Sleep My Love - Claudette Colbert

(aka 'Schlingen der Angst ')

Directed by Douglas Sirk
USA 1948

This is the old Gaslight plot about a husband trying to get his wife to believe she's going mad so he can acquire her money and marry his mistress, but it is not as hackneyed as this sounds. The screenplay is full of unexpected twists and Sirk's direction has some exciting Hitchcockian touches, with a cliffhanging climax against the background of Brooklyn Bridge. Usually seen in more lightweight fare, Colbert and Ameche are suitably angst-ridden and smooth respectively. He is giving her hypnotic drugs while carrying on with seductive Brooks. Coulouris, behind thick spectacles, makes a sinister phoney psychiatrist.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Poster

Theatrical Release: February 16th, 1948

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DVD Review: Kinowelt - Region 2, 8 - PAL

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Kinowelt Home Entertainment - Region 2, 8 - PAL
Runtime	1:31:42
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.44 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital mono), DUB: German (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	German, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kinowelt Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by Marek Bringezu (in German) • Photo Gallery • Biographies (in German), Sirk, Colbert, Ameche DVD Release Date: April 27th, 2007 Transparent Keep Case Chapters: 12

Comments:

Kinowelt have done an admirable job with this older film that was probably not in the best of condition. The bitrate indicates it may be from an analog source but it still looks quite acceptable. It is a progressive and dual-layered transfer showing some blemishes - mostly speckles - and digital noise in spots. The film is offered in its original mono English with optional Deutsche DUB (and subtitles). There is a commentary (in German only), a stills gallery and some text screen bios (in German again).

The movie is a superb old-fashioned film noir brimming with atmosphere and less-than-subtle suspense ploys. I loved the characters and lead performances. Supporting players are efficient as well with Burr as the suspiciously quiet detective and Hazel Brooks is a pure femme fatale (by anyone's definition!) half the time dressed in a negligee.