NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (September 2022): Kino have transferred Mark Robson's Bright Victory to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New 2K Master". It's on a single-layered disc with a supportive bitrate. The image is good, but not great with some inconsistencies occasionally looking soft. I suspect it is the print - which is surprisingly clean. Contrast has some nice layering and there are visible grain textures. It's obviously a pleasing notch ahead of SD.

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On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Bright Victory has an early aggressive scene with German sniper fire although the majority of the film is fairly passive audio-wise. The score is by Frank Skinner (Back Street, The Sleeping City, The World in His Arms, Arabian Nights, The Lady Gambles, The Appaloosa, Madame X, Magnificent Obsession, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, All That Heaven Allows, Thunder Bay, and The Naked City) and supports the film well through its dramatic moods via the lossless transfer. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani (co-author of Fantastic Television: A Pictorial History of Sci-Fi, the Unusual and Fantastic From Captain Video to the Star Trek Phenomenon and Beyond...), He does a good job tracing the cast's career's - previous and future work - finding differences from Mark Robson's Bright Victory to the Baynard Kendrick novel and much more... There are also some trailers although none for this film.

Mark Robson's Bright Victory covers the drama, romance and war genres. There should be comparisons to William Wyler's The Best Year of Our Lives dealing with a disabled soldier, struggling with his life-altering condition as he returns home. Like Wyler's film this is also very touching and it is, likewise, an excellent movie. Aside from his interactions with his fiancée and a potential new love interest, there is an excellent sub-story about racism. Larry (Arthur Kennedy), once he's lost his sight develops a wonderful buddy-relationship with Joe (James Edwards) totally oblivious as to the color of his skin. Unknowingly, Larry utters a racial slur damaging their relationship. He analyses it with a friend afterward and is able to apologize much later in the film. Bright Victory is an intelligently realized effort from Robson. Where have I been that I have never seen it before? Thanks to the Kino Blu-ray, I thoroughly enjoyed my film experience and kudos to the included commentary.

Gary Tooze