ADDITION: Warner Archive - Region FREE- Blu-ray - March 18': This Noir masterpiece is put to a bare-bones release from Warner. It remains in the 2.0:1 Superscope aspect ratio but shows a bit less on the top and slightly more on the bottom of the frame than Warner's previous DVD. The resolution certainly improves over the SD transfers. The debate will continue about the 'composed' aspect ratio over the 'theatrically presented' aspect ratio but I am leaning to the 1.33:1 having superior composition for the Ernest Laszlo cinematography. The 1080P has layered contrast and shows grain texture. It looks very good but can be inconsistent and soft at times - which may be accurate to its production roots. I don't know.  

DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono for the audio (24-bit) and the occasionally lively score is by Herschel Burke Gilbert (Witness to Murder, Riot in Cell Block 11, The Thief) and it benefits from the lossless transfer sounding quite intense at times. The presentation offers optional yellow, English, subtitles and the Blu-ray disc is Region FREE.

Only a trailer when the film screams out for a commentary. I love the film, but the HD - superior in quality - is a part of an underwhelming package - yet we must own it with no signs of a more complete Blu-ray release in the future, unless it comes from the UK or France.

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ADDITION: Warner Archive - June 11': The Warner Archive DVD is widescreen (almost exactly 2.0:1), is progressive and anamorphic, but single-layered and significantly softer. It also has some brightness boosting. It does show more information in the side edges of the frame. The Warner disc has the film without PAL speedup if that is an issue for some. There are no extras, not even the trailer that is available on Exposure disc.

This gives fans the option to weigh the value of the widescreen appearance via DVD. Unfortunately, it is not up to a high visual standard and has no subtitles. Noir and Lang fans can choose accordingly. 

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NOTE: The film is reported to have been shown in some theatres in 2:1 (Superscope) - a frequently unsupported ratio - but the DVD is in 1.33 - full frame. We've added a sample of the old LaserDisc to give you an idea of the framing... (Thanks David!) It doesn't lose any information on the sides and, for some, the 1.33 might be considered òpen matte`. This was a transitional period for widescreen and there were probably many theatres that showed While the City Sleeps in 1.33. Incidentally, Lang himself described 'Scope as 'Only for snakes and funerals'.

After many delays - pushed-back release dates - we were thinking this advertised edition was never going to come out.... or it would be another PD-quality disaster. I'm please to say though that this isn't too bad at all. It's dual-layered, progressive and the image quality is acceptable. Detail is surprisingly impressive at times but there is some green infiltration in the contrast. The only damage is frame specific speckles and light scratches that don't impinge viewing. Kind of impressive - especially considering what we were anticipating.

Audio is imperfect 2.0 channel but has no fatal flaws that could hurt your presentation. It actually comes with optional subtitles (sample below) - nice touch. The disc is coded for region 2 - in the PAL standard.

Extras include a Pressbook info snapshot, some stills and posters in galleries, and a rough theatrical trailer. Nothing extensive like a commentary but the effort is appreciated. Some of the posters are shown above.

'Fritz Lang + noir' are three words that mean instant purchase in my book. I'm just tickled that the transfer, source and disc details are as adept as they are. This is no 'Fox Noir' in terms of the package but the film definitely deserves your attention and UK company 'Exposure' have produced a disc very worthy of shelf space in the Noir section.

Addendum: The Exposure DVD is the only game in town and presently, I'm very satisfied with this 1.33 presentation.