Posted on: July 14, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Kino continues to impress with their Blu-Ray releases in 2011. The Romantic Englishwoman is a film that has been relegated to the dustbin of history, but represents an impressive title that should be sought out by anyone that is a fan of seventies cinema, Michael Caine, or of comedies of errors. The Romantic Englishwoman surrounds a couple; Lewis (Michael Caine) and Elizabeth (Glenda Jackson) are visited by a German named Thomas (Helmut Berger). Thomas and Elizabeth had a brief fling (of sorts) in Baden Baden; while Thomas comes over to attempt to woo Elizabeth again, Lewis feels that Thomas should be a part of eir latest novel. The interaction between the three makes for interesting explorations of love, desire, and passion (both for an individual and for one’s life’s work).

Kino’s release of The Romantic Englishwoman succeeds because it has been crafted so carefully. The video print is masterful in this regard, with natural yet vibrant colors matching up with the distinct audio. There are a few additional features here, mainly being the trailers for a number of Kino’s other films – Galileo, Priest of Love, Lady Chatterley and The Maids – and a few stills cribbed from the movie.
This is the first time that The Romantic Englishwoman has been on Blu-Ray, and its presence on this format should be enough of reason to pick up the title. The mastering of this film onto the new format represents an entirely new experience for those that may be intimately familiar with the film, while hopefully giving an entire new generation of film buffs the chance to watch a forgotten classic.

Check it out.

Rating: 9.3/10

The Romantic Englishwoman (Blu-Ray) / 2011 Kino International / 125 Minutes / http://www.kino.com

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