Review by Gary Tooze

 

Production:

Theatrical: RKO Radio Pictures

Video: HD Cinema Classics

 

Disc:

Region: FREE! (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:34:58.150

Disc Size: 17,247,871,853 bytes

Feature Size: 16,634,990,592 bytes

Video Bitrate: 21.56 Mbps

Chapters: 12

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: February 15th, 2011

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 matted to 1.78

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Audio:

Dolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

 

Subtitles:

Spanish, none

 

Extras:

• Restoration Demonstration (split screen - 1:14 in 1080P)

• Trailer (1:06 in 1080P)

• Postcard with the poster

• DVD of the film included

 

Bitrate:

 

 

Description: This package includes a Blu-Ray and DVD of The Stranger, in which an ex-Nazi war criminal assumes a new identity and a new life in suburban America following World War II. But an agent from the U.N. s War Crimes Commission is on his tail, threatening to expose the lurid past and true identity he keeps secret. Orson Welles directs and stars as Charles Rankin, a professor residing in a quiet Connecticut town with his new American wife, Mary (Loretta Young). Rankin has held strong to his fascist ideals but left nary a shred of evidence, not even a photograph, to identify him as the notorious Franz Kindler. Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson), the man determined to find him, has a plan. But when that plan disappears in the woods, Wilson is left with little hope of convincing the townspeople, or Kindler s naive new wife, who this stranger in their midst really is.

 

 

The Film:

The legendary story that hovers over Orson Welles's The Stranger is that he wanted Agnes Moorehead to star as the dogged Nazi hunter who trails a war criminal to a sleepy New England town. The part went to E.G. Robinson, who is marvelous, but it points out how many compromises Welles made on the film in an attempt to show Hollywood he could make a film on time, on budget, and on their own terms. He accomplished all three, turning out a stylish if unambitious film noir thriller, his only Hollywood film to turn a profit on its original release. Welles stars as unreformed fascist Franz Kindler, hiding as a schoolteacher in a New England prep school for boys and newly married to the headmaster's lovely if naive daughter (Loretta Young). Welles the director is in fine form for the opening sequences, casting a moody tension as agents shadow a twitchy low-level Nazi official skulking through South American ports and building up to dramatic crescendo as Kindler murders this little man, the lovely woods becoming a maelstrom of swirling leaves that expose the body he furiously tries to bury. The rest of film is a well-designed but conventional cat-and-mouse game featuring an eye-rolling performance by Welles and a thrilling conclusion played out in the dark clock tower that looms over the little village.

Excerpt from Sean Axmaker's review at Amazon located HERE

 

***

"Not considered by Welles to be one of his finer efforts, and made only as a studio concession, 'The Stranger' still has elements of film-noir greatness, both behind the camera and in front as a more svelte thespian than in his later years. Edward G. Robinson as the doggedly pursuing detective using his strong instincts to ferret out a hiding ex-Nazi war criminal in a sleepy US small-town. Loretta Young looks great even if the soft-focus on her close-ups seems a trifle heavy. I enjoyed it immensely and the final clock-tower sequence is yet another element that sets it, and Welles, apart from his peers."

Gary W. Tooze

Excerpt from TCM located HERE

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

The Stranger appears very soft - akin to a DNR-like waxi-ness - and has no texture on Blu-ray from Home Cinema Classics.  Actually, on my system this looked better than I was anticipating but I suggest the 'restoration' should have avoided over-digitization. This is more readily apparent in the comparison we have done with 7 different DVDs and this Blu-ray of the film located HERE. Grain make look rougher but it shows the integrity of the film and gives it substance - it's missing here. This is only single-layered - although a decent bitrate - and while showing sparks of taking advantage of the high-res format - it is just too soft/smooth to fully endorse visually. There is no depth and the image quality remains notably flat although it is very clean (probably terranex'ed). Contrast has some flaring - it is too bright in many spots. This may have been the only print they had available and being a PD film there are plenty of inferior ones around. While disappointing in some regards - I could see the potential of being this to Blu-ray - with more effort (or less effort) in the transfer process. On the positive - while it has its flaws - I did enjoy the film (again) very much via this progressive presentation. Depending on the system this may be the best we are likely to get for this cast-off film by Welles (that I love!).

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overly bright

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio :

No lossless - and that is another point against. The 5.1 bump is accompanied by a 2.0 channel stereo option. The former actually sounded okay but this is a missed opportunity when it could have been a buoyant linear PCM track. The sound is a bit hazy but reasonably consistent providing an unremarkable aural presentation. Strangely, Spanish subtitles are an option (No English) in a bright, gaudy yellow font (see sample in the comparison HERE). My Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

 

Extras :

Supplements consist of a split screen comparison demonstration - that, frankly. doesn't who too much even though it is in 1080P. There is an HD trailer and the case contains a nice postcard with the film poster on it and they have included a DVD of the film in the package.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Yes, this is a little cheesy but I am still a big fan - despite Welles' dismissal. Performances are strong - Loretta Young is always ravishing and Edward G. is great. I wish, Welles had redone this film to his own satisfaction and I feel the same way about the Blu-ray - only to MY satisfaction. This was pretty interesting to revisit in this format but the best thing about it is the price. Fans of the film, less sensitive to DNR, will probably give this a spin. 

Gary Tooze

February 4th, 2011