Circle of Danger Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Circle of Danger Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 9, 2024

Jacques Tourneur's "Circle of Danger" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the release include video introduction by critic Jean-Baptiste Thoire; new program with author Christina Lane; new program with critic Imogen Sara Smith; vintage trailer; and archival stills. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

There is no other country like it

Circle of Danger is not one Jacques Tourneur’s great films. It is not a disappointing film, but what makes it special is the fact that it is the only one that managed to bring back its star, Ray Milland, a Welshman, to his homeland.

Sometime during the 1950s. While fishing in Florida, Clay Douglas (Milland) decides to go to Britain to find out how his brother died. During the war, Douglas’ brother, also an American citizen, enlisted in the British army, and while on a mission in France, surrounded by fellow British commandos, was shot dead.

In London, an army bureaucrat tells Douglas to go to Wales, where a man that knew his brother well redirects him to Scotland. In the countryside, Douglas meets his brother's superior, Hamish McArran (Hugh Sinclair), who is reluctant to discuss his final hours. Nevertheless, Douglas gets from McArran the names of the last surviving men who served with his brother and begins tracking them down. However, Douglas is repeatedly distracted by Elspeth Graham (Patricia Roc), a beautiful girl, who has been courted by McArran for some time but has not yet agreed to marry him.

As Douglas is again redirected back to London, it begins to look like his mission will fail. However, at the end of a casual encounter with the last man on McArran’s list, Reggie Sinclair (Naunton Wayne), Douglas is provided with a crucial detail that allows him to find the answer he has been looking for.

Tourneur was handed an original screenplay by Philip MacDonald, whose writings have been used for several classic films, arguably the biggest one of which is Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca. However, it is quite difficult not to think of Circle of Danger as an original Tourneur project because the visuals it produces are routinely more attractive than its narrative. In several segments, for instance, it very much feels like the camera is operated by a seasoned documentarian, rather than a director doing his best to tell a crime story with a twist.

It is why the romantic melodrama that constantly overwhelms the suspense creates numerous very odd contrasts. Indeed, because Tourneur does not appear to be fully committed to the scripted overlapping and uses every opportunity to reset Circle of Danger into a more one-dimensional film, the rapidly evolving relationship between Milland and Roc begins competing with the former’s mission, which is supposed to be at the center of the narrative.

As the resolution nears, Circle of Danger shrinks as well. However, this may have been unavoidable considering that Tourneur was unable to freely travel across Scotland and Wales to choose and use the perfect locations for Milland’s mission. As a result, it creates the impression that it was always meant to be a small film, not an ambitious project with a big international star that would have easily ensured its longevity in different international markets.

Tourneur’s director of photography was Oswald Morris, who several decades later would win an Oscar statuette for his work on Fiddler on the Roof. As noted earlier, Circle of Danger has several sections with very good outdoor footage that could have been perfect in a proper documentary feature. However, the intimate footage where Milland questions his brother’s former mates or attempts to repair his romantic relationship with Roc is mostly bland.

*This Blu-ray release introduces a new digital restoration of Circle of Danger, which was prepared on behalf of StudioCanal in London.

Circle of Danger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Circle of Danger arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The release introduces a new digital restoration that was prepared on behalf of StudioCanal in London. The film looks great in high-definition. I noted only a couple of areas that reveal small fluctuations in terms of delineation, clarity, and depth. In these areas, the visuals may be slightly softer than ideally they would be. The rest looks either very good or excellent. The grayscale is very convincing as well. Blacks and grays are very carefully manage to avoid crushing, while the whites look solid and natural. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks spotless, too. All in all, I think that the work that was done to bring Circle of Danger to Blu-ray is very convincing, while the technical presentation of the new makeover is all-around solid. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Circle of Danger 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.

I did not encounter any age-related anomalies to report in our review. All exchanges were very clear, sharp, and clean. I did not notice any balance issues. Dynamic intensity is unimpressive, but this is to be expected from a film that was completed in the early 1950s. There are no encoding issues to report.

Circle of Danger Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - presented here is a new video introduction by critic Jean-Baptiste Thoire. In French, with English subtitles. (7 min).

• Circle of Control - in this new program, author Christina Lane discusses the career of producer Joan Harrison. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Culture Clash - in this new program, critic Imogen Sara Smith discusses the production history of Circle of Danger. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Circle of Danger. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Stills Gallery - presented here is a collection of archival stills for Circle of Danger.

Circle of Danger Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is impossible to place Circle of Danger among Jacques Tourneur's best films. However, it is not because it is a flawed film. Despite the presence of Ray Milland, it is a small film that must have had very modest ambitions, and I assume that everyone that helped make it was fully aware that it was so. I had a decent time with it. However, Milland looks restrained in it, at times even frustrated with the tempo of the drama, which frequently evolves into romantic melodrama. I think that the film would have been a lot better if Milland was angry and unleashed to do whatever it takes to get to the truth. StudioCanal's new Blu-ray release introduces a wonderful exclusive new digital restoration. RECOMMENDED.