7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A woman reports that her young daughter is missing, but there seems to be no evidence that she ever existed.
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Carol Lynley, Keir Dullea, Martita Hunt, Anna MasseyPsychological thriller | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Otto Preminger was a famous (perhaps more appropriately infamous) bully on set, though he picked his victims wisely, tending to dominate inexperienced performers and also aiming his tirades more generally against women than men. There is a litany of actors who have talked about Preminger’s take no prisoners approach toward directing, with some, like Jean Seberg (who goes into some detail in an extra on Breathless), insisting that Preminger’s tactics actually were detrimental to their acting. Lem Dobbs, in some interesting sidebars to his commentary on Bunny Lake is Missing, goes even further, suggesting that Preminger’s brusque, brutal attitude toward his actors actually resulted in, or at least contributed to, several deaths through the years, including Seberg herself, as well as Maggie McNamara and Dorothy Dandridge. That may be stretching things a bit, for while all three of these actresses did indeed commit suicide, they had all been beset with career difficulties that can’t be entirely ascribed to Preminger. Carol Lynley was evidently the main target of Preminger’s rage during Bunny Lake is Missing, though the actress may have been at least partially prepared for the ordeal, having already worked under Preminger in The Cardinal, a film where Preminger’s intimidations were evidently aimed mostly at Thomas Tryon (a rare case of a male enduring the director’s rants). One has to assume even Preminger would never have dared raise his voice to the two male icons appearing in Bunny Lake is Missing, Laurence Olivier and Noel Coward, but despite all this directorial Sturm und Drang, Lynley, who is front and center virtually nonstop throughout the film, delivers a rather compelling performance as a young (unmarried) mother working through one of the worst nightmares any parent can experience, the disappearance of her little girl, the titular Bunny Lake. Bunny Lake is Missing has had a rather bifurcated critical assessment through the years, with even Preminger himself seeming to dismiss the film as a somewhat bizarre trifle. But for much of the film, there’s a quasi-hallucinatory quality, aided and abetted by Preminger’s calmly gliding camera moves, that gives the film a really interesting, unsettling mood. If the actual “mystery” never really gels satisfyingly, the film is still stuffed to its veritable gills with fascinating performances, perhaps indicating that there was a method (a Method?) to Preminger’s madness.
Bunny Lake is Missing is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Sourced from elements in very good condition, this high definition presentation boasts nicely inky blacks and very nicely modulated gray scale. There's occasional relative softness on display in some of the outside location work around London, perhaps due to second unit conditions, but generally speaking, this is a sharp, clear and organic looking presentation. Contrast is very strong and consistent, and there is a natural looking grain field in evidence. There are no issues with over aggressive digital intrusion on the image harvest.
Bunny Lake is Missing's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix capably supports the film's dialogue, London sound effects, and the interesting music score (which includes a Paul Glass underscore as well as some tunes by The Zombies). Fidelity is excellent and there are no problems with issues like hiss, dropouts or other damage.
Bunny Lake is Missing benefits from Preminger's inimitable visual style, and it also is chock full of fascinating performances. For a good 2/3 of the film, even the mystery aspect is relatively engaging. If the film ultimately devolves into near Grand Guignol silliness toward the end, that's perhaps an acceptable price to pay for such an otherwise outré experience. Technical merits are very strong on this release, and Bunny Lake is Missing comes Recommended.
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