Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Act of Violence Blu-ray Movie Review

Back into the past.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 25, 2024

Warner Archive's June lineup leads off strongly with Act of Violence, a small-scale but effective post-war film noir capably led by Robert Ryan and Van Heflin as two former soldiers now at odds with one another. The former plays Joe Parkson, perpetually clad in a trench coat and fedora while sporting a pronounced limp, who's established early on as a desperate man seeking revenge. Joe's target is the assumed good guy Frank Enley (Heflin), a model citizen and family man whose idyllic home life slowly but surely unravels once his "old friend" returns to town. Although the film's second half and resolution don't quite deliver on the promise of an absolutely killer first act, solid performances and terrific cinematography keep Act of Violence uniquely interesting from start to almost inevitable finish.

It's been awhile since a film noir hooked me as immediately as Act of Violence, which opens with two unique musical timing roars from MGM mascot Leo the Lion and no opening credits except for the film's bold title. Simply put it gets right down to business, setting up its rivalry in record time as Joe Parkson almost frigidly identifies Frank Enley as a suitable home for his next bullet. Buy why? Frank is immediately introduced in the next scene as a loving father and husband, not to mention a pillar of his community... so when Joe stops by Frank's house while he's on a short fishing trip with his dad (Will Wright), we wonder why in the world Frank's dutiful wife Edith (Janet Leigh, playing a similar role to her fine turn in Holiday Affair the following year) gives away his whereabouts to this random man without a second thought. Then we remember that's just how strangers were typically treated in more optimistic times... and before we know it, it's a short but tense game of cat-and-mouse at the otherwise peaceful lake, where aloof Frank is somehow alerted to the mystery man's presence and able to flee home with his confused dad, both unscathed.

It's a thrilling sequence indeed, and one whose tension is heightened further when Frank struggles to tell Edith the truth about Joe and why he's being pursued. The apparent "good guy" obviously isn't telling the whole story about his wartime past -- only that Joe was his bombadier and they spent time together in a POW camp. At the risk of sounding like a YouTube click-baiter, what happens next will shock you... but it's important that the secret of Frank's image, or lack thereof, is maintained to see his full character arc unfold. The result is a film that largely maintains interest as its mystery deepens, even if the narrative gets a bit mushy once new characters and threads are introduced.

Act of Violence is almost -- almost -- one of those rare "total package" pictures where everything runs perfectly smooth, only partially derailing on a few occasions... but certainly not during Frank's near-total breakdown, which literally involves an actual train. The lead and supporting performances are all very good to great, its cinematography adds a great deal of atmosphere, the original score fits the bill perfectly, and momentum is largely maintained during a few invariable twists and turns along the way. So while it's certainly not a 5/5 effort, Act of Violence clearly flirts with greatness on several occasions and this is one of many reasons why Warner Archive's new Blu-ray is a recommended pickup for new and established fans alike. As usual, A/V merits are very solid and even the bonus features impress, offering a good mixture of vintage and retrospective appeal that complement the main feature nicely.

Act of Violence Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Act of Violence's new 1080p transfer is sourced from a recent 4K scan of the best available preservation elements, including what looks to be large portions of the original camera negative if fine detail is any indication. As shown in virtually all of these direct-from-disc screenshots (which, as always, are compressed to .jpg format during the upload process), overall detail and clarity are quite striking in the right lighting conditions, from partly cloudy days (above) to full sun and, of course, no shortage of moody noir nighttime scenes and darkened interiors. During the wide majority of sequences, this 1.37:1 image plays without a hitch and sports only occasional amounts of lightweight compression and posterization on some of the darkest shadows, including some that creep in from the corners. Only small portions of the source material(s) not derived from pristine elements dip in quality briefly (and with momentary stops into low to mid-20Mbps territory, otherwise staying well above 30), but this is basically a best-case scenario almost every step of the way, as once again the image strikes a fairly good balance between a purist-friendly film-like presentation and one that's been carefully scrubbed of almost all age-related wear and tear. I might grade the overall image closer to a 4.25/5 if hard-pressed... but under the circumstances, Act of Violence gets a little courtesy bump.

Act of Violence Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Save for a few trace moments of hiss and crackle I've got no issues with Warner Archive's similarly solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix, whose source material aims lower than the stylish visuals but still hits its mark squarely. Dialogue and background effects are cleanly mixed with no real fighting for attention, leaving plenty of room left over for the appropriately moody original score by composer Bronislau Kaper, whose body of work ranges from the Marx Bros.' almost-classic A Day at the Races to Gordon Douglas' iconic Them! and later epics like Mutiny on the Bounty (1968). This is a fine effort and, as usual, it's paired nicely with English (SDH) subtitles during the main feature only.

Act of Violence Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork. Bonus features are surprisingly varied and largely ported over from older DVD editions dating back to Warner Bros.' ten-film 2007 boxed set Film Noir Classic Collection Vol. 4, making this one of the more well-rounded Warner Archive Blu-rays in recent memory.

• Audio Commentary - This full-length and largely entertaining DVD-era track features recently retired film professor and historian Dr. Drew Casper, who provides a well-researched and informative overview of Act of Violence from a technical and thematic perspective. He also takes time delving into the lives and careers of several prominent cast members as well as director Fred Zinnemann; this should make the commentary very appealing for fans of the film and genre, as well as those working in front of and behind the camera.

• Act of Violence: Dealing with the Devil (5:08) - Another DVD carryover extra, this short but informative featurette includes brief comments from industry veterans including Alain Silver, Christopher Coppola, Oliver Stone, and Richard Schickel, who each share their separate thoughts on the film.

• Classic Cartoons - Two era-specific shorts from the MGM/WB vaults, both decently restored in HD.

• Goggle Fishing Bear (7:21) - This decently entertaining 1949 Barney Bear cartoon features our ursine hero on an underwater fishing expedition where he ends up facing off against a lobster and shark.
• The Shell-Shocked Egg (6:50) - No PTSD in this Robert McKimson Merrie Melodies short, just a partly-hatched baby turtle named Clem who gets into trouble when separated from his family.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:27) - This memorable vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

Act of Violence Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fred Zinnemann's post-war film noir Act of Violence is a well-acted and rigidly suspenseful character study that deals with unique subject matter for its time. Though it's only lowercase "g" great and note quite an all-time genre classic, the film's unique story and flow are bolstered by several unforgettable sequences that give it a good amount of staying power. Warner Archive's welcome Blu-ray presentation features suitably strong A/V specs and a solid assortment of extras, making this a well-rounded release worth adding to your noir collection. Firmly Recommended.