Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Black Sunday Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 12, 2021

John Frankenheimer's "Black Sunday" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by film historian Stephen Prince; new program with film historian and author Stephen Armstrong; new program with music historian Daniel Schweiger; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Who else could have played the psychopath Lander and done a better job? Apparently, someone had in mind Robert De Niro, but given his reputation at the time he would have been a terrible choice, so it is good that he was quickly discarded. Michael Sarrazin? He had terrific eyes that could have made it easy to peek into the deranged mind of the terrorist, but his photogenic face most likely would have been a distraction. Henry Silva? He was a great character actor capable of unleashing a tremendous range of emotions, but he likely would have looked too unhinged. Richard Widmark? This legendary actor might have been perfect for the part, but only if in 1977 he was ten years younger.

Bruce Dern got the part, but it wasn’t because a whole lot of different people agreed that he was the perfect choice. A lot of people, including John Frankenheimer, apparently agreed that he was the best compromise, and it isn’t too difficult to understand why. For example, there are numerous sequences where Dern does Lander’s emotional outbursts with the wrong type of intensity. Listen carefully to his short monologue before his partner, Dahlia (Marthe Keller), where he sums up his disgust for America, and watch his facial expressions while he touches the medals on his uniform. It is a very, very awkward sequence. Dern’s meltdown is so exaggerated that in a matter of seconds it single-handedly destroys the integrity of the psychopath, but there is still a long way to go before his arc is completed.

Robert Shaw is better as the Israeli agent Kabakov, but only because of his continuous efforts to remain composed. Unfortunately, the screenplay does not need him to be that kind of a pragmatic professional. He is required to be something of a super-agent that can roam freely the streets of America and make his partners look almost unbearably amateurish. Oddly enough, he is also expected to reveal a softer side because he is quietly coming to terms with the ‘fact’ that the killing he has done for Mossad has been pointless. Needless to say, the messaging and the contrasting images Kabakov has to juggle produce plenty of awkward sequences as well. (Can you imagine a top Mossad agent who has done plenty of work with his partners in America asking to have the Super Bowl explained to him?).

It is hard to imagine that Keller’s accent could have been more unconvincing, but at least most of the time she does behave like a brainwashed radical. But how exactly is a high-profile target like her character traveling around the world and moving across America without being on any major western agency’s radar? If she was as active as the screenplay needs her to be Mossad would have had her under surveillance around the clock, and Kabakov would have immediately recognized her and put a bullet in her head during that clandestine mission at the very beginning of the film.

It is well-documented that Frankenheimer conceived Black Sunday as a hybrid project that would blend documentary authenticity with political horror so that it can evolve into a big thought-provoking shocker. But Black Sunday never becomes that kind of a film. Interestingly, there isn’t a single major flaw that cripples it, which suggests that it was a hybrid project of many unfortunate compromises. The main actors are not right for their parts. The mechanics of the planning of the terror act are unconvincing. The buildup of the drama is seriously compromised by dreadful melodrama. The politics are so unfocused that it is impossible to believe that the opposing sides are capable of engaging each other as they do. And most of the film is so badly edited that reaching the finale feels almost as exhausting as running the Chicago Marathon.

Black Sunday Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Black Sunday arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

I think that the folks at Paramount will end up restoring this film. I don't know when, but I know that it will be done because it has quite a reputation and the current master will not be used for archival purposes.

This master has some obvious limitations and a few rough spots, but I think that it offers a pretty nice presentation of Black Sunday. In fact, a couple of night ago I did a double bill for some friends that also wanted to see the restored Blow Out and I thought that in many areas Black Sunday looked almost as convincing. For example, while grain should be more evenly distributed and appear tighter in darker ares density levels usually range from good to very good, with many close-ups looking quite wonderful (see screencaptures #4 and 8). In darker areas there many healthy nuances as well, particularly where the original cinematography introduces some quite heavy shadows. The wider panoramic shots boast decent to very good delineation. Depth is good as well, so if you project, you will be quite pleased with the visuals. So, what are the main areas where meaningful improvements can be made? Density levels can be more consistent, which means that in darker areas grain exposure will become stronger. I think that the color scheme is mostly fine, but some primaries should be better saturated and a few ranges of nuances need to be expanded. However, I don't think that the upgrade will be dramatic because the current master is actually color-balanced very well. It is just older and has a few areas where its age shows. Background highlights are actually quite good, so at best there will be some minor adjustments in this area as well. I noticed a few blemishes, but there are no distracting age-related imperfections. All in all, even though the entire film can have a fresher appearance, I think that the current master has strong organic qualities and looks good. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Black Sunday Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) and English LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

I did not encounter any age-related imperfections to report in our review. In fact, I was very surprised to hear how healthy and solid both tracks were. I viewed the majority of the film with LPCM 2.0 track but also did some rather lengthy testing with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track as well. The upper register is as healthy as it could be, while the dialog is very clear and sharp. John Williams' score sounds rich and stable as well. So, when the current master was prepared someone made sure that the audio sounds as good as it should.

Black Sunday Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Black Sunday. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• It Could Be Tomorrow: Directing Black Sunday - in this new program, film historian/author Stephen Armstrong discusses the exact period in which John Frankenheimer began working on Black Sunday, the original concept for the film and the final product (with some very interesting and honest observations about its flaws), and the evolution of the director's career and style. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• Fourth Down: Composing Black Sunday - in this program, music historian Daniel Schweiger discusses the conception of the original soundtrack for Black Sunday, the manner in which the music enhances the suspense and drama in Black Sunday, John Williams' image as a master of the 'disaster score', and the role of music in John Frankenheimer's films. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, film historian Stephen Prince spends plenty of time discussing the visual design of Black Sunday, the locations where different parts of the film were shot, the key conflicts and political context they are placed in as well as Thomas Harris' novel, the casting choices, etc.

Black Sunday Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

You don't have to be an expert on international terrorism to instantly recognize the myriad of issues that destroy the credibility of Black Sunday. Some are small, some are big, and some are just flat-out amateurish. If the intent really was to deliver a political action thriller with a strong documentary-like appearance, then John Frankenheimer should have brought in real pros to explain to him how to build up the drama. They would have helped with the profiling of the main characters as well. I would not say that Black Sunday is a total flop, but it is way too melodramatic, quite naive, and oddly edited. This release is sourced from an old but nice master that was supplied by Paramount and has a good selection of exclusive new bonus features. RECOMMENDED, but only to fans of the film.