Why So Blu?

The Magnificent Cuckold (Radiance Films Limited Edition Blu-ray Review)

Andrea Artusi has a pretty good life. Business doing well, moving in wealthy circles, and married to Maria Grazia, a younger woman who clearly loves him. Andrea dishonors Maria by cheating on her. Oddly enough, the affair does not leave him drowning in guilt. It makes him suspicious. If slipping around behind his wife’s back was that easy for him, why couldn’t she be doing the same thing? From there, he starts reading betrayal into everything, from a late arrival, a conversation with another man, a look held for half a second too long. Individually they don’t mean much, but Andrea adds it all up.

 

Film ★★★☆☆

Ugo Tognazzi as Andrea brilliantly shows a man coming apart while still trying to look in control. Andrea can be funny, especially when one of his plans to catch Maria Grazia goes wrong, but he’s also selfish and exhausting. He wants answers, but refuses to believe any answer that does not confirm what he already thinks. 

Claudia Cardinale as Maria Grazia is warm, loyal and increasingly fed up. Cardinale also has fun playing the shameless version Andrea creates in his head. 

Director Antonio Pietrangeli makes those imagined strange and overheated. The image softens, and mirrors seemingly split the characters apart. The music has a playful bounce initially, then starts to feel nervous after a while.

There’s more going on here than a husband making a fool of himself. Andrea treats success as something he can show off, with the factory, the house, the clothes and, whether he admits it or not, his wife. The problem is that Maria Grazia is not another possession, which is where his confidence gives way. 

The film drags in places. At two hours, it’s a long time to watch Andrea circle the same suspicion, and the ending can be spotted well before it arrives. Thematically, the repetition becomes part of the point. He keeps pushing, keeps accusing and keeps wearing down a marriage that was not in danger until he decided it was. By the time Andrea finally relaxes, he has already made his worst fear possible. That last turn is obvious, but well deserved.

Video ★★★★☆

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Clarity/Detail: The restoration was completed at 4K from the original camera negative, then supplied to Radiance as an HD master for this Blu-ray.

Faces, suits, dresses, furniture and building surfaces all show plenty of fine texture. Wider shots hold up well too. Some of Andrea’s fantasies look softer and foggier, but those were intentionally photographed as such.

Depth: This is still a flat, black-and-white image, so do not expect anything showy. Even so, people sit convincingly within the rooms and streets around them. The wider compositions have a good sense of space, and the moving camera benefits from the added definition.

Black Levels: Dark suits and nighttime interiors are deep and steady, and shadow detail remains easy to see.

Color Reproduction: The main film is monochrome, but the range of grey is handled well. Whites look clean, the middle shades have room to breathe, and the darker end stays firm.

Flesh Tones: Skin looks natural within the black-and-white palette.

Noise/Artifacts: Grain is present throughout, and the restoration has cleared away most dirt and damage.

Audio ★★★☆☆

Audio Format(s): Italian LPCM 1.0 mono

Subtitles: English

Dynamics: The score comes through with a nice kick, while louder moments open up without turning brittle.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: There is no separate subwoofer channel.

Surround Sound Presentation: N/A. Everything stays at the front.

Dialogue Reproduction: Voices are easy to follow and rarely have to compete with the music.

Extras ★★★★☆

New interview with Italian film expert Richard Dyer: Dyer talks about the Italy in which the film was made, when industry, money and social behavior were changing quickly, as well as commedia all’italiana and the original stage play.

New visual essay by Italian cinema professor Rémi Fournier Lanzoni: Rémi Fournier Lanzoni looks at Pietrangeli’s work through the way men watch, judge and try to control women.

Alternative colour sequences: This comes from a shorter re-edit of the movie released in 1971.

Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow

Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by film critic Phuong Le and archival writing: The 36-page booklet includes credits, archival material and notes on the restoration. Its main piece is Phuong Le’s essay, This House Is Not a Home: Love in the Time of the Economic Boom, which digs further into the marriage and the social world surrounding it.

Summary ★★★★☆

The Magnificent Cuckold is quite entertaining, albeit a little too long. Radiance’s Blu-ray looks excellent, with the black-and-white image looking clean and detailed, and a decent mono track. 

The two main pieces have substance. Overall, it’s a recommended release to both fans and newcomers.