Secret Beyond the Door Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

USA 1947

Secret Beyond the Door was émigré Fritz Lang's unique contribution to this melodramatic cycle that reached its peak in Hollywood in that tumultuous decade. Working in a genre that might be dismissed as a "weepie" or a "woman's picture" by some of Lang's contemporaries, this movie was adapted from mystery writer Rufus King's magazine story by the director and Silvia Richards, a journeyman radio writer who had gained recognition for the script for Joan Crawford's psychologically insightful Possessed (1947). Not surprisingly for a director who blended psychology credibly into many of his best films, such as M (1931) and Ministry of Fear (1944), the mental state of his stressed characters often took center stage. Richards, whose emphasis on narration may have reflected her radio-writing roots, may have been too intimidated by her distinguished mentor's determination to craft an intellectually challenging movie that was also an unusual and sinister romance--a kind of "boy meets girl" story, Lang-style.

Excerpt from TCM located HERE

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Joan Bennett is the woman who falls for an architect and promptly marries him, not asking as many questions about his past as she should have done. She soon discovers that he has a few skeletons in his cupboard, maybe even literally. Determined to find out the secret beyond the door of his mansion, she soon believes herself to be in mortal danger.

Another of the Freudian thrillers that were so in fashion in the 1940s, director Lang manages to turn on the suspense but is more interested in the art of film-making than what makes his protagonist tick.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 21st, 1947

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:38:52.676
Video	1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 34,175,570,988 bytes Feature: 31,756,019,712 bytes Video Bitrate: 38.90 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1556 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1556 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 34,175,570,988 bytes Feature: 31,756,019,712 bytes Video Bitrate: 38.90 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Alan K. Rode • Trailers Blu-ray Release Date: May 7th, 2024 Standard Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 9

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (May 2024): Kino have transferred Fritz Lang's Secret Beyond the Door to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "2022 HD Master by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan". We compared a Wild Side DVD to three Blu-rays, HERE, including the 2017 Arrow Four Film Noir Classics Limited Edition that had The Dark Mirror, Secret Beyond the Door..., Force of Evil, and The Big Combo. Kino's 1080P transfer has that softer perception we have seen from other 4K scans but the contrast is delineated beautifully despite black levels not being as pitch. It is also in the correct 1.37: and shows more information on the side edges and faces appear wider - or thinner, notably, on the Arrow Blu-ray. I obviously can't tell you which is most authentic but, overall, the Kino looked very impressive on my system. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate.

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

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Secret Beyond the Door has few aggressive moments with most of the intensity coming from the dramatic score by the iconic Miklós Rózsa (Eye of the Needle, The Killers, The Lost Weekend, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Double Indemnity) and its an excellent part of the film experience highlighting suspense, sounding deep and rich in the uncompressed. I couldn't notice any significant differences from Arrow's (24-bit) uncompressed audio transfer. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray includes a new commentary by Alan K. Rode (author of Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy.) Now, the Arrow Blu-ray also had a commentary by Alan but this Kino one is newly recorded - having much of the similar analysis - discussing Lang, one of my favorite Noir gals, Joan Bennett, her husband, producer, Walter Wanger and details of the production and the participants careers. Rode is one of the absolute best for 'Dark Cinema' commentaries. There are also trailers for The Woman in the Window, The Mad Doctor, The Web, Alias Nick Beal, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Love Letters, So Evil My Love and Human Desire but none for Secret Beyond the Door.

Fritz Lang's Secret Beyond the Door is a 'Freudian film noir' cum 'psychological thriller' that echoes Hitchcock's Rebecca and the French folktale of Bluebeard. It's a, far-fetched, slow build where Celia (Joan Bennett) succumbs to a whirlwind romance with a mysterious architect named Mark (Michael Redgrave)... and damning truths are slowly revealed. Secret Beyond the Door... is one of the most atmospheric and shadowy dark cinema yarns with magnificent cinematography by Stanley Cortez (The Night of the Hunter) showcasing curious silhouettes, foggy forests and dimly lit hallways. At the height of her camera appeal, Joan Bennett has multiple attractive outfits allowing posing flirtations while her character embraces serious suspicions about her recent marriage. Flashbacks, a fantasy courtroom, a wealthy heiress, murderous history and a compulsive husband spell Noir delight. The Kino Blu-ray has a 4K scan and new commentary. Essential for devotees.