Brutalization (1973)
Starring: Sylvia Kristel, Bryan Marshall, Alexandra Stewart, Sebastian Graham Jones, Anthony Allen
Film: (3/5)
This has the one and only Sylvia Kristel, who everyone knows from those classic Emmanuelle films. She graces this interesting and very odd thriller with perfection. What you have is a bunch of rich pricks breaking into houses and brutally raping and making the husband watch while they do it. You have your main inspector Van der Walk who is played by the stunning Bryan Marshall.
Now what makes the inspector stand out is he don't take it. He's angry. He's frustrated. He's horrified at the brutal sadistic crimes that these pricks are doing.
But what starts out as a simple making them pay for their crimes isn't so easy. These monsters have ties to high-ranking individuals in the Dutch society community and so the inspector finds it hard to get the criminals, because the runaround of political reasons and the aspect of big-money.
Soon the inspector realizes that playing by the book to take these monsters, these sadistic rapist, these awful criminal monsters off the street is going to be harder than he thinks. Soon he has to play by no rules.
This is a very simple film yet has that brutal rape aspect to it. After watching this film I don't think it could be made today or be as affective as it is today as it was then. Today it would be chopped up and made glamorized into a Hollywood version that would lose a lot of its disturbing nature at times. This was during a time were films touched on the reality of what life is and of what innocence is and when that life is taken or that innocence is destroyed it truly meant something and was not just a passing news story.
This is a European film that creates a tragedy of violence and ultimately those who seek the true justice to right the wrong.
One 7 Movies did a fantastic job bringing this forgotten piece of cinema out.
Now this was originally titled Because of the Cats. This is directed by an amazing director and most of all, he also acted. Fons Rademakers sadly passed away in 2007.
Now what's amazing about Fons is his first directed movie is the 1958 Village by the River which was the first Dutch film to ever be nominated for an Oscar. In 1986 he won the best Oscar for foreign film The Assault. Each of his films stand out. Many of his films caused controversy, many of his films were created from literary classic books that he created into film. He produced many of his movies. He created his own new world and atmosphere in his cinema. Most of his films are considered masterpieces and are truly worthy to seek out and to entertain yourself.
He had away with creating movies and this one is no different. It's a thought-provoking film that like I say would not be able to be created the same way today with its disturbing thought-provoking and believable nature.
I do have to give a shout out to the beautiful, amazing, wonderful actress and truly a gifted woman, in her own right and in her own filmography, the one and only Sylvia Kristel. I grew up watching the Emmanuelle series and her beauty was always captured on screen for me. Most of all she was a great actress, sadly she passed away in 2012 and the world of classic erotic grind-house cinema will never be the same without her. She created the 1970 films of the ultimate intimate reality of her beauty and of her flawless looks and her amazing way to capture and hold the eyes of the viewer. For her cinema wonder is what makes her a truly golden grade A+ actor that will always be remembered through history and most of all by her fans.
Sadly she was only 60 years old when she passed to that horrible murderer cancer. She will never be forgotten by me.
The rape that is detailed in this film is very graphic and as the new title says it causes a Brutalization. The gang rape reminds me a little bit of a Clockwork Orange. It has that graphic detail, that's disturbing.
It adds some of that 70's hippie mojo vibe of weirdness with the gang being involved in a cult like secret society.
Bell bottoms, long hair, funky music and a strange weird story. This is not an award worthy film by any means but it is still an interesting watch. It's an interesting little movie on the idea that the youth can be corrupted.
I do think it's a little different of a film and I do think the movie ends two quick and the storyline has a lot of holes in it and certain things have no closure. But I did enjoy the film. I do enjoy the written form and also the acted form and the directed form was flawlessly done but I think the editing was horrible in it's original concept when it was made back in the day.
One 7 Movies re-stored this film for modern generations and I am happy they did. It's a forgotten gem. This priceless little film that many have never seen, many have never heard of but now they have a chance to see because of one 7 movies and that makes me happy.
Video/Audio: (4/5)
I've never seen this movie before so there's nothing that I can compare it to but what One 7 Movies has created is a great transfer of this film. It looks clean, it sounds wonderful with Dolby sound. They did a great job formatting it, creating it for a new generation to explore. This is a piece of forgotten cinema, but has now been restored for the masses.
Extras: (1/5)
Sadly all you get is a trailer which is the ultimate bummer. Would have liked to have seen a behind the scenes or making of or some interviews or commentary. Just wishful thinking I suppose.
Overall:
If you're a fan of those old 70s sexplotation films, those underground scantily, nasty, Grind-house double-bill type of films then this is a good watch. If you go into this wanting something like the classic I Spit on your Grave then you're not going to get that. This isn't about the woman seeking revenge, this is ultimately about a detective inspector that has had enough of these rich yuppies dressed in suits wearing pantyhose on their head, raping and torturing the wife while the husbands watch in the process.
I enjoy Grind-House Cinema so I got what this was about and felt it as a complete film. I liked this. I thought it was entertaining. It was a little gritty. This plays out like one of those old classic 70s films that you walk into a theater and you don't know if you want to sit down in the seats, the floors are sticky and the smells are ungodly and there are drunk people sleeping to the right of you, while to the left of you someone's getting pleasured.
7 One Movies did a great job releasing it on DVD. I would've liked extras but it's still great to see this old classic forgotten piece of cinema finally getting a proper release.