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

88 Films Blu-ray (November 2026): 88 Films’ transfer of Time Without Pity appears to come from the same master as the Indicator. It’s also on a dual-layered disc, but with a slightly lower video bitrate than the Indicator. That gap makes no visible difference. In my side-by-side captures the two look the same in framing, contrast, density of the black levels and the heavy, textured grain. If anything, I would need to toggle back and forth for a long time to spot any separation. Like the Indicator, the 1080P shows depth and nicely layered contrast in Freddie Francis’ noir-heavy cinematography, and any light surface scratches remain unobtrusive. This is a strong HD presentation, matching the earlier release.

NOTE: We have added 68 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

88 Films use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It is the same mono audio as the Indicator’s single-channel 24-bit track, just spread across two channels, and I heard no difference. Tristram Cary’s score still adds drama and sounds clean and effective in the uncompressed track. There are optional English subtitles on their Region ‘B’ Blu-ray.

On extras, 88 Films Blu-ray includes an excellent new audio commentary by Troy Howarth (So Deadly, So Perverse: Giallo-Style Films From Around the World, Vol. 3,) who is always well-researched and informative. A new piece, A Merciless Thriller, runs over 20 minutes with Melanie Williams discussing Time Without Pity. They also carry over the same 1/4 hour The Sins of the Father interview with Gavrik Losey, son of the director, found on the Indicator. They do not include Indicator’s 1973 John Player Lecture with Joseph Losey, the Neil Sinyard commentary, the Horlicks commercial or the 40-page booklet. Their package offers a reversible sleeve with new art by Sean Longmore.

The Indicator has more in total and is region free, with the Losey lecture and Sinyard commentary as highlights. The 88 Films Blu-ray adds a fresh commentary and the Melanie Williams (David Lean - British Film-Makers,) piece, which are worthwhile for fans who already own the Indicator and want more analysis. Anyone who missed the out-of-print Indicator limited edition can buy the 88 Films with confidence, since the film looks and sounds just as impressive.

Joseph Losey (The Damned, Secret Ceremony) came out of the blacklist swinging, and Time Without Pity is fueled by that anger, a ticking-clock thriller that is also a furious cry against capital punishment. Michael Redgrave (Dead of Night) is extraordinary as the trembling, alcoholic father fighting both the bottle and the clock to save his condemned son, and Leo McKern (X the Unknown) is a boisterous, frightening bully as the auto tycoon we know to be the killer from the very first scene. Ann Todd (Taste of Fear), Peter Cushing (The Beast Must Die) and Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny) round out a superb British cast. Freddie Francis' (The Elephant Man) stark black-and-white photography, full of shadows, mirrors and ever-present clocks, and Tristram Cary's (Town on Trial, Blood From the Mummy's Tomb, Quatermass and the Pit) jagged score, backed by that relentless ticking, keep the pressure building to a bleak, unforgettable climax. With echoes of Rudolph Maté's D.O.A., this is a key Brit-Noir. As for the discs, the Indicator and 88 Films Blu-rays appear to share the same master and look and sound essentially identical. The Indicator limited edition is now out of print, so the 88 Films is the easiest way to own this film on Blu-ray, and buyers lose nothing in image or audio. It is Region 'B', and it lacks the Losey lecture, the Neil Sinyard commentary and Indicator's booklet, but it adds a new Troy Howarth commentary and Melanie Williams' appreciation, making it worthwhile even for those who already own the Indicator. Anyone who finds the Region FREE Indicator at a fair price on the secondary market still gets the more complete package. Either way, Time Without Pity earns a strong recommendation.

***

Indicator Blu-ray (October 2019): Indicator have transferred Joseph Losey's Noir-suspense-crime-mystery Time Without Pity to Blu-ray. It looks gorgeous on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. The 1080P shows frequent depth, beautifully layered contrast and some heavy, textured, grain that I appreciated. There may be a few surface scratches but they are not impinging on this sweet HD presentation. All good from Indicator again.

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It has a score by Tristram Cary (Town on Trial, Blood From the Mummy's Tomb, Quatermass and the Pit) that adds drama - sounding effective in the uncompressed track. Indicator offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray has extras. While the film plays you can listen to a 1973 John Player Lecture with Joseph Losey as the the celebrated filmmaker is in conversation with film critic Dilys Powell at London’s National Film Theatre for 80-minutes. The audio quality is weak but stated as such as a caveat before playing. I turned the volume up to fully appreciate the conversation. What is also very educational is the new audio commentary with Neil Sinyard, co-author of British Cinema in the 1950s: A Celebration. I am really enjoying his insights and analysis - a great addition to this package. The Sins of the Father is a new (2019) 1/4 hour video piece with filmmaker Gavrik Losey, son of Joseph Losey, discussing Time Without Pity, it's production and importance in the great director's oeuvre. There is a short, Horlicks vintage commercial for the malted milk drink, directed by Losey. The package has a limited edition exclusive 40-page booklet with a new essay by Robert Murphy, Joseph Losey on Time Without Pity, Jeff Billington on the MacMahonists and Time Without Pity, an overview of critical responses, and film credits. This is limited to 3,000 copies.

Joseph Losey's Time Without Pity has elements of Rudolph Maté's D.O.A. (what can be the reason this is not on Blu-ray?) with a focus on time (ticking frequently heard in the background) and there are many shots of reflections through glass or in mirrors. I loved it. I am so happy to own this film on Blu-ray. A key Brit Noir and we give it a very strong recommendation! Woohoo! 

Gary Tooze