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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "The Blank Wall" )
directed by Max Ophuls
USA 1949
Having concealed her daughter's accidental killing of her seedy older lover, upper middle class housewife Joan Bennett finds herself being blackmailed by a loan shark; fortunately for her, the man he sends - small-time crook and loner Mason - becomes infatuated with Bennett, and ends up killing his partner. Ophüls' noir melodrama, like his previous film, Caught, can be seen as a subtle, subversive critique of American ambitions and class-structures: in committing the moral and legal transgression of concealing a corpse, Bennett is merely protecting the comfort and respectability of her family life, and the irony is that Mason's self-sacrifice, made on her behalf, simply serves to preserve the status quo that has relegated him to the role of social outcast. This sense of waste, however, is implied rather than emphasized by Ophüls' elegant, low key direction, which counterpoints the stylization of Burnett Guffey's shadowy photography with long, mobile takes that stress the everyday reality of the milieu. A marvelous, tantalizing thriller, it also features never-better performances from Mason and Bennett. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: October 17th, 1949
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Second Sight (The Max Ophuls Collection) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Carlotta - Region 2 - PAL vs. Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray
1) Second Sight (The Max Ophuls Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT2) Carlotta - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray RIGHT
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Box Covers |
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Coming out in November 2020, by Indicator on Blu-ray without the booklet: or you buy directly from their website: |
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Distribution |
Second Sight Region 2 - PAL |
Carlotta Region 2 - PAL |
Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
All 4 Second Sight Ophuls Films/DVD | |||
Runtime | 1:18:40 (4% PAL Speedup) | 1:18:40 (4% PAL Speedup) | 1:22:03.335 |
Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1. 33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 45,510,841,898 bytesFeature: 25,565,273,472 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.97 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
Second Sight (The Max Ophuls Collection) |
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Bitrate:
Carlotta
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Bitrate:
Blu-ray
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
English or French (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
LPCM Audio
English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio Undetermined 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit |
Subtitles | None | French | English (SDH), None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Second Sight Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 16 |
Release Information: Studio: Carlotta Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD Release Date: April
7th,2010 Chapters 16 |
Release Information: Studio: Indicator
1. 33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 45,510,841,898 bytesFeature: 25,565,273,472 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.97 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• Making an American Movie (2010, 44:04): an
in-depth analysis by Lutz Bacher, author of Max Ophuls in the Hollywood
Studios
Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 10 |
Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
Indicator bring the world premiere of Max Ophuls "The Reckless
Moment" to a dual-layered
Blu-ray
with a max'ed out bitrate. It improves dramatically over the DVD in all
the anticipated areas - more grain texture, better layered contrast and
notably more information in the frame. The image is now not as squeezed
with the elongated facial distortions of the SD transfer - and it now
looks more realistic. The 1080P
resolution exports a much more film-like presentation with texture.
There are a couple of less stellar sequences that can tend to look frail
and thin, but overall this is a massive improvement over SD. I was
extremely pleased. *** Update: Carlotta: May 2010: Carlotta's recent release of Ophul's noir stacks up nicely against the 2006 Second Sight edition, but does suffer from some image problems. In some ways, the prints look identical, but the Carlotta disc is a shade or two softer and has a few noticeable artifacts. Nowhere is this more obvious than straight lines. Where as the Second Sight disc has no problems with them, the Carlotta often suffers from a bad case of the jaggies probably a compression issue due to the disc having more supplements. I suspect that the audio is largely the same, but we do get the choice of a French track and English subtitles now. Finally, the Todd Haynes intro is here (renamed "Maternal Overdrive'), but the still and commentary have been replaced with a great documentary. After watching both discs, I can say that the superior image on the Second Sight disc makes it the one to choose, but the wonderful documentary may make Ophuls fans think about taking the double dip. *** ON THE SECOND SIGHT: Strong progressive image with only a few minute scratches and blemishes. Contrast and detail are very acceptable and there is some light grain in spots. I would have appreciated optional subtitles, but the audio track is clean and clear enough that dialogue is consistent and easy to decipher.Todd Haynes gives a great introduction impressing with his in-depth knowledge of the Ophuls and The Reckless Moment and how he paid homage with characters names in his own films. The Lutz Bacher commentary was very interesting as well, although I'd have loved to hear Haynes as backup. I'm very appreciative that this and the other Ophuls DVDs came out - quality is better than I anticipated and the films are must-owns for serious films fans. We recommend! |
DVD Menus
(Second Sight (The Max Ophuls
Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Carlotta - Region 2 -
PAL - RIGHT)
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Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
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ubtitle Sample - Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray
1) Second Sight (The Max Ophuls Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Carlotta - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Second Sight (The Max Ophuls Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Carlotta - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Second Sight (The Max Ophuls Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Carlotta - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Second Sight (The Max Ophuls Collection) - Region 2 - PAL - TOP2) Carlotta - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE 3) Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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Box Covers |
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Coming out in November 2020, by Indicator on Blu-ray without the booklet: or you buy directly from their website: |
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Distribution |
Second Sight Region 2 - PAL |
Carlotta Region 2 - PAL |
Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Shades of Noir: A
Reader by Joan Copjec |
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 |
Film Noir by Alain Silver |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films
of the Classic Era, 1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
Detours and Lost Highways:
A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
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