A Patch of Blue Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

A Patch of Blue Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 12, 2019

Guy Green's A Patch of Blue is well over 50 years old at this point, but its timeless core story remains captivating and effective. Starring the incomparable Sydney Poitier and the late, great Elizabeth Hartman (who made her feature film debut here), it's the rare film that isn't dragged down by any weak links and, though still not quite perfect, has endured surprisingly well in almost every regard. Hartman portrays young Selina D'Arcey, a blind and uneducated teenager who might as well be Cinderella in the flesh. Forced to remain a literal house servant by her cruel mother Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters) and perpetually drunken grandfather "Ole Pa" (Wallace Ford), Selina is emotionally bullied, abused, and berated at almost every turn. There's one bright spot in her life, though: occasional trips to the local park, where she sits safely by her favorite tree and strings beads for hours on end. Things brighten up even more once she meets Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier), a well-educated black man who wants to lead Selina back into the light.

More than anything else, A Patch of Blue shows a harsh contrast between dark and light. Selina's interactions with her family -- more her captors, really -- are almost frustrating in their cruelty, which extend all the way back to scenes from her childhood via shadowy flashbacks. An early daydream of hers, in which she's healed of her blindness and enjoying a day outdoors, offers a nice breather from what seems like a wall of darkness that surrounds her life. She quickly becomes an easy figure to root for, having rarely received even a shred of respect from those supposed to be preparing her for adulthood. In contrast, Gordon is the first to treat her as a human being, acknowledging Selina's handicap while reminding her that she can still take control of her own life. Through simple lessons and kind words, he quickly becomes a valuable tutor...but since they're meeting in secret, Selina's new life coach can only take her so far. Those daydreams of hers, while pleasant in their own right, are no substitute for taking real action.

Even so, it's worth a reminder that Selina is not completely helpless. As in most iterations of Cinderalla, all that forced manual labor -- cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. -- has made her more than capable of living independently, and in a way that would clearly make her happier than her present situation. But the main problem is that she's been locked in a tower, as it were, and could easily escape if not for her handicap. Her best chance is the long leash she's given at home and in the park, where's Selina is left alone for hours on end since Rose-Ann and "Ole Pa" severely underestimate her physical determination and emotional endurance. Once Gordon helps Selina refine certain skills and offers her a shoulder to lean on when she fails, her confidence increases exponentially...and though it's doubtful he'll be able to stay her mentor forever, their shared moments stand in hopeful contrast to all the ugliness when they're apart.

The main sentiment, however, seems to be "love is blind". A Patch of Blue is as much about Gordon and Selina's most obvious differences, both of which obviously buck the trend maintained by less thoughtful films. And that's really the best word to describe this film: "thoughtful". It's full of clever little moments, interactions, and fundamental strengths that extend to the top-notch cinematography, music, and editing. As a total package, this is a near-perfect production that hasn't aged all that much during the last five decades, so it's great to know that Warner Archive Collection's new Blu-ray offers plenty of support from top to bottom. A Patch of Blue has never looked or sounded better than it does here, which is more than enough reason to revisit (or discover) this outstanding socially-charged drama.

A Patch of Blue Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I've reviewed dozens of Warner Archive Collection titles and own even more, and A Patch of Blue is right near the top of their best-looking discs. This 1080p transfer is advertised as a brand-new remaster; it's sourced from their recent 2K scan of a fine-grain master positive and has been cleaned up exceptionally well from top to bottom. Featuring expert black-and-white cinematography by Robert Burks (a frequent collaborator with Alfred Hitchcock, whose previous credits include Rear Window, Vertigo, and North by Northwest), A Patch of Blue is extremely well-lit and looks impressive without feeling too showy: from well-framed interior compositions to Selina's wistful daydream in the park, the film feels comfortable somewhere between slice-of-life realism and a deceptively heightened atmosphere. It's a great combination that's handled perfectly by WAC's Blu-ray: black levels, shadow detail, and contrast are all pitch-perfect, natural film grain is strong and stable, and there are no signs of troublesome black crush or white blooming, at least during moments where these "looks" weren't purely intentional. Better yet, WAC's thorough cleanup job yields stunning results without a trace of noise reduction, edge enhancement, or other such problems. Without question, A Patch of Blue is a knockout and already on my short list for one of the best-looking catalog titles released this year.

A Patch of Blue Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the audio restoration makes A Patch of Blue sound several decades younger than it actually is. Although I am unsure of the original materials used and sources available, the dialogue is particularly robust with absolutely no hiss, pops, crackles, or other notable defects. Even the high ends fare well with no apparent clipping, and the same goes for Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-nominated score. It's an early career highlight for the late, great composer, perfectly balancing the innocence of Selina with all the beauty, wonder, and chaos that comes into her life. Overall, this is easily one of the better mono tracks I've heard in recent memory and easily outpaces all other previous home video releases.

Optional English SDH subtitles have been included during the main feature, and...surprise, surprise, they're in standard format instead of all caps. Sure, they're still a garish hue of yellow, but this is still a step in the right direction.

A Patch of Blue Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As with all Warner Archive Blu-rays, A Patch of Blue includes extras from their parent company's DVD edition. The vintage promotional featurette "A Cinderella Named Elizabeth" appears to be newly rescued from MGM's vaults.

• Audio Commentary - This informative vintage track features late director Guy Green, who reveals a solid amount of first-hand information about the cast/crew and stories from the set. Unfortunately, there are a lot of pauses here; these really take away a lot of momentum at times and might limit this commentary to die-hard fans only. A moderator or second participant would have certainly helped, but this one's still worth a run-through in light of Green's 2005 death. Topics of discussion include adapting Elizabeth Kata's source novel Be Ready with Bells and Drums, shooting in Panavision, choosing black-and-white over color, casting the film, editing and cinematography, changing "shit" to "crap", special effects, differences between the film and novel, not getting final cut, the film's reception and legacy, musical themes, working with Sydney Poitier, and more.

• "A Cinderella Named Elizabeth" (6:34) - This vintage 1965 featurette was created as a promotional piece during A Patch of Blue's theatrical run. It mainly offers a quick overview of the production from actress Elizabeth Hartman's perspective including a screen test, glimpse of the set, and visit to Los Angeles' Braille Institute.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:01) - This classic trailer is in fairly rough condition but is one of the better efforts from that decade, effectively balancing praise for the film with clips that represent it well without too many spoilers. It's also available on YouTube here if you haven't seen it yet.

Note: Warner Bros.' 2003 DVD also included a photo gallery, but that extra has not been ported over.

A Patch of Blue Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Guy Green's thoughtful and timeless drama A Patch of Blue remains extremely potent and socially relevant more than 50 years after its original release, expertly combining great performances with a simple, character-driven story that still speaks volumes. Sydney Poitier and newcomer Elizabeth Hartman carry the film's quietly effective moments, while Shelley Winters' jagged and ruthless supporting performance offers a grotesque but necessary contrast to its more beautiful layers. This classic production remains a career highlight for everyone involved, which also extends to Robert Burks' outstanding cinematography and Jerry Goldsmith's memorable score. Not to be outdone, Warner Archive Collection's Blu-ray is one of their best to date: featuring a top-tier A/V restoration (even by their standards) and a handful of vintage extras, A Patch of Blue is an absolute must-have for die-hard fans and newcomers alike.