Blu-ray Review: Santa Sangre - Page 2

Santa Sangre is an exquisite work of art. Its macabre plot and shocking violence are stepping stones toward a kind of cinematic beauty that Jodorowsky has a masterful command of.

The Blu-ray Disc

Santa Sangre is presented in 1080p high definition with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This transfer represents just about anything one could’ve hoped for in regards to the film, with an exceptionally clean presentation free of any damage. It retains a wonderful film-like look with the always-present but unobtrusive grain structure remaining intact throughout. Fine detail is apparent in both objects and faces, and the film’s bold colors are vibrant and cleanly detailed here, with red (both bloody and not) standing out most impressively.

Audio is presented in a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio track that does the best with the source material. The track is fairly clean, but awfully quiet in parts, and requires a higher volume than your average Blu-ray.

Special Features

Severin has assembled an incredible selection of extras here, both in terms of quantity and quality. More than five hours of bonus features are included, and there’s a lot of great material here, led by a comprehensive seven-part documentary on the film that runs for more than 90 minutes and features new interviews with most of the principal cast and crew. An audio commentary with Jodorowsky and journalist Alan Jones is also included, as well as about eight minutes of deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Jodorowsky.

We get a lot of chances to peer inside Jodorowsky’s mind with a number of different interviews with him from over the years — a 1990 episode of British series For One Week Only, a post-screening Q&A from 2002, a 30-minute interview from 2003 and a short interview conducted by the film’s composer, Simon Boswell, who also contributes a short film and a music video to the disc.

Also to be found in the mountain of extras is a featurette on the true story of a serial killer who served as inspiration for the film, a short film directed by Adan Jodorowsky and several trailers for the film and other Severin releases.

The Bottom Line

You couldn’t ask for a better release of Jodorowsky’s startling and stunning film than this.

Article Author: Dusty Somers

Dusty Somers hails from Seattle, and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in journalism. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

Visit Dusty Somers's author page — Dusty Somers's Blog