‘De Sade’ (1969) Blu-Ray Review – A X-Rated Portrait Of The Man Who Inspired The Word “Sadism”

Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey, David and Lisa, Blind Date) and John Huston (Chinatown, Tentacles, Winter Kills) star in this film about the man who made an errant realm his own: the notorious Marquis de Sade. “Man is not seduced to evil, he is evil.” This is the creed of de Sade, and he reaffirms it daily as he exacts his sexual pleasure from the tender flesh of the women of France. But he was not always a purveyor of corruption and depravity. He was once a young boy—honest, innocent…and about to become the victim of another’s perverse brutality. Written by legendary horror/fantasy scribe Richard Matheson (The Pit and the Pendulum, The Last Man on Earth), directed by Cy Endfield (Zulu, Sands of the Kalahari) and co-starring Senta Berger (Cast a Giant Shadow, Diabolically Yours) and Lilli Palmer (Body and Soul, The Boys from Brazil), De Sade is one of the most distinguished, daring and devious films to come out of the sixties.

For thoughts on De Sade, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/62niJvBQlxo?t=2751]

Video Quality

De Sade comes to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 derived from a new 2K master. The presentation is very strong throughout with no signs of major problems outside of the very poor looking opening scene. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only a handful of shots that lean slightly on the soft side, most likely due to limitations of the original source material. The color-tinted orgy scenes are intentionally hazy to go with the dreamy aesthetic. Colors are well saturated, and instances of print damage have been cleaned up immensely with only the occasional specks and marks visible. Overall clarity and detail is pleasing, while skin tones appear the slightest bit washed out as they showcase subtle facial features that are easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with crush not serving as an overwhelming issue. This new presentation from Scorpion Releasing is a strong effort for the long-unavailable film, which should please fans who have been eagerly anticipating a proper release.  

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a remastered DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that preserves the artistic intention of the film. The score from Billy Strange sounds good throughout the duration of the film, as it sets the moods for the events of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, as elements work in harmony with one another. Dialogue is crisp and clear with excellent fidelity. Environmental sounds such as the chatter of guests are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not appear to be any noticeable wear and tear to the track. Scorpion Releasing has given this film a great audio presentation.

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas delivers an extremely informative commentary track in which he discusses the history of the real-life figures at the center of the film, the careers of the creative involved, the release of the feature, how this fits into the history of American International Feature, the score for the film, and much more. 

• Interview with Richard Matheson: A nine-minute archival interview is provided with screenwriter Richard Matheson in which he discusses his love of storytelling, his approach to breaking the script, how the director compromised his script, and more. 

• Trailers: A three-minute trailer for the film is provided. There is also a trailer provided for Privilege.

Final Thoughts

De Sade has an X rating which may be enough to draw some curious minds to the film, but even all the torture and nudity is not enough to make this one truly interesting. Keir Dullea does a fine job in the titular role, and John Huston at least shakes off the cobwebs anytime he is on screen. The flaw is in the core story and its scattered presentation, which gives you precious little to invest in from the beginning. Scorpion Releasing has delivered a Blu-Ray with a good A/V presentation and a couple decent special features. Fans of the film who have been waiting for a proper release should mostly be pleased with the results. 

De Sade will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on May 17, 2022. 

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

Disclaimer: Scorpion Releasing 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.