Big House, U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Big House, U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 1, 2015

Cover art for 1955’s “Big House, U.S.A.” displays five prison tough guys, with stars Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker, and Charles Bronson captured in menacing poses to sell the feature as a hardened prison drama. And yet, the titular location is only a minor part of the overall narrative, with John C. Higgins’s screenplay establishing a wider scope of crime and intimidation. Surprisingly, “Big House U.S.A.” is a kidnapping saga that winds through multiple locations as it details the saga of Jerry “Iceman” Barker (Meeker), an unrepentant ghoul responsible for the missing child of a wealthy businessman.

“Big House, U.S.A.” opens with disturbing interactions between Barker and his victim, a 10-year-old boy with asthma who’s run away from summer camp. The feature establishes ransom demands and a payoff debacle, quickly transforming into a procedural picture once the F.B.I. emerges to sort through the mess, led by Reed Hadley as Agent Madden, who narrates the endeavor. Instead of conjuring high drama, director Howard W. Koch creates a something of a television pilot, showcasing the efforts of law enforcement officials as they set out to solve the crime, interrogating troubling suspects and setting traps to catch the guilty red-handed. Somewhere in the mix “Big House U.S.A.” is also a prison escape movie, tracking the actions of Barker and his fellow inmates as they tunnel and swim their way to freedom.

Big House, U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.75:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a satisfactorily filmic viewing experience, offering tasteful grain and secure contrast. Detail is a must with these actors, capturing textured close-ups that register with menace and meatiness. National park visits are also defined, with crisp distances, while prison interiors are highly decorated. Delineation is secure, presenting darker scenes without solidification. Source is relatively clean, offering some speckling and minor scratches, but no overt damage.

Big House, U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries comfortably, with emphasis on dialogue exchanges, which hold their dramatic intent and group dynamic. Voiceover is full and secure. Atmospherics are flavorful, creating a sense of prison life with distant voices and roaring machinery, while park visits offer wildlife and environmental presence. Hiss is detected but never dominant.

Big House, U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Big House, U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a lot to "Big House, U.S.A." It's a busy picture, and one that's unrelentingly grim, taking crime very seriously, determined to suggest closure but not provide comfort for the audience when it comes to the central kidnapping case. Packed with hostile performances and a chilling conclusion, "Big House, U.S.A." actually works best when it ignores the grind of the prison system. By observing the entire arc of villainy, without providing easy answers, the feature develops into a boldly realistic depiction of crime and punishment.