‘How To Be Loved’ Blu-Ray Review – A Layered Meditation On Grief & Trauma From A Polish Master

During a trip from Warsaw to Paris an actress reflects on the last few years of her life during the German occupation while hiding a fellow actor wanted for murder. Based on a novel by Kazimierz Brandys and told in a series of vignettes, Wojciech Has’s psychological tragedy marks the end of the Polish Film School and an important transition in the Polish director’s career.

For thoughts on How To Be Loved, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/I-VIuFV2RSo?t=1118]

Video Quality

How To Be Loved debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master that is not noted as being from a new master, but we assume this one was restored in the 2010s when Wojciech Has was having his work restored and preserved on a larger scale. This is another stunning presentation from Yellow Veil Pictures, who has been honoring the auteur with top notch releases this year. The striking photography maintains the natural grain which resolves favorably throughout. There is a tremendous amount of detail present with subtle textures on the clothing and within the varied production design. 

The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and detail in the whirlpool of different environments. With so much of this movie rooted in memory, there is some softness to some of the scenes, but largely the production design presents with great clarity. The contrast is confidently defined, and there is no notable print damage to be found throughout. The black and white photography shimmers in high definition with strong black levels that present no traces of black crush or compression artifacts. Highlights are likewise never clipped or blown out at any point. Yellow Veil Pictures has given this feature an undeniable second life. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a surprisingly robust DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Polish (with optional English subtitles). With a film of this vintage and this personal of a narrative, you would not have expected a full surround sound presentation, but the environmental extensions make the world feel more full. The environments the characters find themselves in yield an array of distinct sounds that show up favorably within the mix. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without sound effects or the music outshining the most important information. The score is a great sonic experience which enhances the film nicely. This track presents everything accurately with choice fidelity and without damage. Yellow Veil Pictures has knocked it out of the park once again.

Special Features

• Introduction: An optional eight-minute introduction is provided in which Film Professor Annette Insdorf discusses her personal relationship with the work of Wojciech Has, how this fits into his creative output, the filmmaking style of the feature, the film’s legacy and more that gives some nice context to the feature. 

• Critical Assessment By Columbia University Film Professor Annette Insdorf: A 13-minute piece in which the scholar discusses how the film uses memory and perspective, the circular nature of the narrative, the themes at play, the creative and impactful ways in which the film avoids depicting sexual assault, various visual motifs and more. 

• Interview with Film Critic Sebastian Smoliński: A 20-minute featurette in which the critic delves into the film with a greater focus on how it fits into the career of Wojciech Has, where it stands within Polish cinema, the time period in which it was created, the visual aesthetic of the film, the journey of the character, the themes of the narrative and more that is well worth a watch. 

• Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included in this release which features the essays “How To Appreciate How To Be Loved” by Film Professor Annette Insdorf and “Public and Private Performance” by Film Historian Michael Brooke, both of which gives a great amount of context to the filmmaker and the movie itself in a way that is quite illuminating. 

Final Thoughts

How To Be Loved is a bit more grounded in terms of what we have seen from Polish master Wojciech Has, but it remains every bit as powerful as his more surreal work. The meditation and reflection on trauma and performance is nuanced and transfixing, especially due to the marvelous performance from Barbara Krafftówna. Like most work from the director, the experience is only deepened once you have the full picture, and it is an effort that will reward subsequent viewings. Yellow Veil Pictures has released a fantastic Blu-Ray in conjunction with Vinegar Syndrome which sports a great A/V presentation and a pleasing assortment of special features. If you are a bit unsure about the surreal nature of the later works of Wojciech Has, this is a pretty accessible entry point. Recommended 

How To Be Loved 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: Yellow Veil Pictures and Vinegar Syndrome 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.