Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Carrie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 28, 2023

William Wyler's "Carrie" (1952) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include new program with critic Neil Sinyard; new audio commentary by critic Jason A. Ney; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

A girl to die for

As sacrilegious as it may sound Laurence Olivier’s finest transformation might be in Carrie, an incredible romantic drama directed by William Wyler. A lot of people would disagree, and it is difficult not to concede that they would have plenty of good reasons to do so, but I cannot name another film in which for a short period of time Olivier effectively erases the link between the great actor he was and the special character he was cast to play. No, I did not forget Hamlet. I think that Olivier is tremendous in it as well, but in Hamlet I see a great actor giving a great performance. In Carrie, Olivier goes further and does more, and when the final credits roll it very much feels like his character has simply retreated elsewhere to deal with his misery. More importantly, it very much feels that this character was Olivier himself.

In the sleepy town of Columbia City, Missouri, Carrie Meeber (Jennifer Jones) boards a train to Chicago where she plans to begin the next chapter of her life. One of Carrie’s sisters has been in Chicago for a while and already started a family, so she expects to be given a few helpful tips, but not any handouts. Carrie is prepared to work hard and discover her own path to happiness.

While traveling, Carrie is approached by Charles Drouet (Eddie Albert), a charming, very polite but a bit too direct young man, who hands her his business card and encourages her to reach out to him once she settles down in Chicago. Slightly intimidated by Charles’ efforts to impress her, Carrie accepts the business card and then immediately attempts to forget the entire experience. But a few weeks after she arrives in Chicago, begins working in a shoe factory and badly injures her finger, immediately prompting her supervisor to fire her, Carrie uses the business card and reunites with Charles, who immediately invites her to have dinner with him at one of the most prestigious restaurants in town, Fitzgerald's. It is at this special place, surrounded by successful people and their riches, that Carrie meets the middle-aged manager George Hurstwood (Olivier), who instantly realizes that she is not like the city girls and becomes attracted to her.

But out of necessity Carrie begins a romantic relationship with Charles and moves to his place, where eventually the two begin discussing the possibility of starting a family. When George begins pursuing her, first casually and then while making it painfully obvious that he is madly in love with her, Carrie discovers that she wants to be with him, too. Soon after, the two begin spending as much time as possible while keeping their relationship secret.

George’s transformation does not remain unnoticed, first at Fitzgerald's and then at home, and when his wife (Miriam Webster) gives him an ultimatum to terminate his affair, he steals $10,000 from Fitzgerald's and abandons his family to begin a new life with Carrie in New York. Unaware of the exact circumstances that have promoted his decision to leave with her, Carrie reluctantly follows George, but soon after their relationship begins to crumble.

Apparently, Olivier’s decision to do his part in Carrie was primarily influenced by his desire to be closer to his wife Vivien Leigh, who was going through a difficult period while working in Hollywood. Wyler liked Theodore Dreiser’s novel a lot but before and during the production of Carrie kept second-guessing key aspects of Ruth and Augustus Goetz’s screenplay and even several casting choices that were made. Later, Wyler considered Carrie to be a misfire as well because it did not meet box office expectations.

When Olivier and Wyler’s work is examined Carrie will undoubtedly remain in the shadow of Hamlet and Ben-Hur, which is unfortunate, to say the least, because it is a masterful film that deserves to be mentioned with them. In fact, its examination of the human condition is so impressive it becomes quite easy to argue that it is a timeless film that engages its audience in superior ways. Only the greatest of the great films old Hollywood produced could do this.

At the top of this article, I wrote that in Olivier gives a magical performance that humanizes his character and his story continues after the end credits roll. But Carrie is not a one-man show. Jones is terrific as the girl of his dreams and quite possibly the catalyst behind his magical performance. Hopkins does a lot to create crucial contrasts and strengthen the drama as well.

Like all great films that old Hollywood produced, Carrie is strikingly composed and frequently breathtakingly elegant. Also, all of the material Wyler and cinematographer Victor Milner shot together has a purpose.

Carrie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Carrie arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. If I had to guess, I would say that this master was prepared long ago, likely during the DVD era. I think that it offers a decent, occasionally even good presentation of the film. However, while pleasing, delineation, clarity, and depth fluctuate quite a bit, so while some wider panoramic shots can look good, some easily reveal limitations. The grayscale could be better, too. At present different ranges of blacks and grays can appear somewhat mismanaged, so expect to see less than stellar highlights and darker nuances. The surface of the visuals can be healthier. A brand new 4K or 2K master will easily introduce meaningful improvements in grain exposure. Various nicks, black spots, and blemishes will be removed as well. Image stability is good, but some minor enhancements can be introduced. My score is 3.25/5.00. (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).

Carrie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

All exchanges are clear and very easy to follow. Dynamic contrasts are modest, though there are several sections where the music does plenty to enhance the drama. If in the future Carrie is fully restored and the audio remastered, I have to speculate that all improvements will be cosmetic. The basic characteristics of the audio, as they are present on current lossless track, will remain the same.

Carrie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Neil Sinyard on Carrie - in this exclusive new program, critic Neil Sinyard discusses the conception and production of Carrie as well as some of its unique qualities. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Jason A. Ney.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for Carrie. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Carrie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wow, what a film. It is so strange that William Wyler did not consider Carrie one of his greatest accomplishments because it is a magnificent example of the cinematic magic old Hollywood produced. Laurence Olivier is great in the likes of Hamlet, Rebecca, and Richard III, but he is quite simply extraordinary as the middle-aged restaurant manager George Hurstwood. Jennifer Jones gives a career-defining performance as the girl of his dreams, too. If somehow you have ignored Carrie over the years, you have to see it because it truly is one of the greatest romantic dramas ever made. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from an old but mostly decent master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. I am glad to have in it my library, but it would be a crime if in the future Carrie is not properly restored so that it looks as good as it should. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.