Salon Kitty DVD Review

Written by SuperNova

DVD released by Blue Underground

Directed by Tinto Brass

Written by Ennio De Concini, Maria Pia Fusco, and Tinto Brass

1975, Region 0 (NTSC), 133 minutes, Not rated

DVD released on June 24th, 2003

Starring:

Helmut Berger

Ingrid Thulin

Teresa Ann Savoy

John Steiner

Sara Sperati

John Ireland

Tina Aumont

Stefano Satta Flores

Bekim Fehmiu

Movie

Salon Kitty begins in Berlin, 1939: At the dawn of World War II, power-mad SS Officer Walsenburg (Helmut Berger of The Damned) is ordered to close down Madam Kitty’s (Ingrid Thulin of Cries and Whispers) opulent brothel so he can open his own bordello entitled Salon Kitty. Walsenburg sets out to find and train Germany’s most beautiful women, weeding out the weak by subjecting the ladies to sexual experiments with grotesque men. Taken under the wing of Madam Kitty, these Nazi nymphs will submit to the bizarre passions and carnal degradation's of the Reich’s highest ranking men and women while Walsenburg secretly records their acts for blackmail. But when an innocent young prostitute named Margherita (Teresa Ann Savoy of Caligula) uncovers the conspiracy, her revenge will ignite a holocaust of pain, pleasure and shocking sexual perversion. The story is true. The depravity is real. The film is Salon Kitty.

Review:

I was told not to speak of this film in a manner of controversy, but more so as something tame and tolerable. I enjoy my job and I love reviewing films, but I’m afraid I cannot abide by such rules, as I feel obligated to speak on my behalf of Salon Kitty in hopes to vanquish the illusive and, more often than not, derogatory comments made against this film. I myself at one time might have passed Salon Kitty off as mere garbage and just another practice of exploiting sexuality for one’s pleasure. But the fact that in a prior time I would have judged a book by its cover seems almost impractical now as I’m writing reviews for movies in a particular genre that most do not appreciate and favor. To really understand horror and the genre in its sense you have to be an extremely open minded individual who’s flexibility and patience will undoubtedly be tested time in and time out. To seek further knowledge is to truly understand, but such a task requires confidence in the viewer and a respectable belief in what you are about to participate in. Horror and the genre can literally have a thousand meanings and even more crucial to the eye are tiny micro genres that exist within and coincide with the basic elements that have been made famous in preceding times. A viewer can feel compelled to try and comprehend and learn about everything that consist inside, but to really do this you must never give up as this is an ever continuing learning process for us all. One cannot really understand the perception of horror and why it appeals to some, but to those who believe in it, this review is for you.

When the term "exploitation" is conceived images begin to fill the head and words like sleaze, trash, and even sex emit from one’s mouth as an immediate result. For those who ever compared Salon Kitty to an exploitation film or even attempted to examine it as such should be embarrassed, as it couldn’t be further from the truth. Madam Kitty, as it was known here in the United States, in its purest and simplest form is an unconventional art film, made by great visionaries who you could refer to as artists. Many people are eager to detest the gracious amounts of nudity, while others are just as easily perturbed by the actions of those subjected to the rigorous experiments held inside the cells. I’ve read reviews that focused on criticizing Tinto as nothing more than a director whose only intention of this film was to appall the audience by breaking the most deep routed taboos. Reviewers and people alike have a universal sense about what they’re willing to watch and what they will not subject themselves to; with Salon Kitty you have the equivalent. Most will foreshadow this film with their own perception, ignoring the mastery and the craft it seems to seep, only to complain that its illogical script and non-coherent plot, if there may be any, are background for distasteful scenes of uncanny violence. In a sense people are saying, “I want to like this film, but the violence turns me off.” But you have to understand the violence in the film is a result of circumstances placed upon particular individuals, and this film does a tremendous job knitting it all together in the end to fully comprehend the actions of everyone.

Brass skillfully twists the viewer’s awareness of what will unfold during the movie. You only need to watch the film for the first few minutes to begin to draw a false conclusion of what you may be in store for, but as the film evolves, so too will your perception change, and this is the technique best exploited by Tinto. His direction may appear inept at times, but it’s only when you take the divisive imagery away that you are able to truly understand and appreciate Tinto and his film. At its essence it tells of a story in what most would agree exaggerated form (though evidently inspired by true accounts) of how conniving and fraudulent the people under Hitler’s regime were. The way women allowed themselves to be treated like whores as opposed to real humans was an act of National Socialism in a society bound by corruption. Crude conduct mixed with fascism was a result of hypocrisy. These men embellished themselves in a world full of conspiracies and cover-ups, their severity evenly matching their appetites for lust and sexual fetishes.

The movie’s portrayal of debauchery is a sufficient hold over what we as a viewer witness. You can easily dismantle the film for its raw approach to nudity and violence, especially the scene where a pig is skinned alive and its entrails removed leaving some to question and ponder why they are even present, but it’s these key scenes that play a pivotal approach in how the conduct is handled by those who commit these acts. Truth be told, this film is certainly not for everyone and more importantly many will not be able to comfortably sit through it. The acting is articulate with each character presented thoroughly through their impressive onscreen presence. Ingrid Thulin who portrays Madam Kitty is an anomalous woman with her heart in the right place, but her head detached from her shoulders. She’s a beautiful lady and a stunning performer, but only had the script benefited from better writing she would have really shone in this film. Helmet Berger portrays a strong and bold character in Walsenburg. Who would have thought someone was brave enough to defy Hitler by seemingly pulling the carpet right out from under his feet? And then there’s Teresa Ann Savoy, so young, so beautiful and ever so cunning is her character.

At 133 minutes the film collects itself on a moderately slow but engaging pace, building to a terrific climax that should leave the viewer more than satisfied. To the untrained critical eye or those housed on sophistication with modern day cinema, this film would very well be an absolute catastrophic mess. But for myself, this film is a pleasure and I’m able to examine it as such.

Video and Audio:

Salon Kitty is presented here in a 1.85:1 enhanced 16:9 widescreen transfer. The print was taken directly from Tinto Brass’s own personal collection and is presented here uncut and uncensored. There is minor print damage evident throughout the picture, but Blue Underground has taken the time to greatly reduce such strain on the eyes. Scenes appear vibrant and colorful with only a small apparent trace of softness in the overall quality of the picture. Flesh tones appear consistent and the set designs equally matching their characteristics.

Blue Underground presents Salon Kitty here with two different mono soundtracks and optional English subtitles. The mono tracks consist of English and Italian and the later scenes that were only filmed in Italian and not dubbed in English are presented with subtitles. The overall quality of the audio is adequately offered here in great upkeep form with no hisses or annoying pops at hand. The subtitles are represented in bright yellow and provide clarity upon reading. The soundtrack by Fiorenzo Carpi is innovative, often creating a presence of its own while feeding off the actions taking place on screen.

Special Features:

Disc One:

• International Trailer/US Trailer
• Tinto Brass biography

Disc Two:

• Inside Salon Kitty (Interview with Director Tinto Brass)
• Designing Salon Kitty (Interview with Production Designer Ken Adams)
• Radio Spots
• Poster/Still Gallery
• Ken Adams’ Production Designs
• Jost Jakob’s Costume Designs
• The Story of Salon Kitty (DVD-Rom)

Salon Kitty has been brought to us by the ever so wonderful Bill Lustig and his company Blue Underground. Limited to 20,000 copies, Salon Kitty is presented with a two disc DVD set, totally uncut and uncensored for the first time ever. I’ll be examining both disc starting with the first which contains the film in its entirety, two theatrical trailers, one international and one United States trailer which portrays the film under its secondary title Madam Kitty and a wonderfully written biography on Director Tinto Brass.

On the second disc I began with the comprehensively fascinating interview with director Tinto Brass. Words cannot illustrate just how much of a genius Mr. Brass is, and although this interview is able to depict him in such a state of sophistication, I feel as a viewer there’s far more than meets the eye and fills the ears. The discussion concentrates on Tinto as a whole rather than using him as a sub to other background information. He focuses on explaining his film and why he chose specific actors and actresses to play such fundamental roles. He continues to express his love for the motion picture and his much admired appreciation for the great accomplishments of the set designer and everyone involved in this particular movie. The interview runs around fifteen minutes long and is best summed up as a thoroughly engaging and often intellectually constructed look at one man’s vision through his eyes alone. (This interview uses subtitles, as Tinto Brass speaks in his native Italian language.)

The next outstanding supplement I’ll be taking a look at is an interview with Salon Kitty’s very own set designer, Ken Adams. Shall I begin, not by words of deception or fiction, but mere fact? What shall I speak of first, the luscious marble coated inclined floors, the colorful pained glass windows, or perhaps the bleak confinement cells? All of the above and more can be heard talked about in this immense discussion told straight from the mouth of the man who envisioned them, Ken Adams.

The second disc continues with great photos of Ken Adams’ production designs and Jost Jakob’s costume designs. Both entries are hand sketched drawings and are terrific assets when compared to the final work presented on film. Closing out the second disc we have a splendid posters and still gallery accompanied by three radio spots and "The Story of Salon Kitty" only on DVD-ROM. For a more often than not misunderstood film, this is a fine presentation by Blue Underground. I’d like to thank Bill Lustig and his company for taking the time to restore this classic.

Grades:
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Video:
Audio:
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Overall:

Conclusion:

The four stars surely doesn’t mean someone should compare this film to Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, because as a reviewer I have the distinctive pleasure of judging the films I watch and grading them on a scale far more incompetent (no not really) than a factual rating system. As stated above this movie is not for everyone, but to those who have the patience to understand it will surely feel rewarded by this Limited Edition DVD. Tinto Brass, Ken Adams, Helmut Berger, Ingrid Thulin, and Teresa Ann Savoy are a terrific assembly of cast and crew with each person really participating to make this film that much better, for without them, Salon Kitty would have just been swept right under the rug.

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