The grimy criminal underworld and hedonistic rock-and-roll counterculture of late-1960s London collide in this mind-scrambling, kaleidoscopic freak-out. On the run from his vengeful boss, a ruthless gangster (James Fox) hides out in the Notting Hill home of a reclusive rock star (Mick Jagger) and his companions (Anita Pallenberg and Michele Breton), who open the doors of his perception as the lines between reality and fantasy, male and female, persona and self, dissolve in a hallucinogenic haze. Built around Jagger’s most magnetic narrative-film performance, this visionary collaboration between Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg is a daringly transgressive, endlessly influential journey to the dark side of bohemia.

For thoughts on Performance, please check out my previous review here.

Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Performance with a splendid 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative with some sections necessitating the use of a 35mm Internegative. Two Technicolor prints held by the BFI were used for color reference. This restoration has been approved by producer Sandy Lieberson and is presented with Dolby Vision/HDR. The film is very stylized and gritty, and thankfully there has been no digital manipulation to obliterate the natural look. For those who come to 4K strictly for a sleek and clean picture, you should probably adjust your expectations. That being said, this is the best this film has ever looked and it serves as a welcome improvement upon the 2014 Blu-Ray from Warner Archive.

The level of detail and clarity is a wondrous experience with all of the natural film grain intact. The grain resolves impeccably with only some minor fluctuations due to the original photography. The texture on display in the dingy apartments and within the outfits is a revelation. Even the makeup worn by some of the characters presents with impressive clarity. This transfer does not spotlight anything in the way of print damage. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more natural. There do not appear to be any unexpected digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances.

The Dolby Vision presentation enhances some of the bold colors that infiltrate the picture to great effect. This also extends to the lighting choices that coax you into the somewhat psychedelic headspace of the narrative. Every choice is executed with confidence and ease. It might not be candy-colored, but this transfer reaches an accuracy not possible on a lesser format. The black levels are robust with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming. This presentation is the ultimate example of this feature thanks to the folks at The Criterion Collection.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a remastered LPCM 1.0 mono track that presents the original UK version of the soundtrack that was missing from the previous Warner Archive Blu-Ray. This release also has the restored line that was missing from the old DVD of the feature. From what we understand, this track is perfectly in line with the sonic intentions of the film. Dialogue and background noises are deployed very effectively here with overlapping voices and lines not anchored in the present action. Everything is balanced patiently along with the music that drives the film. The more trippy moments are handled perfectly and give the track a bit of character. There is no lingering age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. The Criterion Collection has delivered a disc that fans have been wanting for years. Optional English SDH subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Performance includes a booklet featuring the essays “Cavorting with the Void” by Ryan Gilbey and “Dandyism, Decadence, and Death in Performance” by Peter Wollen which give a rich analysis of the film and the creative figures. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Donald Cammell – The Ultimate Performance: A nearly 71-minute documentary from 1998 that takes a look at the life and career of writer-codirector Donald Cammell featuring interviews with co-director Nicolas Roeg; actors James Fox, Mick Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg; and filmmaker Kenneth Anger, among others.

Influence and Controversy: A 25-minute archival featurette from 2007 featuring producer Sanford Lieberson, co-editor Frank Mazzola, co-star Anita Pallenberg, and more who discuss the conception of the film, the preparations of the performers, the contributions of the directors, the controversial elements of the film, and more.

The True Story of David Litvinoff: A new 20-minute visual essay on the film’s dialogue coach and technical advisor who lived a very colorful life that brought counterculture to upper-class artistic circles.

Performers on Performance: There are 35 minutes of unused interviews from the Donald Cammell documentary above from James Fox, Mick Jagger, Stanley Meadows, Anita Pallenberg, and Johnny Shannon.

The Two Cockneys of Harry Flowers: A five-minute piece that compares the UK and U.S. versions of the dialogue delivered by the Harry Flowers character.

Memo From Turner: A five-minute look at how the studio tried to market this film on the star power of Mick Jagger.

Trailer (2:46)

Final Thoughts

Performance is a very challenging film to enter into casually with its disinterest in a conventional plot and psychedelic ethos. A single viewing will probably leave you at least somewhat puzzled by what you have watched, and some may be too put off to return in an attempt to uncover more layers to the experience. Subsequent viewings reveal some very interesting filmmaking and open up the narrative a bit more to keep you on solid ground. Those showing up strictly for Mick Jagger should probably temper expectations for at least the first hour, as he is a smaller part of a larger narrative. It is not an easy movie to love, but it is worth engaging with if you have a spark of interest. The Criterion Collection has released a sensational 4K UHD Blu-Ray package featuring a first-rate A/V presentation and an excellent assortment of special features. You should not miss out if you are a fan of the film. Recommended

Performance will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray on February 25, 2025.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection 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.