NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Cohen Media Group Blu-ray (November 2022): Cohen Media Group have transferred Reinhard Hauff's Knife in the Head to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a supportive bitrate. The HD presentation is consistent, a few speckles and true colors - if appearing slightly dull - source density the likely culprit. Black levels are pleasing enough and it's a well-rendered 1080P image.

NOTE: We have added 48 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Cohen Media Group use a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original German language. Knife in the Head has a few aggressive policing moments that come through with modest depth and a score credited to Irmin Schmidt (of legendary krautrock group 'CAN' - notable for music in Sam Fuller's Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street, PTA's Inherent Vice performing "Vitamin C" and "Soup" and in Morvern Callar performing "I Want More", "Fragrance" and "Spoon". It all sounds clear if not buoyant in the lossless transfer. Cohen Media Group have continued the unfortunate practice of burned-in English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Cohen Media Group Blu-ray offers a 25-minute interview with director Reinhard Hauff and a 1/4 hour interview with executive producer Eberhard Junkersdorf. They share their memories of the production, the evolution of the project and more - in Germans with English subtitles. There are no trailers or liner notes.

Reinhard Hauff's metaphoric Knife in the Head deals with the injustice of a man damaged by police political overreach ion late 70's West Germany and with the societal safety net expansion of, so-called, 'terrorist' enemies of the state, which engenders the greater price of totalitarian rule. Presumed guilt and burgeoning paranoia abound. Infused in the psychological confusion are the protagonist wife’s affair and the neurological removal of his independence. Essentially Knife in the Head is a tragedy with personal and political lines crossed. Bruno Ganz is superb. The screenplay was by Peter Schneider (he also wrote My Father with Charlton Heston as Dr. Josef Mengele!) and Hauff won awards at Berlin and Paris festivals for Knife in the Head. A uniquely realized and subtle take of familiar themes. I'm really glad to have seen it and Cohen's Blu-ray has the film in 1080P with interviews as supplements. You might want to check this one out.

Gary Tooze