7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Two wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.
Starring: Orson Welles, Diane Varsi, Dean Stockwell, Bradford Dillman, E.G. MarshallThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Biography | Insignificant |
History | 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 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
1959’s “Compulsion” goes out of its way to avoid naming Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb as its inspiration for a tale of murder and intellectualism, but this adaptation of Meyer Levin book dramatizes most details from the heinous crime committed by the frightfully rational duo. It’s a story that was already worked over in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope,” but “Compulsion” has a more direct link to the Leopold and Loeb case, with director Richard Fleischer going the “Law and Order” route as the details of a crime are examined in full before the tale turns into a courtroom showdown where punishment is debated, not innocence.
The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation is another "4K restoration" viewing experience from 20th Century Fox and Kino Lorber, and the results are compelling, taking advantage of the feature's extensive use of close-ups to study facial particulars, with Welles a wealth of make-up and aging textures. Detail is also significant for background activity, including campus visits and courtroom events. Cinematographic balance is preserved, providing adequate delineation and stable whites. Compression issues arrive periodically, most pronounced during the main title sequence, which is riddled with banding.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix handles with straightforward emphasis, putting all attention on dialogue exchanges, which remain clean and clear, capturing levels of intensity and microphone limitations. Scoring isn't robust, but moods are set with agreeable instrumentation. Group activity registers with dimension, and atmospherics are satisfactory.
"Compulsion" switches over to the courtroom in its second half, bringing a visibly bored Orson Welles in to portray Jonathan Wilk (a character based on famed lawyer Clarence Darrow), who argues for life in prison for Judd and Artie, delivering a prolonged argument against the death penalty. Moral and legal interpretations are up to the viewer as Fleischer keeps his distance, electing to highlight interrogations and clue-gathering, which makes for a dry movie, but a fascinating one.
1979
1960
1981
1939
1978
1937
The Boulting Brothers Production of Brighton Rock / Young Scarface
1947
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1994
Warner Archive Collection
1950
1945
Warner Archive Collection
1952
1950
1953
1947
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Reissue
1957
Warner Archive Collection
1953
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1951