‘Archangel’ (1990) Blu-Ray Review – An Accessible Entry Point To The Twisted Mind Of Guy Maddin

Literally a film like no other, ARCHANGEL is a weird, wild and extraordinary photoplay that is both a melodrama and a deadpan parody of silent film style. With striking black and white cinematography and stylized set design, Guy Maddin’s second feature (following his startling debut TALES FROM THE GIMLI HOSPITAL) is a tale of obsessive love from one of Canada’s, and the world’s, most original filmmakers. Presented in a beautiful 4K restoration. In 1919, one-legged Canadian soldier Lt. John Boles arrives in the northern Russian town of Archangel where Bolsheviks, White Russians and German Huns converge during World War I. When Boles encounters Veronkha, he faints and becomes convinced that she is his dead wife Iris. But Veronkha is already married to Philbin who also suffers from amnesia and relives their wedding night over and over without remembering any moment after. What follows is a twisted love triangle infused with infatuation as each person forgets who it is that they truly love.

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Video Quality

Archangel makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber with a terrific transfer from a 4K restoration supervised by director Guy Maddin. This film is not as grimy as Tales From The Gimli Hospital, but Maddin once again evokes a throwback aesthetic that keeps you grounded in the experience while benefiting from the clarity of a more recent production. This restoration allows this film to look the best it ever has while still maintaining its intended look. 

The contrast is capably defined, and the transfer experiences only fleeting amounts of flicker or specks of damage to the print. The transfer allows for a fine amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The black-and-white photography looks incredible in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a favorable amount of detail present with robust textures on the clothing and within the setting. Black levels present with some fine depth with no obvious occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. Zeitgeist Films has allowed this one to look like the best version of itself. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that perfectly matches the intended soundscape. There are more words spoken in this outing than in Gimli, but there is still a stylized way in which it is delivered as the information is either dubbed or presented as narration. All information comes through clearly without any distortion. The film is graced with an atmospheric score that sets an appropriate tone with strong fidelity. Every sonic element sounds firm with no clipping or age-related wear and tear. This track does everything it needs to do without a hiccup. There are English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Director Guy Maddin provides a terrific commentary track as he recalls the production and offers up information about the development of the story, assembling the cast, the shooting locations, the inspirations for various shots, and more that allows you to gain more from the feature. 

• Re-Release Trailer: The 37-second trailer is provided here. 

Final Thoughts

Archangel finds Guy Maddin creating something slightly more accessible while still indulging in all of his unique creative tendencies. The narrative arc of this outing is more satisfying and clever than any other effort we have seen from the filmmaker. The devotion to creating something with this type of unique look and feel pays off for fans of more avant-garde cinema. Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have released a Blu-Ray featuring a top-notch A/V presentation and a welcome commentary track. If you are a fan of Maddin, this is an easy recommendation. Recommended 

Archangel is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

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

Disclaimer: Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.