An instant cult classic when it premiered to sold out screenings at Cannes in 1990, THE REFLECTING SKIN is a darkly humorous, nightmarish vision of the American dream. Growing up in the 1950s in small-town Idaho, 8-year-old Seth and his friends play a prank on the town recluse, a mysterious English widow named Dolphin Blue (Tony winner Lindsay Duncan). After his father tells him stories of vampires, Seth becomes convinced Dolphin is a vampire, stealing the souls of his neighborhood friends one by one. When his older brother Cameron (Oscar nominee Viggo Mortensen in one of his first starring roles), returns home from military service in the Pacific and takes a liking to Dolphin, Seth feels it’s up to him to save Cameron from his friends’ fate. With stunning visuals recalling Edward Hopper paintings and its surreal blend of horror and humor, THE REFLECTING SKIN is a “stunningly beautiful…Gothic masterpiece” (The Guardian)!
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Video Quality
The Reflecting Skin returns to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 derived from a digital restoration. This new release is the exact same disc as the one released in 2019 from Film Movement Classics, only with the addition of an optional slipcover through OCN Distribution. There is a blurb in the included booklet from the director in which he praises how the film finally looks as he intended with this release. There is some light filtering at play, but there are still excellent details that shine through. We did not spot any lingering specks of print damage. .
The shots of the sprawling fields are packed with little details that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer. Colors are purposefully hyper-saturated in a visually distinct manner. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up favorably with very little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as a major issue here. This presentation is fetching and likely looks better than it ever has before. Film Movement Classics has done an admirable job with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with an exceptional LPCM 2.0 track with optional English SDH subtitles. The emotional, memorable score from Nick Bicât sounds rich and full throughout the duration of the film, as it underscores the emotions of the characters. There is never a moment when it threatens to overshadow the dialogue, and the track maintains a faithful balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as crackling fire or brisk wind are rendered well alongside everything else. There do not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Film Movement Classics has given this film the perfectly preserved audio presentation it deserves.
Special Features
This Blu-Ray set includes a multi-page booklet featuring the essay “Innocence Can Be Hell: The Reflecting Skin and the Horrors of Childhood” by film critics Travis Crawford and Heather Hyche. The essay provides a great analysis of the themes of the story. There is also a note from the director about the restoration used for this release. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Writer/director Philip Ridley provides a terrific commentary track in which speaks about the production of the film, the reason for certain aesthetic choices, working with the performers, the portrayal of memory, and more.
- Angels & Atom Bombs – The Making of The Reflecting Skin A 44-minute retrospective piece featuring interviews with director Philip Ridley, cinematographer Dick Pope, actor Viggo Mortensen, and composer Nick Bicât. There are some great insights into the development of the story, the look of the film, the nuances of the performances, and more.
- Trailers: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer for The Reflecting Skin is presented here. There are also trailers provided for The Quiet Earth, Kamikaze ‘89, and All About Lily Chou-Chou.
Final Thoughts
The Reflecting Skin is a haunting story of childhood innocence crashing into the harsh realities of the world. This otherworldly depiction of our world is distinctly eerie yet relatable in a way. Writer/director Philip Ridley has impressive control over the look and feel of the film in a way that coaxes you into a trance-like state. The main character occasionally undercuts the power of the story simply by being frustratingly dense and destructive, yet it does not ruin the movie. This is an odd one worthy of spending some time with. Film Movement Classics has released a Blu-Ray that features a lovely A/V presentation and a couple of fun supplemental features. Recommended
The Reflecting Skin 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: Film Movement Classics and OCN Distribution 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
