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

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (June 2024): Criterion have transferred Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Querelle to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Restored high-definition digital master, approved by director of photography Xaver Schwarzenberger". the heavily set-derived image is soaked with golden hues, and full mise en scène use of the 2.35:1 widescreen. Contrast and detail are pleasingly strong. The stylistic use of skewed aspect ratio frames provide an intended inebriated appearance or warped perspective. It's very clean with a minor touch of teal. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate and start with a Gaumont logo.  

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Querelle has pivotal aggressive moments that come through with modest depth but many small audio effect details permeate (example; the entry of Querelle's buttocks being sodomized) and is scored by Peer Raben (Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz, Despair, Lola, Tenderness of the Wolves, The Marriage of Maria Braun, In a Year with 13 Moons) which includes his orchestrations of The Tears Of The Lady, the instrumental Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves and another performed by Jeanne Moreau, Men are at Peace, The Cross-Road, Young and Joyful Bandit performed by Günther Kaufmann, The Ship And The Seaman and others. The sound quality is consistent and clear via the uncompressed transfer. Criterion offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray offers a new 23-minute interview with critic Michael Koresky (author of Films of Endearment: A Mother, a Son and the '80s Films That Defined Us) on director Rainer Werner Fassbinder's aesthetics and visual storytelling. Included is the Wolf Gremm's hour long documentary Rainer Werner Fassbinder - Letzte Arbeiten from 1982 that depicts Fassbinder both as an actor - taking the leading role in the film "Kamikaze 1989" - and as a director working on "Querelle". It has interview snippets with Fassbinder, Gremm, Harry Baer, Johannes Grützke, Günther Kaufmann, Franco Nero, DoP Xaver Schwarzenberger and others. The package also includes a trailer and liner notes with an essay by critic Nathan Lee.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Querelle was the director's last film and adapted from Jean Genet's 1947 novel Querelle of Brest. Fassbinder passed on, shortly after its release, at the age of only 37. It involves the experiences of sailor Querelle, an opium smuggler (giving only vague reminiscences to Brad Davis' role in Midnight Express), who murders a complicit crewman, allows himself to be sodomized as self-inflicted punishment but is reawakened by his less-anticipated reaction. We are confused by his ambiguous, clouded, behavior. Critics often cite Querelle as 'pretentious' and it can be seen that way - perhaps 'ambitious' would also be accurate. It's certainly interesting if quite dour and it also has the gay-est wardrobe that I can recall in a film. Fassbinder devotees will be pleased with the Criterion Blu-ray package. To that group and open-minded, curious cinephiles - Querelle is certainly recommended.

Gary Tooze