Accident Blu-ray - Dirk Bogarde

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Joseph Losey
UK 1967

From Joseph Losey, the legendary director of The Prowler, The Criminal, The Servant, Accident, Eva, Secret Ceremony and Figures in a Landscape, comes this classic melodrama with a screenplay by the great Harold Pinter (The Birthday Party, The Pumpkin Eater, The Homecoming). When one of his students is killed in a car accident, an Oxford professor (Dirk Bogarde, The Mind Benders) recounts the circumstances of their meeting. But as these turbulent memories unfold, they reveal a series of shocking relationships betrayed by adultery, obsession and self-destruction in which nothing is what it seems and everything has its cost. Accident was the second of three brilliant collaborations between filmmaker Losey and playwright Pinter; the first was the 1963 masterpiece The Servant and the third, the 1971 classic The Go-Between. Stanley Baker (Robbery), Michael York (Logan's Run), Vivien Merchant (The Maids), Jacqueline Sassard (Les Biches), Delphine Seyrig (Last Year at Marienbad), Alexander Knox (Wilson) and Freddie Jones (Juggernaut) co-star in this stunning 1967 drama that Newsweek called “like a punch in the chest.” Based on a novel by Nicholas Mosley (The Assassination of Trotsky) and beautifully shot by Gerry Fisher (Man on Fire, The Offence).

***

The complex relationships among an Oxford professor, one of his students, and the young woman who captivates both of them is the subject of this difficult but rewarding drama. Director Joseph Losey and writer Harold Pinter had previously collaborated on 1963's The Servant, and they surrounded this recasting of a Nicholas Mosley novel with a similar atmosphere of ominous mystery. The story is presented through flashbacks and disconnected memories that trace the characters' interactions. Though the mood is occasionally brightened by satirical views of the academic world, the overall effect is rather somber, concerned with missed opportunities, unhealthy obsessions, and unavoidable regret. Dirk Bogarde superbly captures the pensive professor's torment, with able support from Jacqueline Sassard and Michael York as the younger couple.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 9th, 1967

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Also available on Blu-ray in the UK from Studio Canal
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:46:09.780
Video	1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 35,397,562,176 bytes Feature: 33,266,890,752 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.92 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1554 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1554 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 35,397,562,176 bytes Feature: 33,266,890,752 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.92 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger • Theatrical Trailer (3:12 - SD) Blu-ray Release Date: February 18th, 2020 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 12

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (February 2020): Kino have transferred Joseph Losey's Accident to Blu-ray. It also came out on BD from Studio Canal in the UK in 2013, HERE. I don't have that to compare, but I can't imagine it looks any better than this US 1080P transfer which is quite impressive with deep black levels, texture, rich colors and very pleasing visuals in the 1.66:1 frame. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate and the image quality is top-shelf looking fabulous on my system.

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original English language. Outside of the car accident in the first few minutes there are few requirements for depth. It has a score by John Dankworth (Perfect Friday, 10 Rillington Place, Sands of the Kalahari, The Last Grenade, The Magus, Losey's The Criminal and The Servant among his credits) sounding effective in the lossless. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray we are privileged to get another revealing audio commentary by one of our favorites, Kat Ellinger. She describes how Accident is extremely faithful to Pinter's play - only one line change at Pinter's wife's (Vivien Merchant) request and agreed to by Pinter. She discusses the prevalent class themes, Kat finds Accident more akin to a European Art Film, that Pinter is difficult to translate beyond the stage as it loses something in translation and significantly more about the cast and production details. Kat's a huge fan of Losey - especially the Pinter collaborations. It is a rewarding listen that adds value to the Kino Blu-ray. There is also an SD trailer.

Accident has Joseph Losey's unique understated dramatic expression. Perhaps my favorite of the Pinter collaborations - "The Servant" (1963), which I also enjoy more each viewing, and "The Go-Between" (1971) being the other two. Accident is a moody, dark exploration of the human condition with themes of dissatisfaction, desire and indifference. Kino have produced another strong Blu-ray that we can certainly recommend!