Hungarian director György Kovásznai’s wildly idiosyncratic animated musical is one of the most indescribably strange, personal, and totally irresistible cartoon features ever made. Shop window decorator Zsolt (voiced by Kornél Gelley, with Albert Antalffy singing) bursts into the apartment of his fiancée’s best friend Anikó (voiced by Vera Venzcel, with Kati Bontovits singing), paralyzed with fear at his impending marriage. Zsolt is like an anxious hippie alley cat, or an Eastern European Frank Zappa in a tux; medical student Anikó a more curvaceous and leggy post-modern Betty Boop – and both unsure of their attraction to each other, of the choices they’ve made, of what life has in store for them. A truly insane and surprisingly sexy mash-up of styles, from 1920s Art Deco to 1960s Psychedelia to late 1970s louche Roxy Music decadence, BUBBLE BATH is incredibly restless and creative, the bohemian love-child of Bill Plympton’s off-kilter individualism and Ralph Bakshi’s wonderfully warped, rubbery visual style. In other words: it’s not quite like any animated film you’ve ever seen before. Sadly, this was director and animator Kovásznai’s only feature film after making a number of brilliant cartoon shorts at Pannónia filmstúdio — he died of leukemia in 1983 shortly after its release. BUBBLE BATH has been beautifully restored by the National Film Institute in Hungary for its first-ever U.S. release by Deaf Crocodile. In Hungarian with English subtitles.

For thoughts on Bubble Bath, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/T7jBM3kHH9s?si=34p38qqUJMnjoWVg&t=381]

Video Quality

Bubble Bath debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a restoration conducted by the National Film Institute in Hungary. Deaf Crocodile has become a leader in serving up animated oddities to the world, and every single title they have released has been handled with such care. Despite being something of a psychedelic journey, every single line and artistic flourish is carefully defined and allowed to look crisp and natural. The unique character designs pulsate and swirl, but it never becomes a visual mess.

The bold splashes of color present in this transfer are transcendent with these vibrant hues popping in and out for pure aesthetic brilliance. Black levels are terrific with no major issues with banding or compression issues. The film has been cleaned up to remove all dirt, scratches, and the like, but the film keeps its texture instead of becoming a smoothed-over atrocity. This Blu-Ray is a jaw-dropping experience that treats this title with the utmost respect. Deaf Crocodile looks to keep topping themselves with each release.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with the original LPCM 2.0 track in the original Hungarian (with optional English subtitles) which sounds quite nice. The music is a major piece of this creative endeavor, and every unique song sounds better than it ever has. No matter the tune, you are experiencing crisp and clear fidelity. Dialogue comes through clearly without sound effects or the music overshadowing important information. The emotional journey employs distinct sound effects that are given precise placement within the mix. The track handles atmospheric effects without a hint of an issue. There are no crackles or signs of strain here. The audio track is in rare form.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film historian Samm Deighan delivers an entertaining and informative commentary track in which she discusses the background of the project, the style of the animation, the work of director György Kovásznai, the legacy of Hungarian animation, how the film uses and subvert romantic narrative tropes, the deeper thematic content of the story, the careers of the performers, and much more.

György Kovásznai Animated Shorts: Five newly restored animated shorts are provided which show the brilliance and diversity of style in the work from Kovásznai leading up to Bubble Bath. They are just as essential as the main film, and any fan of animation should not skip these.

- Monologue (1963) (12:21)

- Metamorphosis (1964) (6:43)

- Wavelengths (1970) (9:48)

- Nights In The Boulevard (1972) (9:04)

- A Memory of Summer 1974 (1974) (9:53)

Interview with Composer János Másik: A seven-minute interview with the composer in which he discusses his work on Bubble Bath, collaborating with Kovásznai, the political state of Hungary at the time, his first impression of the animation style, developing certain songs and sounds, the initial reaction to the film, and more.

Restoring Bubble Bath: A nine-minute look at the process of restoring this film from both a visual and audio perspective that reveals how much care was taken to get this exhibition right.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included in this release which features the essay “Bubble Bath and the Animation of György Kovásznai” by professor Jennifer Lynde Barker which gives a great amount of context to the state of international animation of the time along with details about Kovásznai, the creation of this project, and subsequent work from the filmmaker.

Final Thoughts

Bubble Bath is the type of oddball gem that you almost want to keep for yourself whenever you discover it. You know there is a possibility that others will not appreciate it the way it deserves, so you kind of want to protect it. The film blends together so much in so little time. There are elements of a romantic melodrama, a musical, an erotic tango, and more – all through a psychedelic lens. It is hard to describe but impossible to forget once you have seen it. We love the bold ambition of international animation, and curious fans of the art form should not miss this effort. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports a dazzling A/V presentation and a wonderful assortment of special features. Recommended

Bubble Bath is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

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

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile and OCN Distribution 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.