We Still Kill the Old Way
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Synopsis
After two men are killed on a hunting trip, a lonely professor (Gian Maria Volonté, The Working Class Goes to Heaven), takes it upon himself to investigate what he believes was not a simple honour killing. As his search intensifies, politics and the Church become implicated in a complex conspiracy orchestrated by a powerful criminal organisation. Elio Petri’s We Still Kill the Old Way, based on the novel by Leonardo Sciascia (The Day of the Owl), is a tense paranoid thriller that features Volonté in one of his finest performances and a superb score by Luis Bacalov (Django). Winner of awards for Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Actor at the Italian Golden Globes, the film is made available on home video for the first time in the UK.
Picture 9/10
Radiance Films presents Elio Petri’s We Still Kill the Old Way on a dual-layer Blu-ray disc in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The 1080p/24hz high-definition presentation is sourced from a new 2K restoration, derived from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. This is a UK release, and the disc is locked to Region B.
As expected, the result is a gorgeous, film-like presentation that is both sharp and clean. The print elements appear to be in excellent condition, and the restoration work has successfully removed nearly all signs of damage. Grain is beautifully rendered, giving the image a natural, filmic texture without any buzz or noise, while the image stays razor sharp and crisp throughout.
Radiance offers both the Italian and English versions via seamless branching, with the only difference being the opening and closing credits: the Italian version features credits in Italian, while the English version presents them in English. As expected, the English credits seem to have been sourced from a later-generation print, resulting in a slightly "dupey" appearance compared to the rest of the film. The Italian credits look much cleaner.
The color grading leans warm, but not excessively so, allowing colors to maintain a natural appearance. There are some wonderful pops of blue, along with striking reds and oranges scattered throughout. Black levels are also impressive, showing a wide range of depth in the shadows without crushing any detail.
All in all, it’s a striking presentation.
Audio 6/10
Radiance offers both the Italian and English audio tracks in DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono. The Italian track sounds a bit sharper overall, though both tracks feature limited range and can sometimes come across as a bit hollow, likely due to the fact that both are dubs.
Extras 7/10
The Blu-ray includes a solid set of supplements, though they are primarily of the talking-head variety.
First is a 23-minute interview with film scholar Roberto Curti, who provides an insightful background on Petri’s "anti-thriller," explaining how the filmmaker was looking to reset after his difficult experience making The 10th Victim. Curti discusses Petri’s and screenwriter Ugo Pirro’s adaptation of the source novel, noting the changes they made, and explores how Petri portrays the protagonist as infantile and pathetic, a character with whom Petri ultimately identified.
It's a solid overview, but the next feature provides a more firsthand account. Make-up artist Pier Antonio Mecacci shares stories from the production, as well as from other films he worked on with Gian Maria Volonté, such as The Working Class Goes to Heaven. We also gain insight into the source novel’s author, Leonardo Sciascia, through an interview with his grandson, Fabrizio Catalano. Catalano delves into Sciascia’s political leanings and how his criticisms of the government were reflected in his work. As a bonus, the interview also features archival footage of Sciascia himself, adding valuable context. The interviews with Mecacci and Catalano run 29 and 31 minutes, respectively.
Radiance also includes a 31-minute making-of documentary called Talking About… We Still Kill the Old Way. Featuring interviews with writer Ugo Pirro, composer Luis Bacalov, and Paola Petri, the documentary covers expected ground but allows Pirro to dive deeper into the adaptation process, while Bacalov offers insights into the film’s score. The disc closes with the film’s trailer.
The limited edition is rounded off with a 23-page booklet that opens with a reprint of a statement by Petri, where he confirms Curti’s observations by discussing his identification with the intellectual protagonist. The booklet also includes an essay by David Wilgrove, offering a brief but concise summary of the film.
Though the supplements are informative, I can't help but feel the set could have benefited from a more diverse variety, like maybe a video essay to break the interviews up. That said, for fans of the film and Petri’s work, these features provide valuable insights into the film’s creation and its director's working method.
Closing
Given how hard the film has been to come by, finally having an English-friendly version with such a stunning presentation makes this an easy recommendation.
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