Bursting onto the scene only around a year ago, Radiance Films has swiftly made itself known as one of the best physical media distributors out there. Though they release the odd cult classic here and there like Welcome to the Dollhouse, Miami Blues, or François Truffaut's The Bride Wore Black, the company seems to focus primarily on the rarest of features.
Refreshingly open about their process, the company and those involved have spoken in the past about the restoration process or about some of their struggles with acquiring desired films. Frankly, this insight into their process only makes the care and passion behind Radiance Films releases all the more apparent.
Given how rare some of their acquisitions are, and how old or damaged the original negative film prints are, the restorations always come out wonderfully and are a testament to the work done by the company. Furthermore, their mission to bring us these releases, which often receive first-time home releases in the UK or internationally, shows us that Radiance films are doing the lord's work in the world of film restoration.
With this outlook toward restoring the most unlikely of films, occasionally you get something underrated, overlooked, weird, or downright random. In a lot of ways, Damiano Damiani's Goodbye & Amen is all of these and more. Once described by Italian film critic Paolo Mereghetti as “the most American of Italian directors”, this film makes it clear that the comment is simultaneously a compliment and an insult.
It follows Tony Musante as John Dannahay, a CIA agent stationed in Rome, whose plan to overthrow an African government is thrown into turmoil when a corrupt colleague starts shooting people from the roof of a hotel, eventually taking an innocent couple hostage.
Very quickly those Americanisms become glaringly obvious. Not only is the Italian language version of this Italian film the dubbed version but, bar some admittedly beautiful aerial photography of Rome, the film seems hellbent on keeping its Italian roots a secret. Set almost entirely in the hotel where the incident takes place, or in the Italian U.S. embassy where the CIA operates, we see very little of the European backdrop. Even once the police become involved in the situation they soon drop their “polizia” enameled uniform for plain bulletproof vests and helmets. Instead, the rare moments of the cast speaking Italian snap us back into the reality of this being an Italian production.
In a lot of ways Goodbye & Amen's desperate attempts to look and feel as American as possible gives it a comforting feel for the viewer. Though watching an international picture may feel daunting for some viewers, this thriller simply plays out like any other American movie would, easing that transition process that may exist for some viewers.
On the other hand, however, the Americanisms prevalent in Damiani's work have the opposite effect and create an eccentric viewing experience in which the fact this is an Italian movie seems to be a hidden secret that we all know but can't talk about. Italian actors speaking broken English, Shakespearean actor John Steiner doing his best (worst) attempt at a southern American accent, and some oddly written dialogue make it clear that this is not a well-made replica of American movies but is very clearly how Italians think American movies look and feel. Though it lends Goodbye & Amen a campy feeling to it, these issues disrupt the easy transition for some viewers and only make the picture's flaws all the more obvious.
These two dueling aspects make up the story of the film. Goodbye & Amen is either too American for its good and comes across like a bland replica of any American thriller of the 70s or it is a goofy, over-the-top product of its time that shines a light on all of its issues. The problem is that the feature rarely finds the perfect balance that would allow it to be an entertaining, fun, and original picture while feeling recognisable in its Americanisms. The movie does find the balance eventually, crafting a sensational finale that ties up the movie very nicely, but which feels too little too late.
When it comes to releases like this one from Radiance, though the rarity adds to their worth it can also be to their detriment. With few original surviving materials or supporting background information on these releases, it can be difficult to offer much in the form of special features. Unfortunately, Goodbye & Amen suffers greatly in this aspect, though it must be stated that the audio commentary is rather insightful.
Ultimately, Goodbye & Amen is a fun enough movie. You could do worse than spending your money on this release but equally so you could do much better, especially when browsing the catalogue of Radiance Films.
Special Features
- New 2023 restoration of the film from the original camera negative presented with Italian and, for the first time on home video, English audio options
- Uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Audio commentary by Eurocrime experts Nathaniel Thompson and Howard Berger (2023)
- Interview with editor Antonio Siciliano (2023)
- Archival interview with Wolfango Soldati (2013)
- New and improved English subtitles for Italian audio and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for English audio
- Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Italian crime cinema expert Lucia Rinaldi
- Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Radiance Films will release a Blu-ray of Goodbye & Amen on 29th January
