In the claustrophobic final days of Franco’s Spain, María José (Victoria Abril), a teenage trans girl, has always known who she is—even as her brutish father and a society built on dictatorship-era moral codes refuse to see it. Sent from her provincial home to the neon-stained cabarets of Barcelona as a punishment, she instead finds a clandestine freedom there: a community of trans women, drag performers, and outcasts orbiting the magnetic Bibí (Bibiana Fernández), whose mere existence is a quiet detonation. As María José steps into her own name and her own body, she must navigate predatory men, uncertain love, and the slow, defiant emergence of a self that four decades of dictatorship had tried to erase from the realm of the possible.

Made by acclaimed auteur Vicente Aranda (The Blood Splattered Bride) when Francoist censorship was crumbling, and just months before it was formally abolished, Change of Sex (Cambio de sexo, 1977) is a landmark of trans representation in Spanish cinema—arriving the same year a Spanish court legally recognized a trans woman as female for the first time, as the country began to imagine lives it had spent forty years denying. The film features luminous, career-launching performances from future Almodóvar regulars Victoria Abril (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, High Heels) and Bibiana Fernández (Kika, Law of Desire), whose presence here marks the prologue to a queer cinematic explosion to come. Shot with a radiant naturalism by Oscar-winning cinematographer Néstor Almendros (Days of Heaven) in his only Spanish feature, and never before available on disc in North America, this restored, fully uncut high-definition presentation brings one of Aranda’s most quietly radical works to Blu-ray for the very first time. Essential viewing for admirers of transgressive cinema, trans film history, and the rebellious culture of the Transition

For thoughts on Change of Sex, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Change of Sex debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Bizarro with a digital AVC-encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1 that is derived from a brand new 2K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. This has long been inaccessible to the majority of North American viewers, so it is incredible to have this piece of queer Spanish history in high definition. The presentation thankfully retains the natural 35mm film aesthetic throughout with image stability and delineation being more than respectable. This transfer embraces the natural film grain of the presentation, which presents with a refined look rather than a clumpy or static mess.

The transfer remains remarkably consistent, whether we are exploring the nightclubs where María José is finding a new passion for life or in the more traditional domestic spaces. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have all been tidied up impeccably with overall clarity and detail looking exceptional. There are still a few incredibly minor blemishes that have made it through the restoration gauntlet, but you can tell great care was taken here. Colors are adequately saturated with the natural hues coming through in a lovely way. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle features such as makeup and age lines making an impression. Black levels hold up well with no unreasonable instances of crush or banding that we observed. This is a premium presentation for a film that did not seem likely to ever receive such consideration.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a commendable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Spanish (with optional English subtitles) that does not struggle to deliver a quality presentation. While this was a rather small production, we do not hear any glaring limitations to the source material. Even moments exploring locations that you can imagine would be tricky to film in hold up well enough. The environmental sounds of the world come through effectively. When the characters are walking down the street or through a crowd, some nice ambient details ground you in the setting. Any music renders with top-notch fidelity on this disc. Dialogue typically comes through clearly without being lost to any competing sounds. The audio track accomplishes everything it needs to.

Special Features

An Act of Freedom – A New Interview with Actress María Elías: A nearly 17-minute interview in which the actress discusses her early entry into performing, censorship in Spain, directors she avoided, how she landed her role in Change of Sex, the atmosphere on set, and more.

Making the Invisible Visible – A New Interview with Film Scholar María Adell: A new 23-minute interview with the film scholar in which she discusses the transition of Spain into a democracy at this time, the desire to unmask issues that had been suppressed during the previous regime, how it fits into the cinematic landscape of Spain at the time, and more.

Final Thoughts

Change of Sex is a fairly revolutionary narrative when taking into account when it was made and the suppression of countless voices. Obviously, there are elements that would be approached differently from a modern perspective, yet you have to respect the grace that was given to trans representation at the time. Victoria Abril puts forth a delicate, heartbreaking performance that earns so much goodwill for the film. This is a compelling feature that should be embraced even beyond its significance to queer cinema in Spain. Bizarro has released a Blu-Ray featuring a sterling A/V presentation and some cool additional interviews. Recommended

Change of Sex 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: Bizarro 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.

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