‘Le Soldatesse’ (aka ‘The Camp Followers’) Blu-Ray Review – A Unique & Enthralling Perspective On Wartime Service

Le Soldatesse (The Camp Followers) is a heartbreakingly moving wartime drama starring the luminous Anna Karina (Pierrot le Fou, Alphaville) and directed by the great Valerio Zurlini (The Desert of the Tartars, Family Portrait). Lieutenant Martino (Tomas Milian) can no longer stand the death and disease surrounding him in Athens, and puts in a request to be relocated. So along with Sergeant Castagnoli (Mario Adorf) he is tasked with delivering twelve prostitutes to various military outposts across the Axis territory. It is an unpleasant task, made even more so by the fascistic Major Alessi (Aca Gavric), who they pick up along the way. Karina plays Elenitza, a soft spoken prostitute who develops a sympathetic relationship with Martino. Alessi becomes increasingly unhinged during the journey, becoming a violent and maniacal supporter of the Blackshirts, whose brutal tactics tear the group apart.

For thoughts on Le Soldatesse, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/sx8C4bA7Tws?t=3789]

Video Quality

Le Soldatesse makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Raro Video with a 1080p transfer that is not listed as being from a new scan, but looks really excellent. There are hardly any instances of nicks or scratches as this source has been maintained exceedingly well. The black-and-white photography shot by Tonino Delli Colli sparkles in high definition with a lovely sheen of natural grain intact and resolved well. There is so much detail present when it comes to textures on the uniforms and clothing, the environments and the production design. The new transfer shows off a grand amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels are pretty deep with no excessive occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is handily defined without many instances of flicker or density fluctuation in the print. Raro Video has provided a gorgeous visual presentation for this one. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a perfectly stable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Italian that translates this movie without issue. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by competing elements. The score sounds healthy, and it works in harmony with the dialogue without being intrusive. The environmental effects are distinguished effectively from one another. There were no obvious moments where the track struggled with age related wear and tear. Raro Video has served up a formidable track. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. 

Special Features

• Introduction By Marco Müller: A nine-minute introduction from this professor at the Shanghai Film Academy and former director of the Venice and Rome film festivals. In this piece, Müller discusses the career of Valerio Zurlini, how this film comments on political ideas, analyzes key scenes, explores the international cast and more. 

Final Thoughts

Le Soldatesse is a really great wartime drama which presents itself in a bit of a lighter state at the beginning of the film before evolving into something more raw and complex. There is some pointed cultural commentary around the value of women and class biases that works really well alongside the more straightforward war developments. The performances are all very strong and distinct within the limited time we get to know these characters. This was not on our radar at all, but we are thrilled to have discovered it. Raro Video and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports a wonderful A/V presentation and a brief but informative introduction. If you are a fan of this period of Italian cinema, this is one of the more rewarding discoveries we have seen in some time. Recommended 

Le Soldatesse is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital. 

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

Disclaimer: Raro Video and Kino Classics 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.