Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

10 Rillington Place Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 8, 2016

Richard Fleischer's "10 Rillington Place" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of courtesy of French label Carlotta Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new featurette with director Christoph Gans; new featurette with actress Judy Geeson; and new video introduction by film historian Nicolas Saada. In English, with optional French subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Breathe!

It is pretty incredible that this true monster, John Reginald Christie, actually managed to convince all these innocent women that he could help them feel better before he killed them. I don’t know what they saw in him, or what they heard that made them believe him. This creep also outsmarted the detectives that were investigating Beryl Evans’ death, and then the prosecutor and all the jury members that listened to him speak in court. It is quite unbelievable, really, because there were so many red flags and yet somehow no one was able to see them.

Richard Fleischer's film 10 Rillington Place begins with a very disturbing sequence in which John (Richard Attenborough, The Angry Silence) is seen gassing and then brutally killing one of his victims. Shortly after, Timothy Evans (John Hurt, Midnight Express) and his wife Beryl (Judy Geeson, To Sir, With Love) agree to rent a tiny apartment in the same building where John and his wife (Pat Heywood) live. Timothy and Beryl can barely make ends meet and when she casually reveals that she is pregnant again he goes berserk and promptly gets drunk in a local pub; then a few hours later he returns and kicks out her best friend who has been invited to spend the night at their place. In the middle of the chaos, John discovers how incredibly easy it is to manipulate Timothy and decides that his pregnant wife ought to be his next victim. A few days later, he convinces Timothy to let him help Beryl get rid of the growing fetus in her belly.

But John kills and rapes Beryl and then tells her naïve and illiterate husband that the 'operation' did not go as planned. The creep also makes him believe that the best thing for both of them would be to hide the Beryl’s body and give her baby to a foster home. Timothy ends up spending a few days with relatives in Wales pretending that he is location scouting for his boss, but after they become suspicious he decides to inform the authorities that his wife has suddenly disappeared. The rest of the film shows what an incredibly dangerous chameleon John was and how remarkably stupid the people that signed off Timothy’s death sentence were.

I have to admit that 10 Rillington Place ranks amongst the most disturbing films about serial killers that I have ever seen. There are a couple of reasons why. First, it accurately reconstructs a series of shocking real events that very easily could have been prevented. Second, Attenborough is nothing short of sensational. The way he talks, looks straight into the camera, and even the way he breathes made me feel very uncomfortable. For the duration of the film he really becomes the predator that killed and raped the poor women that trusted him with their bodies. It is very odd that a performance of this caliber did not earn Attenborough at least an Oscar nomination.

Hurt is equally convincing as the clueless husband who even during the big trial at the end cannot quite comprehend why he is seen as the killer. Geeson does not have too many opportunities to impress, but that short sequence in which her character suddenly realizes that the man on top of her isn’t trying to help her but is getting ready to kill her is genuinely horrifying.

Denys Coop’s (This Sporting Life, Billy Liar) camera movement is simple but just perfect for the desired period atmosphere. Also, virtually the entire film was shot at the real 10 Rillington Place where the murders were committed during the 1940s and early 1950s.

10 Rillington Place Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Richard Fleischer's 10 Rillington Place arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Carlotta Films.

The release is sourced from the same excellent 4K master that British labels Indicator/Powerhouse Films accessed for its local release. It was prepared by Sony Pictures and I think that it is excellent. The entire film looks incredibly healthy and the visuals boast the type of outstanding depth that we have come to expect from recent 4K restorations and remasters. Folks with large TV screens and projectors will be especially pleased with the presentation because fluidity is simply wonderful. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

10 Rillington Place Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional French SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. (The subtitles can be turned via the remote control).

It is very clear that the entire audio has been fully remastered. Depth and clarity are excellent and from the opening to the final credits balance is excellent. Overall dynamic intensity is modest, but there are plenty of wonderful nuances that should make an impression on folks who appreciate competent mixes.

10 Rillington Place Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - filmed video introduction by French film historian Nicolas Saada. In French, not subtitled. (8 min).

• The Discreet Auteur - Richard Fleischer - in this brand new featurette, dierctor Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Crying Freeman) discusses the production history of 10 Rillington Place and its unique style and atmosphere. The featurette was produced by Allerton Films. In French, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Being Beryl - in this new featurette, Judy Geeson recalls how she prepared to play Beryl Evans, the simple yet very authentic visual style of 10 Rillington Place, John Hurt's performance, Richard Attenborough's magnificent character transformation, Dick Fleischer's working methods, the real locations where the film was shot, etc. The featurette was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory. In English, with optional French subtitles. (23 min).

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for 10 Rillington Place. In English, with optional French subtitles. (4 min).

10 Rillington Place Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Carlotta Films' new release of Richard Fleischer's 10 Rillington Place is sourced from Sony Pictures' excellent recent 4K master. I like it a lot and fairly certain that it will remain the definitive one for this excellent but quite disturbing film. This release has a very good new exclusive featurette with director Christoph Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Crying Freeman), but it is entirely in French. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.