Three Women, strangers with no premeditated thoughts kill a male shopkeeper in the middle of the day, a female psychiatrist (Cox Habbema) is assigned to the case to find out why. This provocative, radical, acclaimed feminist film was a hit both in Holland and abroad when it was released in theaters and is a feminist classic today, directed by Marleen Gorris of the Oscar winning “Antonio’s Line.”

For thoughts on A Question Of Silence, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/I-VIuFV2RSo?t=2257]

Video Quality

A Question Of Silence comes to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio derived from a 2K restoration of a 35mm print. With the Original Camera Negative being unavailable, there are some deficiencies which this transfer cannot overcome, but the film still delivers a pleasant viewing experience. The most obvious knock against this transfer is the fairly consistent sheen of light nicks and specks of damage that saturate the frame without being a distraction. The film can run a touch soft, but there are plenty of opportunities to catch subtle details in the attire and production design in the intimate framing. Black levels could be a bit more robust, but you will not fall victim to a massive amount of crush. Digital noise is likewise not a major issue anywhere that we could discern. While not ideal, this presentation is the best version available right now, and it would be a shame to pass up the film altogether. Cult Epics has done a great job with what they were provided.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a very good LPCM 2.0 in the original Dutch mono, along with a new DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Dutch with optional English subtitles. The dialogue is firmly defined as the spotlight of the mix without threat of being overwhelmed by competing sounds. Environmental sounds such as the announcements on television or the murmuring in the courtroom are rendered favorably alongside everything else. We did not spot any substantial instances of age-related wear and tear here outside a small bit of fuzziness here and there. The atmospheric score sounds strong throughout the duration of the film as it maintains the tone of the narrative. This audio presentation more than gets the job done.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Scholar Patricia Pisters provides a very thorough and enjoyable commentary track in which she discusses the themes and visual motifs, the backgrounds of the talent involved on screen and behind the camera, the music of the feature, the general response to the film and more. This is well worth a listen if you are interested in gaining more from the film.

Interview with Marleen Gorris: An 11-minute conversation with director Marleen Gorris from 1982 in which she discusses the process of developing this story, the inspirations she brought from her real life, the concept of a “women’s film” and the feminist perspective, making the film for all sexes and more. This piece is very heavy on clips, which eats up quite a bit of the runtime.

Interview with Cox Habbema: A 16-minute interview with actress Cox Habbema from 1982 in which she discusses the impassioned discussions that came from premiering A Question of Silence, her reasons for wanting to be involved with the film, how she feels about her character, her work outside of the film with other directors and more.

Polygoon Journal: A 46-second newsreel which spotlights a film festival in the Netherlands where the film won an award.

Promotional Gallery: A collection of posters and stills from the movie are provided here.

Trailers: The three-minute trailer is provided for A Question Of Silence. There are also trailers provided for A Woman Like Eve, The Cool Lakes of Death, The Debut, Frank & Eva, Blue Movie and Amnesia.

Final Thoughts

A Question Of Silence is a wonderfully audacious effort from Marleen Gorris which channels the frustrations of women into something cathartic. Those who take this as an endorsement of violence are completely missing the point. Women have always been given some of the toughest breaks society has to offer, and reclaiming some of their power even in extreme ways can be a rewarding depiction to witness. The nimble tightrope that is walked between heavy drama and fairly cutting comedy is one of the film’s greatest strengths alongside the memorable trio of women at the core of the story. Even outside of the feminist themes, this is simply a really engrossing mystery filled with great great character moments. Cult Epics has delivered a Blu-Ray that offers a very good A/V presentation and an enjoyable collection of special features. If you are not against fiery feminist tales, get to this one sooner rather than later. Recommended

A Question Of Silence is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cult Epics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.