This title from Arrow Video is available as a “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD release or as a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray.
Sometimes, excellent pictures just seem to slip under the radar. This may have been the case for me with Mute Witness, were it not for me happening to attend a premiere of the film at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Midnight Madness program. This remarkable thriller was so tense, twisty, funny and well-paced that it seemed like it would go on to find an audience. However, after landing distribution with Sony Pictures Classics and receiving positive notices from critics like Roger Ebert, the film was haphazardly released, barely grossing $1 million dollars worldwide before disappearing.
It’s wonderful when companies like Arrow Video rescue pictures like these, because by doing so they really have saved something remarkable. This is an excellent thriller and it’s great to see it presented in a nice package with loads of extras. The film was made on the cheap (the bonus features go into detail about the production) and so the actual feature isn’t necessary demo material for your home theater. However, the movie itself features clever visuals and it’s great to have it available in various formats and presented as well as can be.
The story concerns mute American make-up artist Billy Hughes (Marina Zudina) working on a slasher film being shot in Moscow. With her is sister and crew member Karen (Fay Ripley) and boyfriend Andy Clarke (Evan Richards), who is the director of the feature. One night, after returning to the studio lot to retrieve equipment, she stumbles upon crew members Lyosha (Sergei Kalenkov) and Arkadi (Igor Volkov) making a snuff movie for a mysterious criminal known as “The Reaper” (Alec Guiness). A terrified Billy is immediately hunted by the killers and must find a way to escape and/or get help. She does get into contact with a local detective named Larson (Oleg Yankovsky), but isn’t sure whether she can trust him.
Despite the dark subject matter and a few very chilling moments, there is a lot of cleverness in the screenplay, as well as memorable twists and turns. The movie-making backdrop often makes it difficult to know what is occurring on a few occasions, playing with audience expectations effectively. The film constantly veers in new directions, yet maintains a common thread, so this approach never becomes a problem. The movie simply glides along, with the leads carrying viewers on a wild ride.
Despite not having a line of dialogue, the main character is extremely charismatic and likable. She must not only use her wits to survive the killers on the lot, but also convince authorities and family that the slaying was real (and not a convincing make-up effect) and that her life is in mortal danger. In-over-his- head film director Andy is entertaining as well in early bits as he struggles to communicate with the Russian crew. It’s also fun to see his girlfriend Karen take change and provide comedy when the pair are also put in danger. The bad guys are threatening and the unexpected cameo from Alec Guiness is a fun nod to movie enthusiasts.
Waller also does a lot with the camera, utilizing the rickety studio and providing exciting widescreen photography and atmosphere that maximizes tension throughout. To this critic, it feels like a stylistic combination of 1970s Brian De Palma and Alfred Hitchcock with a few modern story updates. It doesn’t feel derivative and there’s very little in the picture that doesn’t work as intended. This is a near perfect thriller that keeps the viewer’s brain active with its twists, never lags and delivers excitement and chuckles in equal measure.
The extras tell a remarkable story about how the project was cobbled together. The director commentary and the crew commentary (featuring the production designer and the composer of the score) are very engaging. We learn that Waller was a young director based in Germany who specialized in commercials, wanting to make his way into narrative features. After reading an article about snuff films, he wondered how one would be able to discern reality from movie magic if this was occurring on a set. It inspired him and he fashioned the screenplay, originally named Snuff Movie, around this idea.
As it turned out, Waller wasn’t able to find anyone willing to finance the picture. Even Sony Pictures Classics and Columbia turned down the script (they would eventually buy the distribution rights after the movie was finished and premiered at film festivals).
The intention was to make the movie in the US (there is a featurette of location scouting footage from Boston), but backers eventually suggested that it would be more cost-effective to shoot in Russia. With a $1 million dollar budget secured independently, they traveled to Moscow. The day before shooting began, the country went through a constitutional crisis with violence in the streets. There was a lockdown and no one could leave their homes during the evening hours (the streets and outdoor locations around Red Square in the film are eerily empty as a result).
The film cameras and equipment in Russia weren’t good, so they shuttled in equipment from Germany. This was a lawless time, and so the production team had to bribe border agents to get equipment through customs. The moviemakers also had to deal with others requiring “special payments” to allow filming to continue. Since the best Russian crew members were already hired on another project (specifically, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow), Waller also dealt with less-reliable individuals on set. One or two were heavy drinkers/drug users and didn’t always bother to show up to work. Union crew rules were also very different, so the director added a few of the eccentricities into the story. All these strange issues ended up nearly doubling the limited budget and caused great consternation.
Waller does praise those who did put their heart and soul into the picture, including the cast. The director notes that while even Russian theater actress and star Marina Zudina was often late to set (because she was working on a stage production that, for her, was a higher priority), it was still worth the added stress, as she was a professional and very focused in front of the camera.
Waller also describes the dangers of traveling around Moscow during this period and other odd experiences in the city. Waller’s commentary is an incredible listen and the second track (with the production designer talking about his time in Moscow and the film’s composer talking about his process) also provides a lot of insight about the shoot and country during this era.
As for the noted Alec Guiness cameo, viewers will learn that the footage (all of which is presented as another extra on the disc) was shot many years earlier in Hamburg, Germany after Waller met the star at an event. The director asked the actor to shoot a cameo for this project (which was significantly different at this stage), but it all ended up cutting together. It’s another incredible story that is remarkable to listen to.
And there’s more! Over the years, the film has earned its fair share of fans among genre critics. Extras include a visual essay about snuff movies and how effectively Waller uses the subject in his picture. The individual also notes the use of women in the story and how ahead of its time some of their depictions are. Additionally, you can watch a featurette about the history of films-within-films and how this effort fits into the category. It’s fun and will offer plenty of other viewing options with a similar theme.
You’ll also get publicity materials like a teaser, a trailer and an image gallery that were used to try to sell the picture. And it comes with a booklet with writing on the film and a folded double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned art for the title.
As for the picture quality, the low-budget movie was made in very icy conditions without the newest technology, so there has always been some grain visible on several shots. Having said that, both the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray are still head and shoulders above the DVD that I own. On my TV, the 4K is slightly sharper than the Blu-ray, but also shows some of the noise more prominently. Personally, even with that grain I prefer the extra sharpness in the 4K Ultra HD version over the Blu-ray. But whatever version you may choose, both are as impressive as this picture is likely to ever look.
Mute Witness is a true hidden gem and one that anyone with an appetite for thrills, chills and dark humor will appreciate. It’s also amazing to finally see the movie getting commentary tracks and bonuses providing the fascinating and miraculous tale of how it was all put together. The movie is very highly recommended and this release is well worth picking up as well.