(Gerry O’Hara, 1977)
Limited Edition Blu-ray (World Blu-ray premiere)
In The Brute, Sarah Douglas (Superman II) gives a courageous performance as Diane, a glamorous fashion model trying to escape the brutal blows of her sadistic husband, fearsomely portrayed by Julian Glover (For Your Eyes Only). After a particularly savage attack, Diane leaves to stay with photographer friend Mark (Bruce Robinson, writer and director of Withnail & I) and his girlfriend Carrie (Suzanne Stone). Finding solidarity with other victims at a nearby women’s refuge, she aims to forge a new life alone, but her violent ex-partner is determined to track her down.
Written and directed by Gerry O’Hara (The Pleasure Girls, The Bitch), The Brute is an uncompromising exploitation film which dares to tackle the taboo subject of domestic violence. Unseen since the early days of VHS, The Brute now returns in a worldwide Blu-ray premiere.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
- New restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative by Powerhouse Films
- Two presentations of the film: the explicit export cut; and the uncensored, pre-release UK version, The Brute Syndrome
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with actor Sarah Douglas and writer and critic Kim Newman (2022)
- New interview with director Gerry O’Hara (2022)
- UK prologue (1977): an ‘expert’ contextualises the film’s themes
- The Sea Can Kill (1976): Royal Navy short, written and directed by Gerry O’Hara, about surviving a disaster at sea
- Erin Pizzey (1978): interview with the inspirational founder of the world’s first refuge for women, production by the Central Office of Information
- Original theatrical trailers
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson, a look at the public response to the film’s controversial screenings, an interview with fight arranger Roberta Gibbs, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- World premiere on Blu-ray
