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USA 1937
Fritz Lang's second American film (often regarded as
his best from that period) is a bold paradox - diverging from the normal fare of
the times. Characters are introduced - they are put to a test - we question -
and quickly it is two star-crossed lover's vs. society as they fight an unjust
fate. Henry Fonda is perfect inflicting a stern, tempted but struggling body
language into his portrayal of parolee Eddie Taylor. Sylvia Sidney plays his
ever-faithful gal. It's great to see the birth
of Film Noir with Lang's expressionist influences as he waves his camera like a
moral wand over the wholesome "Bonnie + Clyde-esq" lovers on the run. Great
film, great ending with a spiritual twist right out of left field. I loved it.
out
of 
Posters
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Theatrical Release: January 27th, 1937 - USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL RIGHT)
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| Distribution | Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC | Cinema Club Region 2,7 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:25:39 | 1:22:27 (4% PAL speedup) |
| Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.33 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.97 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
| Subtitles | None | None |
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Release Information: |
Release Information: |
| Comments: |
ADDITION - Cinema Club -
June 06 - WOW - what a difference in every area - including price. Let's
see the Image Entertainment is cropped, much more visible damage , much
weaker contrast and it's double the price. Not a hard decision here -
Image Entertainment should be embarrassed by this comparison. Buy the
Cinema Club today - GREAT NOIR! ***
Sometimes you can have
some understanding and respect for older films that are not top-interest
driven being put to DVD. There is little to no profit in any
restoration. This is a very poor image and very poor audio regardless of
that fact. The picture quality is very soft and hazy and detail and
resolution are low. It has compounded that with no Extras. I can only
recommend this film, certainly not this DVD which is of Madacy quality
at best. Let's all wait and someone someday will put this film out in a
better transfer - perhaps in a Fritz Lang Boxset. I give this Image NTSC DVD
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Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference to the American
Style by Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward |
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Film Noir Reader 4 : The Crucial Films and Themes
(Film Noir Reader) by Alain Silver |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
DVD Menus
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL RIGHT)
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Screen Captures
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Cinema Region 2,7 - PAL BOTTOM)
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| DVD Box Cover |
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| Distribution | Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC | Cinema Club Region 2,7 - PAL |
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