Movie Reviews

‘Maria’s Lovers’ Blu-Ray Review – Nastassja Kinski Enchants In This Complicated Tale Of Longing

By Dillon Gonzales
February 8, 2022
No Comments

Nastassja Kinski (Cat People), John Savage (The Deer Hunter), John Goodman (Barton Fink), Robert Mitchum (The Yakuza) and Keith Carradine (The Long Riders) star in this war-torn love story that breaks the eroticism barrier with an astonishing directness. When her teenage sweetheart Ivan (Savage) returns home from WWII, Maria (Kinski) eagerly accepts his marriage proposal, looking forward to a lifetime of happiness. But her joy is short-lived when Ivan’s dark past shrouds their wedding night in misery, driving a wedge between them that neither knows how to remove. Confused and depressed, Maria attempts to mend her true love’s heart despite the advances of other suitors. But when a traveling musician (Carradine) hits the right note, Maria struggles to justify her unfulfilling life. Is her passion too powerful to be contained within the sanctity of marriage? Kinski gives a radiant performance in this compelling and provocative drama from renowned director Andrei Konchalovsky (Siberiade, Runaway Train).

For thoughts on Maria’s Lovers, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.

Video Quality

Maria’s Lovers comes to Blu-Ray from Kino Classics and Code Red with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that appears to be derived from an older master that is in great shape. The presentation is pleasing throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being very strong. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only a few minor instances of it seeming a bit clumpy. Skin tones are natural with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels are pretty solid with very little in the way of crush. The picture can run a bit soft in long shots, but colors are well saturated in a visually pleasing way. Instances of print damage occasionally pop up very briefly, but overall clarity and detail is excellent. This presentation is excellent even without a fresh master. If you are a fan of the film, you should be pleased with these results.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that captures the sounds of the film well. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the chatter at family gatherings to the factory where Ivan works in the latter half of the film. The dialogue is strong, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. All music maintains a pleasing fidelity as it comes through the room. This is a track that represents the film in a practically perfect manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Interview with Star John Savage: A new six-minute interview with Savage in which he discusses coming to this project, the presence of Golan and Globus, working with Robert Mitchum, the talent of Nastassja Kinski, the unforgettable ensemble, his thoughts on the film and more that offer nice insights into the process.

Interview with Star Vincent Spano: A new 16-minute interview with Spano in which he discusses his memories of the film, his relationship with Kinski, the presence of Robert Mitchum, his respect for John Savage, audience response to the film in Europe and much more.

Trailers: The minute-and-a-half trailer for Maria’s Lovers is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Story Of A Woman, Mass Appeal, Sunnyside, Starflight One, One More Train To Rob and La Cage Aux Folles II.

Final Thoughts

Maria’s Lovers is a film that sounds like it could be salacious based on the title alone, but the material actually handles some mature themes with depth and a reserve that suits the story well. Nastassja Kinski makes the biggest impression in this feature with John Savage proving that his work in The Deer Hunter was not a fluke. Not all of the elements are completely satisfying on a narrative level, but for the most part this feature is very engaging and worthy of your time. Kino Classics and Code Red have released a Blu-Ray featuring a pretty solid A/V presentation and a couple of new special features that add even more value to the package. For anyone who thinks the story sounds promising, this one is worth checking out. Recommended

Maria’s Lovers 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: Kino Classics and Code Red 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.