Controversial from the day of its inception, Bertolt Brecht's debut full-length play Baal -- written in 1918 while the young German was still a University student -- is, by design, a story not meant to be enjoyed. Our title character is a genius poet who wanders around the outskirts of society, and one who engages in all manner of activities that slowly destroy himself and those unlucky enough to latch on. Frequently banned in his home country during the 1920s, this first notable adaptation of Baal was created for German television in 1970 by director Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum). It was met with immediate public backlash before being blocked from future broadcasts by the playwright's widow, Helene Weigel.

It's a great history -- and one whose considerable mystique is bolstered by the participation of the late Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who portrays our title character with an appropriate level of repulsive swagger. Literally nothing is off the table when it comes to Baal's amoral impulses: during the course of this brisk 84-minute production, our anti-hero remains in a near-constant drunken stupor while seducing a handful of women (one of which is a teenager who ends up pregnant, and another commits suicide), murders a friend, and even *gasp* roasts people at a swanky dinner party. All told, most of Baal is as repulsive, confusing, and infuriating as its title character, but -- like the notion that a pudgy, pock-marked man with a horrible Larry Bird mustache could attract so many followers -- that's kind of the point.

Schlöndorff's adaptation mostly plays it straight here: a great deal of the spoken words and narration are almost verbatim from Brecht's original play. Divided into exactly two dozen numbered segments (which appear to be in chronological order, but have no consistent format or obvious relation to one another), Baal is obviously not relaxing or easily accessible and thus should be approached with a certain amount of caution. It is, however, extremely interesting from a historical perspective: considering its level of rarity -- the "ban" was lifted just four years ago at the Berlin Film Festival -- along with Fassbinder's future career and early death in 1983, Baal marks an important moment in the lives of at least three people involved in its creation. If you're a fan of one or more, this newly resurrected beast is worth a look.

It's probably not the most obvious "blind buy" candidate (unless you a glutton for punishment, of course), but Criterion's new Blu-ray of Baal will prove valuable for anyone who's been unable to see it for decades. Featuring a solid A/V presentation from difficult source material and an assortment of new and vintage interviews, this package emphasizes the importance of placing context over knee-jerk reflexes.

Presented in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Baal is advertised as being from a new 2K restoration and looks quite good for a low-budget film shot hand-held in 16mm. This 1080p transfer, like its central character, is both garish and very rough around the edges but remarkably consistent: from a perpetual smearing on the outer edges (Vaseline on the lens) to the noticeable and thick grain of the film stock, Baal very much looks like a product of its time. Colors appear accurately drab, shadow detail can be very limited at times, and fine details run on the soft side. Though free from major damage, dirt and debris can easily be spotted during a few scenes. Yet despite a few unavoidable flaws, it's quite possible that Baal was never meant to -- or at least can't possibly -- look pristine, so curious newcomers should enjoy what this Blu-ray brings to the table. If nothing else, such a lack of fidelity suits the subject matter.

There's less to say about the PCM 1.0 track, aside from that it's perfectly adequate and sounds appropriate for a low-budget film shot nearly 50 years ago. Dialogue, music cues, and background effects are crisp and clear without fighting for attention -- there's a certain hollowness and lack of overall depth here, but it's likely a source material issue and nothing more. To the best of my limited knowledge, this lossless mono presentation is true to the source material and purists will enjoy the lack of surround gimmickry. (Again, Baal's relative obscurity makes any kind of accurate claims difficult.) Optional English subtitles are included during the film -- advertised as a "new translation" -- and German-language extras.

Criterion's interface is very smooth and easy to navigate with access to a timeline, chapters, and bonus features. The disc is locked for Region A players only; it's packaged in their usual stocky keepcase with stylish double-sided artwork. The fold-out Booklet includes an essay by critic Dennis Lim.

The lack of an audio commentary is unfortunate -- but we get a handful of new and vintage Interviews that add up to more than the film's total length, so there's a good amount to dig through here. Leading off is a pair of discussions with Volker Schlöndorff (one brief clip from 1973, and a longer one from 2015) in which the director talks about working with the cast and crew, developing Brecht's original play, and harsh critical feedback, as well as the film's extremely turbulent history and decades-long disappearance.

Also interviewed are actor Margarethe von Trotta ("Sophie") and film historian Eric Rentschler, who provide additional details about first-hand experience and the film's unique place in German cinema. Last but not least is a joint interview with actor Ethan Hawke and playwright Jonathan Marc Sherman, who worked on a 2013 stage adaptation of Baal and share their insights on its bristly subject matter.

Volker Schlöndorff's Baal, as dictated by its source material, is not an easy film to enjoy: rough around the edges, confrontational, and all-around ugly at times, it nonetheless offers a fantastic early performance by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and an intriguing time capsule of German life during the late 1960s. The original play written by Bertolt Brecht, combined with the film's fascinating history of being "banned" by his widow and the unsurprising death of Fassbinder, add even more mystique to this uncompromising slice of film history. Criterion's Blu-ray package offers a solid A/V presentation and more than 90 minutes of new and vintage interviews that cover a broad range of topics. That said, Baal is the very definition of "try before you buy"...so unless you're truly interested or just a die-hand fan of Fassbinder, Rent It first.