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(aka "Shadow of Treason" or "Ring of Treason")

 

Directed by Robert Tronson
UK 1964

 

There have always been spies men and women who have pried for patriotism, for religion, for love... or for money. This tense drama is based on the true story of the Portland spy ring an unlikely Soviet operation that took place in southern England during the late 1950s/early '60s. Directed by Robert Tronson and starring Bernard Lee, William Sylvester, Margaret Tyzack and David Kossoff, Ring of Spies is featured here as a brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.

An antiquarian bookseller and his wife; a disgruntled, hard-drinking naval clerk and the lonely secretary he recruits; a polished Soviet agent who assumes the identity of a dead Canadian citizen... the players in a familiar Cold War duel between Soviet intelligence and British counter-espionage and a trade in deadly secrets directed from a bungalow in suburban Ruislip, hidden for years from unsuspecting neighbours and British spycatchers.

***

A dissatisfied Navy clerk begins handling secret documents when he is approached by secret Soviet intelligence to hand over documents to them. Although he is being blackmailed, he agrees to do so while also being paid for the information. He begins an affair with the secretary who also has access to greater secret documents. Together, the couple continue to procure information for Soviet intelligence while getting paid. Soon, the British government gets wind of their betrayal.

Excerpt from Wikipedia located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 24th, 1964

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Review: Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Bonus Captures:
Distribution Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:30:29.833       
Video

1.66:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 20,627,206,232 bytes

Feature: 18,993,168,384 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.93 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

LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Network

 

1.66:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 20,627,206,232 bytes

Feature: 18,993,168,384 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.93 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Theatrical Trailer (2:59)
• Image Gallery


 Blu-ray Release Date: September 21st, 2020
 Transparent Blu-ray Case i

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Network Blu-ray (September 2020): Network have transferred Robert Tronson's Ring of Spies to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "brand-new High Definition remaster from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio". It looks fairly consistent - more of Network's pragmatic transfers - single-layered with a supportive bitrate. Detail advancing upon SD and improved contrast layering in 1080P but nothing dynamic looking. There are no issues with damage or digitization.

NOTE: We have added 40 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Network use a linear PCM dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. There aren't a lot of aggressive effects being a more cerebral espionage yarn and no credited score but plenty of classical sampling music such as Oskar Sala's Trautonium Music, Dvorák's "New World Symphony", Tchaikovsky "The Nutcracker", Beethoven's "Symphony No.5" and Verdi's "Aida" sounding beautiful in the uncompressed. Network offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Network Blu-ray offers only a theatrical trailer and image gallery as supplements. This is a shame as the film deserved more - it's a superior effort for this crime-spy-drama genre, imo.

The passive docudrama style of Ring of Spies gives it an air of authenticity if mundane pacing. Nice to see Bernard Lee again outside of 'M' in the first eleven James Bond films.
NOTE: In January 1972 Bernard Lee lost his first wife, Gladys Merredew, in a fire at their seventeenth-century home in Kent. In February of that same year Lee was mugged and robbed by two youths. These events caused Lee to sink into depression and become a heavy drinker. He was unable to find work for a couple of years, incurring mounting debts. By chance he met Richard Burton in a pub. When he heard the story of Lee's difficulties, he gave him a cheque for $6,000 to clear his debts. Burton's gift helped Lee overcome his depression and continue acting in film.

Ring of Spies is a good film, if not the type of aggressive-actioner some may have preferred. It may be mildly reminiscent of The Falcon and the Snowman. The Network Blu-ray is at their usual standard for a/v and is essentially bare-bones. Worth a 'boo' for those who may be keen on this style of modestly-paced Brit espionage drama.

Gary Tooze

 

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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


 


 

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