Malpertuis (1971) 4K Blu-Ray Limited Edition Set Review
Jan (Mathieu Carrière, POLICE PYTHON 357), a sailor newly arrived onshore, is unsure about returning to land but makes the journey to visit his childhood home only to find it no longer there. He goes to Bar Venus and joins his friends, but an altercation leaves him knocked out cold.
He wakes up in Malpertuis, a gothic mansion presided over by his uncle, Cassavius (Orson Welles). All the inhabitants of Malpertuis are waiting for Cassavius to die and the opportunity to inherit his vast fortune. But Cassavius wishes anyone who inherits to stay there forever. Jan investigates as those who leave meet with mysterious deaths.
Harry Kümel’s (DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS) phantasmagoria is a Matryoshka doll of fantastic ideas, realised with stunning photography by Gerry Fisher (THE EXORCIST III) and scored by Georges Delerue (CONTEMPT). Newly restored and overseen by Kümel, it is released on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.
Belgian arthouse fantasy-horror MALPERTIUS – released in the US as THE LEGEND OF DOOM HOUSE – is based on the 1943 novel of the same name. Director Harry Kümel had been itching to adapt the novel by Jean Ray as a film for some time however it was not until his terrific Gothic vampire treat DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS became a financial success, especially Stateside, that he was able to find the financial backing to greenlight his dream project.
The resulting flick is a baffling, uneven and often infuriating experience. I really wanted to like it, especially after being impressed by Kümel’s DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS, but alas it was not to be. Visually it is not as spellbinding as his vampire film and narratively it leaves the viewer wanting. Performance-wise Orson Welles as Cassavius rocks! He is perfectly cast as the dying patriarch however his commanding screen presence effectively highlights how mediocre every other acting performance is by comparison. The film sags, losing momentum, whenever he is not onscreen.
The narrative is ambiguous and obtuse, by design, and from a viewing perspective this fast becomes tiresome, and boredom sets in, something that never happened once with Kümel’s DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS which enthralled throughout. On the plus the 4k restoration is outstanding, bringing out the ripe reds and blues that the director has a fondness for in his visual palette. Also, the disc’s packaging is first rate, and even if the film failed to hit the spot, this limited-edition set is a joy to behold and sets a benchmark in how to present a limited edition set.
BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES
New 4K restoration of the film overseen by director Harry Kümel
Audio commentary by Harry Kümel and assistant director Françoise Levie (2005)
New interview with Harry Kümel (2025, 20 mins)
New interview with author and gothic horror expert Jonathan Rigby (2025, 26 mins)
Malpertuis Archive – an archival documentary on the making of the film featuring Kümel, actor Mathieu Carrière and director of photography Gerry Fisher among others (2005, 37 mins)
Orson Welles Uncut – a featurette on the casting of Welles, including rare outtakes of the actor (2005, 26 mins)
Susan Hampshire: one actress, three parts – an archival interview with the actress, including screen tests and contributions from cast and crew (2005, 12 mins)
Archival interview with Michel Bouquet and Harry Kümel from Belgian television (1971, 14 mins)
Jean Ray, John Flanders 1887 – 1964 – an archival interview with the source novelist and co-writer of Malpertuis (2005, 8 mins)
Malpertuis Revisited – Harry Kümel revisits locations from the film (2005, 4 mins)
Malpertuis: The Cannes cut – the rejected version of the film which premiered in Cannes, viewable in French or English (100 mins, SD)
The Warden of the Tomb – Kümel’s early film based on Franz Kafka’s play (1965, 37 mins)
Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by Lucas Balbo, Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, David Flint, Willow Catelyn Maclay, Jonathan Owen
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings.