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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Costa-Gavras
USA / Japan 1988

 

After a Jewish radio host is murdered, FBI agent Cathy Weaver (Debra Winger) is sent undercover to infiltrate a close-knit farming community believed to be harbouring the men responsible. She soon meets and falls for local farmer Gary Simmons (Tom Berenger) a well-respected Vietnam veteran, but it's not long before her suspicions are aroused. Realising that Simmons is leading a double-life as the leader of a white supremacist group, responsible for a series of brutal crimes, Agent Weaver must decide where her loyalties lie, with the man she loves or the country she swore to protect.

Directed by Costa-Gavras (Missing) and written by Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge), Betrayed is an edge-of-your-seat thriller with an excellent supporting cast including John Heard, John Mahoney and Betsy Blair.

***

Director Costa-Gavras (Missing) weaves an intricate tale of deception in the Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct) scripted thriller Betrayed. Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment) stars as FBI agent Cathy Weaver, an undercover agent assigned to weed out a right-wing terrorist group suspected of murdering a high profile, left-leaning talk show host. The conflicted Weaver, who s gone undercover as an itinerant farm worker, sees her loyalties tested when she falls in love with Gary Simmons (Tom Berenger, Platoon), a farmer who may be complicit in the murder. Betrayed also stars John Heard (Big), John Mahoney (Eight Men Out), Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), Betsy Blair (Marty), David Clennon (Gone Girl) and Richard Libertini (Days of Heaven).

Excerpt from Amazon located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 23rd, 1988

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Released in the US on Blu-ray by Olive Films:

  

Distribution BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 2:06:35.504         
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 48,203,691,024 bytes

Feature: 40,041,821,760 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.86 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Interviews:

Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps

Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
BFI

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 48,203,691,024 bytes

Feature: 40,041,821,760 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.86 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

Guardian Interview with Costa-Gavras (1984, 71 mins, audio only): the Oscar winning director discusses his career in this interview recorded four years before the release of Betrayed
Newly recorded audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Jim Hemphill
Interview with Joe Eszterhas (2013, 96 mins, audio only): recorded at The London Screenwriters Festival, the incomparable writer of Betrayed and Basic Instinct is interviewed by filmmaker and author Chris Jones and also fields questions from the audience
Interview with William Bradford Huie (1968, 29:42): the journalist, author and civil rights activist is interviewed by Bernard Braden for his never broadcast series Now and Then
Original Theatrical Trailer (2:08)
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Fully illustrated booklet with new essays by film writer and programmer Philip Concannon and film critic Jessica Kiang


Blu-ray Release Date:
December 2nd, 2019
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: BFI Blu-ray (December 2019): BFI have transferred Costa-Gavras' Betrayed to 1080P Blu-ray. It was already released States-side by Olive film in a single-layered, bare-bones, Blu-ray. This is, obviously, superior in a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate for the 2-hour film. There are some frame-specific speckles on this transfer and has a gloss to it connoting the limitations of the 80's film stock used. There is a modicum of depth and colors are bright showing occasional depth. It's not a stellar looking film in HD but probably won't look any better than this.  

On their Blu-ray, BFI use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. There are some penetrating gun effects and a subtly underplayed score by Bill Conti (The Big Fix, The Seduction of Joe Tynan, Neighbors, The Right Stuff, Rocky, Harry and Tonto, For Your Eyes Only)  ), both sounding clean and deep in the uncompressed. BFI offer optional English subtitles (SDH) on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The best way to describe the BFI Blu-ray supplements is 'stacked'. Fist is a newly recorded audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Jim Hemphill - we have enjoyed his commentaries on the Blu-rays of Gardens of Stone, Valdez is Coming, Inherit the Wind, The Woman in Red and others. He once again has done his research and can film the film space will interesting data about this, or related, productions. You can also watch the film to an hour and 10-minutes worth of a Guardian interview with Costa-Gavras from 1984, where the Oscar winning director discusses his career in this interview recorded four years before the release of Betrayed. Also while the film runs, we get over 1.5 hour 2013 interview with Joe Eszterhas recorded at The London Screenwriters Festival, the incomparable writer of Betrayed and Basic Instinct is interviewed by filmmaker and author Chris Jones and also fields questions from the audience. There is a 1/2 hour video interview with William Bradford Huie from 1968 where the journalist, author and civil rights activist is interviewed by Bernard Braden for his never broadcast series Now and Then. Lastly, is an original theatrical trailer and the first pressing consumers get a fully illustrated booklet with new essays by film writer and programmer Philip Concannon and film critic Jessica Kiang.

I always find Betrayed an uncomfortable film. Can anyone - who we have absolutely no reason to suspect - be exposed as a radical bigot? and does this underground 'Klan-like' sub-community exist in proportions that would shock us? Has it infiltrated mainstream politics? your bedroom? Costa-Gavras has crafted a shocking film dealing with these questions, although my personal 'suspension of disbelief' wasn't harshly breached. I thought that the level of realism, mostly with the script, wasn't totally effective... although I was engaged thanks to the fine performances. I am pretty sure that I owned the bare-bones Olive Blu-ray and hesitating reviewing for that same reason. Still, there is plenty of value here with BFI's 3+-hours of extensive extras. This Blu-ray is the best way to approach this effort from the director.   

Gary Tooze

 


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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Released in the US on Blu-ray by Olive Films:

  

Distribution BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


 


 

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