Girl from Rio, The (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Jul 24, 2024
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Jesús Franco

Release Date(s)

1969 (September 26, 2023)

Studio(s)

Ada Films/Terra-Filmkunst/Udastex Films Inc (Blue Underground)

Film/Program Grade: D
Video Grade: A
Audio Grade: B
Extras Grade: A+

Review

The partnership between producer Harry Alan Towers and director Jess Franco was one of ups and downs over the course of the nine films that they made together, including what many consider to be one of Franco’s greatest works, Venus in Furs. Their second collaboration proved to be one of their least, at least artistically. The Girl from Rio (Die sieben Männer der Sumuru, or The Seven Men of Sumuru) was a sequel of sorts to an earlier film The Million Eyes of Sumuru aka Sumuru, directed by Lindsay Shonteff. Unfortunately, whether it was meant to be a sequel or not, many outside of Germany were confused by the film for a variety or reasons, including the fact that the character of Sumuru is referred to in the film as Sununda, and in the closing credits as Simitra... and that’s the just for starters.

Undercover agent Jeff Sutton (Richard Wyler, aka Richard Stapley) plans to infiltrate the rumored city of Femina, run by the ruthless Sununda (Shirley Eaton), hellbent on capturing and killing men for their wealth, with an army of well-armed women by her side to do her bidding. Sutton arrives in Rio carrying a briefcase apparently containing $10 million dollars, which he plans to use as bait, but not before a local mobster, Sir Masius (George Sanders), catches wind of this and wants the money, as well. Sutton’s kidnapping by Sununda’s minions is successful, but Masius tortures one of her spies, Lesley (Maria Rohm), who recently got close to Sutton, in order to reveal his whereabouts. What none of them know is that there is no money, and that it was all a ploy so that Sutton could rescue one of Sununda’s prisoners, Ulla (Marta Reves).

If anything, The Girl from Rio can be described as a sloppy film. Franco purportedly shot it so quickly that he and Towers were able to write a script for their next film, 99 Women, with the time they had leftover, and this immediate race to the finish line is evident in the final product. Shirley Eaton goes from brunette to blonde and back again (in one instance from shot to shot); during a nighttime scene characters run through a building with the bright light of day streaming in from outside; and both Wyler and Eaton seem directionless, particularly Eaton, who retired from acting soon thereafter. Matters aren’t helped that the plot is nonsensical since the setup for it was cut out entirely, leaving large logical lapses and a lack of understanding just what the hell is going on. It isn’t until very late in the film that the entire plot is revealed, and by then, you're beyond caring.

However, like many of Franco’s films, it’s beautifully-photographed with colorful sets and lighting, with an abundant use of dry ice, and frequent nudity. Unfortunately, it all becomes a bore as the pace is sorely lacking, making it a chore to sit through. At times it feels like a glorified travelogue, and perhaps even an attempt to poke fun at the spy genre that the James Bond films had recently popularized. In truth, it doesn’t even really feel like a Jess Franco film, if such a feeling exists.

Despite its shortcomings, The Girl from Rio was re-released a number of times throughout the 1970s and 1980s under various titles, such as Future Women, Mothers of America, Housewives!, and Forbidden, likely among others. Whatever failings it has, it was certainly profitable enough for its distributors to keep it on movie screens, as well as home video. Most Franco fans agree that it’s not among his best work, but it’s at least worth a look.

The Girl from Rio was shot by director of photography Manuel Merino on 35 mm film, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.66:1. Blue Underground debuts the film on Ultra HD with a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. This is an absolutely gorgeous picture with a medium layer of organic grain and a bitrate that operates at or above 80Mbps. Said grain is a tad uneven in a couple of places, but hardly noticeable since the vast majority of it is well-attenuated. All areas of the frame are loaded with fine detail, and the HDR color grades thoroughly boost the film’s color palette, with natural flesh tones and an array of bold primaries. Blacks are deep with perfect contrast, and the overall image is stable and clean. Indeed, this is the finest presentation of the film available, and a major upgrade from the previous Blu-ray.

Audio is included in English mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH, French, and Spanish. There are times when the dialogue is a bit indecipherable, which is down to the production and not the quality of the track itself, but it’s discernible for the most part. Sibilance is prevalent, especially when it comes to Shirley Eaton’s dialogue. Sound effects are lacking but the score has some nice push to it. It’s a clean track with built-in flaws, but it gets the job done.

The Girl from Rio on 4K Ultra HD sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray with an insert and a slipcover, both featuring new artwork. The following extras are included:

DISC ONE (UHD)

NEW Audio Commentary with Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth

DISC TWO (BD)

NEW Audio Commentary with Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth
Featurettes:
- NEW Rocking in Rio with Author and Jess Franco Historian Stephen Thrower (HD – 40:35)
- Rolling in Rio (Upscaled SD – 14:26)
Additional Scenes and Trims:
- NEW Additional Scenes from German Version (Upscaled SD – 9:43)
- Trim Reel (HD – 6:06)
Poster & Still Gallery (HD – 73 in all)
NEW RiffTrax Edition (HD – 77:48)

The audio commentary combination of writers and film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth should be familiar to fans of other Blue Underground releases and other Jess Franco titles. They offer their usual well-researched but off the cuff remarks about the history of the film and the cast and crew as they watch it together. They talk about the film’s confusing storyline and its many visuals, praising the latter more than the former, while also going over its place within the Franco oeuvre. In Rocking in Rio, author and Jess Franco historian Stephen Thrower thoroughly discusses the history of the film, offers his criticism of it, goes over the state of everyone’s careers when it was made, talks about the personal political bent that it may or may not have, and covers the film’s various releases and titles. Rolling in Rio features vintage interviews with Jess Franco, Harry Alan Towers, and Shirley Eaton, who explore their memories of the production. The Additional Scenes from the German version most definitely should have been in the English-language version since they set up the plot for the film. As is, we go in completely blind without them. The Trim Reel is made up of alternate takes, outtakes, and alternate title cards (as well as a sneaky snippet of a Godzilla film that somehow wound up on the reel). The Poster & Still Gallery comprises 73 stills of press materials, lobby cards, production stills, and home video covers. Last is a RiffTrax edition of the film, shortened to 77:48, and riffed by Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumni Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.

Not included from Blue Underground’s 2004 DVD release is the text essay The Facts of Sumuru by Dr. Lawrence Knapp. A 2012 German DVD release also included a December 1969 newsreel, as well as an open-matte version of the film. There’s also the matter of the various versions of the film from around the world in different languages with various content removed or added.

The Girl from Rio certainly has the makings of a fun piece of exploitation, but it’s so tedious that there’s hardly anything about it that works aside from the visuals. Jess Franco fans will rejoice at Blue Underground’s treatment of it, with a new 4K transfer and a substantial and interesting set of extras, but be forewarned that this is not one of Franco’s best works, and just try to have some fun with it.

- Tim Salmons

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