We find out that the Malpertuis house is actually seven separate locations. The pair point out scenes that were cut out of the film in its other versions. They discuss the importance of Red and other colours in the picture, and touch on moments of visual trickery. They talk about Wells not being a nice man, who often rubbed up fellow actors the wrong way. Later on, they discuss how they wish they hadn’t shown shots of the outside of Malpertuis. Waiting for mist to gather for a perfect shot, and much more. So a well worth a play track.
Otherwise, on the new side, we have: an interview with author and gothic horror expert Jonathan Rigby(26.46). He moves from talking about the 1943 Jean Ray novel the film is based on, and how it varies from the film- for example, the book is told from four or five perspectives, whereas the picture only shows one. He discusses how the film had a decent budget of thirty million Belgian Francs. He talks about the multiple roles Susan Hampshire plays in the film, and more. Another excellent featurette from Mr Rigby. The other new extra is an interview with Harry Kümel(19.43).
On the archive side, we have the shorter/ cut Cannes version of the film( 145.32), Malpertuis Archive( 37.22) documentary on the making of the film featuring Kümel, actor Mathieu Carrière and director of photography Gerry Fisher, among others. Orson Welles Uncut (25.45) a featurette on the casting of Welles, including rare outtakes of the actor. Jean Ray, John Flanders 1887 - 1964 (7.53) an interview with the source novelist and co-writer of Malpertuis. Malpertuis Revisited (4.34) Harry Kümel revisits locations from the film. Susan Hampshire: one actress, three parts (11.43) an interview with the actress, including screen tests and contributions from cast and crew. Archival interview with Michel Bouquet and Harry Kümel from Belgian television(13.36).
This Ltd boxed edition has a run of just 3000 copies worldwide. It comes presented in a rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with a removable OBI strip, leaving the packaging free of certificates and markings. In the boxes is a plush eighty-page/ perfectly bound booklet- full of colour stills, five new articles, cast and crew details, and new transfer notes.
If you have a penchant for films that sit between genres, are visually rewarding, yet full of mystery and questions, then Malpertuis will most certainly be for you. And hats off to Radiance for putting so much work into this truly lovely looking edition- with a stunning 4k scan, a great selection of extras, and the plush eighty-page book.