Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Cluny Brown Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 15, 2019

Ernst Lubitsch's "Cluny Brown" (1946) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include archival broadcast adaptation of the film; new video essay by film scholar Kristin Thompson; new program with critics Molly Haskell and Farran Smith Nehme; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by author Siri Hustvedt and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

In the countryside

Cluny Brown was the final film that Ernst Lubitsch made. It was inspired by Margery Sharp’s novel and is based on a script by writers Samuel Hoffenstein and Elizabeth Reinhardt, whose credits also include Otto Preminger's classic film noir Laura. Just a year after Cluny Brown was released, Lubitsch died while working on That Lady in Ermine and Preminger completed it.

Hilary Ames (Reginald Owen) becomes very seriously concerned when he realizes that he may not be able to get a plumber to fix a clogged kitchen sink before he begins welcoming various guests that are expected to attend his party. He calms down a bit when Adam Belinski (Charles Boyer) rings his door bell, assuming that he is the missing plumber, but then panics again when the stranger tells him that he is looking for his landlord to borrow a small sum of money. Ames’ reputation is saved when Cluny Brown (Jennifer Jones) arrives, rolls up her sleeves, and much to everyone’s surprise quickly repairs the noisy sink. It turns out that Cluny is the niece of another plumber and has learned the art of fixing pipes by observing the old man working. Eventually, the man who raised Cluny appears, Uncle Arn (Billy Bevan), but instead of commending her work he scolds her for not acting like a lady. Belinski, who has quietly observed the silly drama, then defends Cluny and her right to choose how to behave.

During the party, it is revealed that Belinski is in fact a Czech refugee who was forced to leave his home country after writing an illuminating novel about the Nazis and their politics. The wealthy socialite Andrew Carmel (Peter Lawford) is so impressed by Belinski’s courage to live a principled life that he enthusiastically offers to lend him the money he heeds.

Shortly after, the old-fashioned Uncle Arn dispatches Cluny to work as a maid in the posh provincial manor of Andrew’s parents (Reginald Owen and Margaret Bannerman). However, her arrival immediately causes a great deal of confusion because she does not seem to fully grasp a maid’s purpose, or the very particular ways in which a maid is expected to communicate with the people around her. Belinski again assumes the role of Cluny’s savior after he arrives as a personal guest of Andrew, who has convinced him to relocate to the countryside because it is supposedly much safer for people like him. In the middle of all the silly drama, a very arrogant pharmacist (Richard Haydn) begins pursuing Cluny, and much to Belinski’s horror she enthusiastically responds to his ‘romantic’ advances.

Cluny Brown is impossible to place amongst Lubitsch’s best films. It has bits of the finesse and wit that defined the great director’s work but here they function more like embellishments rather than key elements of the story. In fact, the story isn’t particularly good either. It is essentially a collage of very straightforward jabs at the British upper class that rely on exaggerated contrasts to appear justified. Cluny and Belinski are strategically positioned as ‘outsiders’ and once they begin disrupting the order of the ‘sane’ side the values and beliefs of those that are part of it become big targets. Unfortunately, it is banal material, and it also looks ancient in a way that basically makes it awfully difficult for the already shaky satire to produce the type of laughs that are needed to make the film look attractive.

Ernest Cossart and Sara Allgood, who play the ultra-conservative senior housekeepers in the big provincial manor, remain in the shadows of the big stars, but arguably the best-scripted sequences are with them. (See the one where Belinski exits Cluny’s room and leaves the two pondering the winds of change that have begun blowing through the countryside).

Cluny Brown Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ernst Lubitsch's Cluny Brown arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution from a 35mm composite fine-grain at Cineric in New York the facility's proprietary high-dynamic-range wet-gate film scanner and restored at Cineric under the supervision of Twentieth Century Fox. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm composite fine-grain at Post Haste Digital in Los Angeles.

Transfer supervisor: Barbara Crandall/Twentieth Century Fox."

There are some sporadic moments where the visuals are a tad softer than I would have liked them to be. I am fairly certain that some rebalancing work was done and the shakiest areas reveal it, though the fluidity is so good that it actually hides it exceptionally well (you can see a good example of the effects of the rebalanicing work in screencapture #18). Also, on a large screen the density levels look very strong, and this is something that makes the film look healthier. Despite a few minor fluctuations, shadow definition is also pleasing (see screencaptures #5 and 16). The grading is convincing, but this is the one area where trained eyes should spot the effects from the rebalancing work. Image stability is good. All in all, this is a strong presentation of the film that makes it very easy to enjoy now. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Cluny Brown Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and stable. Depth remains pleasing as well, but you should keep in mind that the original soundtrack is very modest. Naturally, the dynamic contrasts throughout the film are also limited. There are no audio dropouts, pops, cracks, background hiss, or other similar age-related anomalies to report in our review.

Cluny Brown Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Screen Director's Playhouse - presented here is an archival episode of Screen Director's Playhosue featuring a broadcast adaptation of Cluny Brown with stars Dorothy McGuire and Charles Boyer. The episode was broadcast in 1950. In English, not subtitled. (60 min, 1080p).

• Squirrels to the Nuts - in this new video program, critics Molly Haskell and Farran Smith Nehme deconstruct Cluny Brown and discuss the female characters in Ernst Lubitsch's body of work. The program was produced for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• The Lubitsch Touch - in this archival program, critic Bernard Eisenschitz discusses the evolution of Ernst Lubitsch's career. The program was created for Allerton Films in 2004. In French, with optional English subtitles. (15 min, 1080i).

• Kristin Thompson - this brand new video essay was created by film scholar Kristin Thompson, author of Herr Lubitsch Goes to Hollywood. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring author Siri Hustvedt's essay "The Joys of Plumbing" and technical credits.

Cluny Brown Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are quite a few other films that I would suggest to folks interested in exploring Ernst Lubitsch's body of work before Cluny Brown. This film has its moments but the script that the great director was presented with to make it is very, very inconsistent, and it easily shows. It is not one of my favorite, and I certainly don't see it as being representative of 'the Lubitsch touch'. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from a nice new 4K remaster that was prepared by Twentieth Century Fox. RECOMMENDED to Lubitsch completists and Jennifer Jones fans only. (Before picking up Cluny Brown, consider To Be or Not to Be and Design for Living. Both are vastly superior films).