One of these days someone will release the Stendhal Syndrome on DVD and really get it right, until then this release from DFW (Dutch Film Works) is without a doubt your best option (how's that for giving away your cookies in the first paragraph?). While it's far from perfect, this release of Stendhal does offer fans the most attractive package as a whole from top to bottom. Let's take a closer look and see exactly what you'll be getting in exchange for your hard earned lunch money.

Stendhal had Argento fans divided literally from the get go with that dreaded love it or hate it kinda attitude. I myself fell on the loving it side finding it to be one of Argento's most enjoyable films, really ranking up there in my opinion. We'll get to the exact reasons why in just a bit. I've owned quite a few editions of Stendhal, ranging from a bootleg of the Japanese Laser Disc to an actual original copy of the Japanese Laser Disc, and most recently the Troma DVD. I missed out on the now out of print French DVD (which is supposedly just a hair better than the DFW edition) but when you stack up image and sound quality along with the value of extras, DFW really takes the cake.

Asia Argento stars as Anna Manni a police detective on the trail of a brutal serial rapist. Only problem is that he's on her trail as well. Manni also suffers from a rare disorder called Stendhal Syndrome (get it?), which causes the affected to succumb to extreme emotional stress when exposed to works of art. The rapist uses this condition to his advantage, draining Anna of her emotional stability and weakening her soul. He captures and rapes Anna, ultimately forcing her to watch him commit these heinous crimes once again on other unsuspecting victims. This is where the film takes a turn and kinda veers off track, turning most people off.

Overcome with stress and starting to eerily take on attributes of her stalker, it is suggested that Anna take a break from the action. She returns home to visit with her family with the hopes of getting it back together. After her second abduction by the rapist, Anna adopts a new persona now donning a wig, new attitude and persona. What we really don't know is if this is Anna attempting to deal with her personal demons or her slow decent into madness. The film does indeed feel as if it has been split into halves and while many have said that they feel the second half of the film is a cop out, I feel that it's just another example of Argento's brilliance as a director - because in retrospect it fits. Without seeing the film it will make little sense, but Anna's transformation is brilliantly handled by Argento and I find Stendhal to be an ultimately satisfying experience.

For an Argento flick you'll be surprised to find that the violence is quite subdued. This isn't to say that Stendhal is free of the red stuff, cause it's not although actual onscreen violence does take a back seat to a high level of onscreen brutality. While the violence is a bit subdued, the violent scenes are extremely brutal and upsetting in their execution. This includes Anna's rapes and a delirious CGI scene in which a bullet (that takes us along for the ride) is shot right through a woman's cheek as Anna can only look on in pure horror.

Quality wise, DFW presents The Stendhal Syndrome on DVD in the best looking transfer I've had the pleasure of seeing. It appears to be correctly framed (some previous editions were not) and colors look about as stable as they'll get. Stendhal isn't a very colorful film to begin with, at least I've never seen it with vibrant colors - so who the hell knows. Troma's release suffered from colors that looked even more muted (if that's even possible) and a horrible compression job. The DFW release easily corrects these problems. Print damage is minimal as well with only slight amounts of specs or film dirt.

Audio is presented in a stereo surround English track with removable Dutch subs. Audio is quite crisp and clear with active surrounds that really show off the spectacular Ennio Morricone score. Dialogue is clear and there is no evidence of distortion or background noise.

Extras include filmographies (in Dutch), the briefest photo gallery I've ever seen, a trailer (which oddly enough boasts even stronger colors than the feature itself!) and the icing on the cake, the entire 71-minute Argento documentary direct by Michele Soavi Dario Argento's World of Horror! Previously available on DVD from Synapse Films in the US, you get this excellent documentary as a bonus feature - wow, what a bonus indeed! Quality is on par with the Synapse release, not outstanding, but as a bonus feature, noyce! The documentary itself is really entertaining delivering a real insight into Argento's early work, with interviews and some great behind the scenes footage along with film clips. Now THIS is added value, great stuff indeed.

Overall this is easily your best option for bringing The Stendhal Syndrome home, until someone decides to redo this thing from scratch. Keep in mind that this disc is indeed a PAL Region 2 DVD so your equipment will need to be compatible (if you know what I mean).

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