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USA 1948
| "Berlin Express (1948) is really two
movies - one in the background, the other in the
foreground," proclaimed a May 3, 1948 Timemagazine review.
The movie in the foreground is a fairly typical Hollywood
plot about Nazis and a kidnapped international leader. It
stars Robert Ryan as an American officer who's teamed up
with a Brit (played by Robert Coote), a Russian Lieutenant
(Roman Toporow) and a French secretary (Merle Oberon) to
rescue peace movement champion Paul Lukas from the Nazis.
The second movie serves primarily as a backdrop, but stands
more importantly as a historical document. Interspersed in
the post-war intrigue, is actual post-war footage of Berlin
and Frankfurt, making Berlin Express the first Hollywood
production allowed into Germany after the war. And Lucien
Ballard's stark cinematography of urban ruin is often as
fascinating as the story it supports. The idea for Berlin Express came from a Life article about an army train moving through the Russian Sector of the city. Producer Bert Granet worked with writers Curt Siodmak and Harold Medford to develop the story. On the surface a simple rescue yarn, the movie also serves as an allegory for Allied cooperation. The choice of the characters' nationalities is obviously symbolic. Each player represents one arm of the Allied forces. The Big Four, whose combined efforts won the war, must work together in this movie to free Paul Lukas and thus further the peace process. |
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Theatrical Release: 1 May 1948 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Warner Home Video (Warner Archive Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC
Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!
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| Distribution |
Warner Home Video Region 0 - NTSC |
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| Runtime | 1:26:31 | |
| Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | Dolby Digital 2.0 (English) | |
| Subtitles | None | |
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Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 9 |
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| Comments |
Warner Archive disc has a very strong transfer with limited damage on the print. Contrast is better than I anticipated and the audio is quite acceptable as well. Detail is surprisingly good.
Unfortunately, as for all Archive discs, there is no closed captioning or subtitles. Presently, we don't have French or Spanish release to compare to those releases. |
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| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution |
Warner Home Video Region 0 - NTSC |
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Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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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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