Review: Luchino Visconti's 'The Damned' Receives Superlative Release from Criterion

The rise of Nazism in Germany has been depicted in film so many times that it's practically its own genre at this point. But Luchino Visconti launched the final word on Nazism with his 1969 whacked-out, lugubrious, despairing 1969 drama "The Damned." While the film takes place during Hitler's ascent to power, it functions as a warning about fascism in general. Fascism doesn't only belong to bourgeoise, as many films have surmised in the past. Fascism should be seen as a corruptible force that spreads far and wide, feeding off our darkest thoughts and inflating them with the thirst for power. Visconti renders that moral rot through a family of steel fortune heirs trying to climb the social ladder with the aid and power of Nazism.

The Criterion Collection brings Visconti's masterpiece to Blu-ray for the first time ever with a stunning 1080p presentation sourced from a 2K restoration of the original 35mm camera negative. While the source of the restoration has clearly seen better days, no major print damage creeps its way into the presentation. Film grain is well defined, as is color depth and range; there are just some occasional imperfections. The film was originally shot in Technicolor, and although the colors definitely have that pastel-like appearance, it's clear that Visconti knew exactly how to use the technology to be expressionistic instead of just violently vivid. This new transfer does well by Visconti's original color scheme.

It's the 1930s in Germany, with Hitler rising to power and starting to plot to take over all of the major industries and redirect their power to his war efforts. The Essenbecks, a wealthy family that owns a successful steel company in Germany, have started doing business with Nazis. On the night of the Reichstag fire, the head of the family – Baron Joachim -- is killed. Now will begin the struggle for power, made all the more urgent with a Nazi sympathizer and SA member being given the majority of power before the aforementioned murder occurred. The slow moral rot of the family is shown in parallel to the rise of Nazism.

Helmut Berger's turn as Martin, the churlish, pedophilic, cross-dressing nephew of Baron Joachim, may be one of the great breakthrough performances of all time. By turns disgusting and empathetic, Berger, under the direction of Visconti, is nothing short of brilliant, with Martin's oedipal tale working out on the grandest emotional scale possible. Visconti wants to make it clear that these are depraved lunatics being depicted here, yet they carry some similar burdens to all people. That being said, the film never forgives them for their sins. After all, they're a bunch of Nazi sympathizers and actual Nazis.

Criterion has compiled some archival interviews, including a great old television program of Visconti openly defending his film to a group of people and inviting them to discuss their misgivings (most of which concern how history actually occurred). Visconti is seen respectfully taking all the criticisms and giving valid responses for all of his narrative choices.

This release comes highly recommended.

Other special features include:

� Alternate Italian-language soundtrack
� Archival interviews with actors Helmut Berger, Ingrid Thulin, and Charlotte Rampling
� "Visconti On Set" – a 1969 behind-the-scenes documentary
� New interview with scholar Stefano Albertini about the sexual politics of the film
� Trailer
� New English subtitle translation and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
� PLUS: An essay by scholar D. A. Miller

"The Damned" is now available on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.