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

ADDITION: Warner Archive Blu-ray (June 2023): Warner Archive have transferred Anthony Mann's Border Incident to Blu-ray.  

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Warner Archive use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Border Incident has aggression but it maintains the authentic mono flatness with a smidgeon of depth. The score was by the German-American pianist, composer, and conductor, André Previn (Irma La Duce, Bad Day At Black Rock, Dial 1119, Cause For Alarm!, The Fastest Gun Alive, Elmer Gantry, Long Day's Journey Into Night) and it supports the film's dramatic moments well in the lossless transfer. Warner Archive offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Warner Archive Blu-ray offers a the original commentary by film NYU professor Dana Polan (Power and Paranoia: History, Narrative, and the American Cinema, 1940-1950.) He challenges Border Incident's classification as a true Noir identifying a subtext of political populism. He also traces the careers of Mann and Alton and probes deeply exposing highly interesting details. It is excellent. There is also a theatrical trailer.

Anthony Mann's Border Incident was a less typical Western, centering on the smuggling of Mexican migrant workers across the border to California, but having the charismatic shadowy noir cinematographer by Hungarian-German born, master, John Alton. He's notable for so many from the cycle including, The Big Combo (1955,) The Amazing Mr. X (1948) and Mann's He Walked by Night (1948) and Raw Deal (1948) among many others. His work helps define the film and genre. Anthony Mann 'cut his teeth' on many low budget film noirs with short shooting schedules (ex. 1947's Railroaded! was shot in ten days) eventually collaborating on eight iconic westerns with Jimmy Stewart including Winchester '73 (1950), The Naked Spur (1953), and The Man from Laramie (1955.) Ricardo Montalbán is very good here although oft remembered for the TV shows Fantasy Island, as Mr. Roarke, and Star Trek's dastardly villain, Khan Noonien Singh - a role he would recreate in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. His career spanned seven decades. Border Incident is an essential Noir, with 'procedural' cycle leanings, and has vast, desolate, landscapes embracing a rugged, less-forgiving, western genre effort. This bleakness advances the 'dark cinema' inclusion with desperation often at the crux of the character's anxieties. The Warner Archive Blu-ray has a very appreciative a/v bump and the older, but highly worthy, Polan commentary. It's a film that is still worthy of multiple spins. Absolutely recommended to digital librarians everywhere.

Gary Tooze