A blistering rallying cry issued loud, clear, and unapologetically queer, Lizzie Borden’s explosive postpunk provocation is a DIY fantasia of female rebellion set in America ten years after a revolution that supposedly transformed the country into a social-democratic utopia. In reality, racism, sexism, and economic inequality are as virulent as ever, and a band of radicals—led by Black, lesbian, and working-class women—join forces to fight back. Told through a furiously fractured, kinetically edited flurry of television news broadcasts, pirate radio transmissions, agitprop, and protests shot guerrilla-style on the streets of New York City, Born in Flames is a shock wave of feminist futurism that’s both an essential document of its time and radically ahead of it.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Born in Flames on Blu-Ray with a 1080p master in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio derived from a brand new 2K restoration of the 16mm color Internegative supervised and approved by director Lizzie Borden. It is believed that the original 16mm A/B rolls are lost, but the restoration looks great all the same. It has been preserved by Anthology Film Archives, with restoration funding from the Golden Globe Foundation and The Film Foundation. We have never seen this film previously, but this transfer maintains the gritty, organic qualities without filtering or DNR compromising the image. The natural grain resolves favorably with no major issues with the grain field becoming noisy or clumpy.

The source has been restored with great care and dedication to eliminate wear and tear such as dirt, cuts, and speckling. A few lines and specks have made it through the restoration gauntlet, but it looks very good considering the source. The presentation sidesteps instances of ugly compression artifacts, banding, and other digital shortcomings. Some settings look a touch murky, but that likely links back to how these scenes were captured with the guerrilla fimmaking tactics. The film is not an overly vibrant affair by any stretch of the imagination, but it looks authentic within the grungy environments, costumes, and light sources. Fine detail is impressive as you observe distinct facets of the environments without issue. The Criterion Collection has handled this title with the appropriate care.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a remastered LPCM 1.0 mono track in the original English that holds up well. Dialogue is typically clear and easy to discern, even if the content itself mixes delivery systems from TV and radio broadcasts to speeches in small groups. The movie is full of distinct atmospheric elements, and every facet comes through well. The background can feel somewhat chaotic, yet it does not succumb to distortion. There are no egregious instances of damage or audio dropouts. The majority of sounds come through with preferable fidelity. The Criterion Collection has provided a steady sonic experience for fans. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The Criterion Blu-Ray of Born in Flames includes a booklet featuring essays by film scholar Yasmina Price and author So Mayer which explores Born in Flames and Regrouping. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Lizzie Borden; cast members Adele Bertei, Hillary Hurst, Sheila McLaughlin, Pat Murphy, Marty Pottenger, and Jeanne Satterfield; and camerapeople DeeDee Halleck and Chris Hegedus provide insights for a new commentary track that delves into the creation of the film from multiple angles.

Lizzie Borden: A nearly 13-minute interview from 2020 with the filmmaker in which she discusses her background, the inspiration of Godard, developing the idea for Born in Flames, having characters speak for themselves, discovering the performers, and more.

Regrouping: The 75-minute feature-length 1976 experimental documentary from Borden explores the various dynamics of a women’s group. This looks great restored.

Final Thoughts

Born in Flames is a very abrasive, inventive examination of feminist themes through a transgressive futurism prism that is challenging without being alienating. Director Lizzie Borden uses her interest in documentary filmmaking to blend aesthetics and navigate tricky subject matter through engaging means. It is a lot to take in on a single viewing, but there is a lot to absorb with multiple viewings. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new Blu-Ray that offers a strong A/V presentation and some invaluable special features. If you are interested in strong feminist texts, this one is essential. Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Born in Flames 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: The Criterion Collection 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.