Nick Kaminsky (Kevin Anderson, Sleeping with the Enemy), a young architecture professor, leaves his current home in upstate New York to visit his terminally ill biological mother Lillian (Kim Novak, Vertigo) in small town Illinois. Nick’s college friend Paul (Bill Pullman, Lost Highway) is in the process of preparing to demolish an aging department store building in town that was the site of a violent crime years prior, which Nick intends to study the architecture of before he leaves town. After meeting Paul’s wife Jane (Pamela Gidley, Twin Peaks), who he is immediately attracted to, Nick starts to unravel dark secrets about his past and his family.

A labyrinthine, erotically charged neo-noir from Academy Award-nominated writer and director Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas), Liebestraum is a long-overlooked entry in American crime cinema of the 1990s. Featuring stunning cinematography from Juan Ruiz Anchía (At Close Range), a tension-building score from Figgis himself and bold production design from frequent Figgis collaborator Waldemar Kalinowski (Leaving Las Vegas, Internal Affairs). Cinématographe is proud to present Mike Figgis’s early 90s psychological thriller, in its uncensored director’s cut, in a new 2K restoration from its original negatives for its world Blu-ray debut.

For thoughts on Liebestraum, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Cinématographe premieres Liebestraum on Blu-Ray with an AVC-encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 derived from a newly commissioned 2K restoration from the uncut 35mm Original Camera Negative, approved by director Mike Figgis. The transfer provides exquisite, consistent grain structure that preserves the filmic origins of the picture, highlighting subtle details in the exponentially creepy town. There is never a moment when the grain devolves into noise. This presentation sidesteps practically all print damage such as specks, scratches, and tears.

The cinematography from Juan Ruiz Anchia is essential to establishing the tone of this world, and every shot says so much more than any dialogue could. This is far from the most colorful film, but key hues saturate the screen in lighting choices, production design, and costumes. Skin tones are natural with an excellent amount of facial detail present in close-ups. Black levels hold up favorably and never come up short in shadow detail. You will not spot any crush, and highlights are firm with no hint of blooming. This label keeps churning out high-quality work.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that effortlessly handles everything that is asked of it. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by competing sounds. The distinct noises of each setting flow through to provide some valuable ambient details. All of the elements in the mix seem faithfully rendered so that nothing ever feels unnatural. The score, also from Mike Figgis, complements the narrative well as it emerges with fine fidelity. Cinématographe has provided an audio track that holds up with the excellence of the video quality. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The Limited Edition version of Liebestraum comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer slipcase that opens up to a MediaBook that includes a bound booklet featuring new writing by film critics Nadine Whitney, Travis Woods and Neil Young, as well as a text interview with cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía, plus select archival photo reproductions. These essays delve into the film from multiple angles, and each piece provides a great analysis in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentaries: This release provides two very informative commentary tracks that dive into the film from a personal and a historical point of view. Figgis especially rarely takes a moment to pause as he reflects on the production of the film with fascinating anecdotes, while the film historians deliver some great context to all the background elements.

- Audio Commentary #1: Writer/director/composer Mike Figgis, moderated by Cinématographe’s Justin LaLiberty

- Audio Commentary #2: Film noir historians Alain Silver and Christopher Coppola

Interview with Writer/Director Mike Figgis: A new 16-minute interview with the writer/director in which he discusses how he developed this project, where he was at in his career, the casting process, working with the performers, his health issues during the editing process, and more.

Interview with Film Editor Martin Hunter: A new 15-minute interview with the editor in which he discusses his career, his friendship with Stanley Kubrick, getting involved with Liebestraum, the construction of key moments, the benefits of being on location as an editor, and more.

Interview with Production Designer Waldemar Kalinowski: A new 17-minute interview with the production designer in which he discusses his collaborations with Mike Figgis, the unexpected meeting with the studio heads, finding key locations for the production, and more.

Memories of the Past – Video Essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas: A 12-minute video essay in which the film historian dissects the film in relation to its thematic and stylistic choices, the presence of gothic elements within the story, and more that explores the film in nice depth.

Deleted Scenes: A nearly nine-minute selection of unused footage is provided here, some of which has been reinstated to the uncut version presented on this disc.

Theatrical Trailer (1:44)

Final Thoughts

Liebestraum is a dreamy curiosity from director Mike Figgis that consistently coaxes you further into the rabbit hole of trauma and bad decisions. The story can be a bit too opaque and unfocused for its own good, but the core mystery is compelling, and the performers are all dialed in to the right frequency to make the characters feel believable. We would have liked to have seen more from the legendary Kim Novak, but it is nice to see her have a key role in the latter part of her career. Even with some elements holding it back from greatness, this is well worth a watch if you like off-kilter, small-town mysteries. Cinématographe has provided a Blu-Ray that features a top-tier A/V presentation and an exceptional array of supplemental features. If you are a fan of any of these performers or just enjoy exploring the dark secrets of a small town, this movie is a true gem. Recommended

Liebestraum is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Cinématographe has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.