THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG On Blu-ray From Severin

 

The first film I will be examining from Severin's THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPHER LEE COLLECTION 3 set is THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG, a 1963 Italian Gothic directed by Antonio Margheriti. Severin presents the film on two discs, one 4K and the other Blu-ray. 

Christopher Lee doesn't have a very big role in this picture, which might disappoint some, but overall the movie is a prime Sixties Euro Gothic with some nasty and unusual elements. The film's pre-title sequence, which features a nightgown-clad lovely (Rossana Podesta) wandering around a large domicile in the middle of the night, coming upon a torture chamber, and making a horrific discovery within, makes the viewer believe that the story is set hundreds of years ago. But then a jazzy Krimi-style musical passage bursts in (courtesy of composer Riz Ortolani) and we realize this movie is set in contemporary times. The damsel in the nightgown is Mary, a newlywed who has moved with her husband Max Hunter (Georges Riviere) to his family's ancestral castle in Germany. Said castle is being haunted by someone who has taken on the persona of "The Punisher" (not the Marvel character), an ancestor of Max's who was proficient in torture and murder. The confused and frightened Mary doesn't know who to trust, whether it be her mysterious acting husband, the intimidating head maid, or the disfigured caretaker Erich (Christopher Lee). The key to the Punisher's real identity can be found during the last years of World War II, when Max's father, a general, was involved in the plot to assassinate Hitler. 

THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG goes against the Italian Gothic grain by being in color, and by its rather gruesome gore effects. (The virgin of the title refers to a torture device.) The Punisher carries out some particularly horrid crimes, but even more disturbing is the black & white sequence which shows how the fiend himself was tortured and disfigured by the Nazis. (This sequence has a "found footage" style to it that is decades ahead of its time.) For almost the entire film Rossana Podesta, along with the audience, doesn't know what is going on (and she's also wearing that nightgown for almost the entire film as well). The final  revelations bring a real-world jolt to the proceedings, with the Nuremberg of the title having a portentous double meaning. 

As for Christopher Lee, despite his scarred visage, he's not as menacing as one would think. His Erich is a broken man, ruined mentally as well as physically, and Lee effortlessly shows this without much dialogue (his voice was unfortunately dubbed). 

THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG (released theatrically in the U.S as HORROR CASTLE) gets its HD premiere through this Severin release. (The Blu-ray disc is Region A.) I don't have a 4K player, but the Blu-ray is a great presentation. Visually Antonio Margheriti wasn't on the same level as Mario Bava, but the disc features a fine looking film, with very deep reds. This is the uncut version of NUREMBERG, with the Italian credits. Both the original Italian and English voice tracks are included. 

The extras include a four-minute vintage interview with Antonio Margheriti, and a 20 minute program that features Fabio Melelli. This program also has audio of Margheriti, and an appearance by screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (who manages to show up on the extras of just about every Italian Gothic Blu-ray ever released), but honestly it doesn't go much into the production of THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG. There's also an original Italian trailer. 

The most important extra is a brand new audio commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. Both these men are Euro Gothic experts, and their opinions are always welcome on discs like this. The duo provide a lively, engaging talk, which covers such topics as Antonio Margheriti's directorial style, Christopher Lee's preference for short (as opposed to small) roles, and the WWII subplot that makes THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG stand out. They also discuss the "Beautiful woman wandering around in a nightgown holding a candelabra" trope that is so prevalent in the Italian Gothic. 

Just about every notable Italian Gothic film from the 1960s has been given a high-end HD deluxe home video presentation recently, and, thanks to Severin, THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG finally joins the list. This is the true highlight of the latest Christopher Lee Eurocrypt set. I have a feeling that Severin will eventually release THE VIRGIN OF NUREMBERG individually.