Adrift Classic - VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED (1976)

Nothing compares to the majesty of an ocean voyage and despite never having been on one myself, cinema has provided many virtual getaways. Imprint Films are offering first-class seats with their box set release of the harrowing ensemble drama, Voyage of the Damned – out now on Blu-ray along with the extended cut which is available for the first time ever on physical media since 1980.

Months before the outbreak of World War II and humanity’s darkest chapter, Jewish refugees from Germany set sail to Cuba in May of 1939 on board the ocean liner St. Louis. However, controversy, corruption, and bureaucracy prevent the ship from making port, leaving those on board hopelessly adrift and in fear for their very lives.

I feel a little awkward saying how entertaining this movie was, especially given its context to history, but I couldn’t have been more satisfied. As someone who’s watched enough 1970s content to distort their own reality, I was thrilled to see so many of my favourites among the passengers, many of whom chose their own “accent” for their respective characters. James Mason, for example, an actor who is more English than a cup of tea, plays a Cuban official as if he were born for the role. If that’s not confidence, I don’t know what is.

As one would imagine, it’s a long film, to say the least, and even at 158 minutes, there were obviously some significant edits made for its theatrical release. Characters are introduced only for their arch never to eventuate and there is a reference to a passenger committee in response to becoming stranded abroad on the vessel which we never actually see. Despite these glaring gaps in the narrative, it does not lessen the impact Voyage of the Damned achieves. The drama offers a deeply saddening portrait of history, even more so in retrospect, knowing the worst was yet to come for Europe’s Jewish population.

While there is an element of Hollowood sensationalism to the story, I feel the proper respect was still shown towards the people portrayed and to history itself. Many of the performances are very sincere, especially that of Max Von Sydow who appears as Captain Schroeder, a man whose mind had not been warped by Nazi ideology, which leads to his determination to restore hope and dignity to his passengers while on their voyage to freedom.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Disc One: Theatrical Cut

1080p high-definition presentation of the Theatrical Cut of the film on Blu-ray (158 minutes)
NEW Audio Commentary by cinema author and critic Matthew Asprey Gear (2024)
Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer

While the sole featurette on the theatrical disc, Matthew Asprey Gear’s commentary proves helpful in keeping track of this epic’s massive cast and many moving parts. Given the critic’s laidback manner of speaking, the commentary is the definition of “easy listening” and hard to turn off.

Disc Two: Extended Cut

Standard-definition archival presentation of the Extended Cut (182 minutes)
NEW Audio Commentary by film historian/filmmaker Daniel Kremer (2024)
NEW Movie Memories – career interview with cinematographer Billy Williams
NEW The Crowd Around the Concierge – Interview with actor Malcolm McDowell (2024)

Imprint stretches the definition of “standard definition” in their description of Voyage of the Damned’s extended cut which is a rough VHS-port that probably doesn’t need its own disc. Considering that this is the first time the extended cut has been released on home video since the early 1980s, its poor picture quality can be forgiven, but the audio is hard on the ears. Thankfully, Daniel Kremer’s commentary serves as a good substitute for the film’s main audio track, especially given his enthusiasm for the material.

Running over an hour, the documentary on Billy Williams’ career will prove interesting for any fan of cinema from the late 1960s-early 1980s; his anecdote about shooting the nude “fight” scene from Women in Love (1968) is especially amusing!

Exclusive for this release, fan favourite and Voyage of the Damned star Malcolm MacDowall gives a brief (16-minute) but informative video interview. Despite the passing of several decades, the actor recalls distinct and amusing memories in regard to working with each of his major co-stars as well as the film’s director and producer. – by Hannah Lynch

VIDEO AND AUDIO

Voyage of the Dammed has had a checkered history on Blu-ray with several releases from the United States, Germany, France, Japan, and Canada since 2013, but now it’s safely ported in Australia with the film’s most complete edition to date. Presented in 1.78:1 – the same 1080p transfer from previous editions has been used, although I think the dated scan adds more character to the film with its many moments of over-dramatization. While the image is mostly sharp, there is a washed-out quality and the colour is often far from being vibrant. It’s like a fading memory, which again, is fitting in this case.

I love these LPCM 2.0 Mono tracks. There’s nothing to scrutinise. It’s just sound at a perfectly audible level. Plain and simple. English HOH subtitles are included.

Voyage of the Damned is not an ocean-liner disaster like The Poseidon Adventure or Juggernaut, at least not in the technical sense, but it’s a powerful movie that manages to prevail against studio compromise and the chopping room floor.

VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED
(1976, Director: Stuart Rosenberg)