Deadfall Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Deadfall Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 14, 2018

Bryan Forbes' "Deadfall" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Signal One Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new video interview with film historian Chris Poggiali; archival featurette; original promotional materials for the film; and more. The release also arrives with a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film historian Christopher Bray and production credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The professional

Deadfall is my kind of crime caper. It is very elegant, a bit subversive, and unceremoniously refusing to play by the rules that other similarly themed films from the ‘60s followed. Years ago a lot of critics argued that it was a dud, but I think that it is amongst the best of its kind.

Professional burglar Henry Clarke (Michael Caine) is in an upscale sanatorium where he is trying to repair the damage that years of alcohol abuse has caused to his body. Here he is approached by the elegant Fe (Giovanna Ralli) who invites him to meet her husband, Moreau (Eric Portman), because he has a business proposition that may be of interest to him. Henry is immediately intrigued because he has been getting treatment in the sanatorium under a false name. Soon after, Henry meets Moreau in his chic home and he reveals to him that he is planning to steal a very expensive jewelry collection that belongs to a prominent statesman named Salinas (David Buck) and that he wants him to break into his lavish mansion so that he can crack his safe. The loot, Moreau explains, will allow them to leave the business for good and start enjoying their lives. Henry agrees to do the job, but while preparing for it discovers that Moreau is gay and decides that once the loot is split Fe would be much better off spending the rest of her life with him. The three partners nearly get caught when it turns out that Salinas has made some surprising upgrades, but Henry pulls off a miracle and they run away with the locked safe. While waiting for the jewelry to be exchanged for cash Henry then has a quick rendezvous with Fe that unleashes a series of unexpected events that gradually make him realize that he has completely misjudged his partners.

Bryan Forbes adapted Desmond Cory’s novel and directed Deadfall in 1968, exactly a year after earning rave reviews and multiple awards at the Berlinale with the psychological thriller The Whisperers. I have the latter -- it was released a few years ago on DVD through MGM’s on-demand program -- and having recently revisited it while updating my library, I must say that it is one of those good old films that absolutely has not aged well. The exact opposite is true with Deadfall. This film also has an obvious retro vibe but there is an edge that comes with it that makes it look very stylish. More importantly, however, the character evolutions are so engaging that eventually they shift the focus of attention away from the crime element and provide the film with a very intriguing contemporary complexion. So, I really believe that Deadfall is due for a major critical reevaluation.

Caine’s performance is defined by a proper dose of machismo that feels a lot more authentic than the one that his Jack Carter character possesses and is remembered for. Ralli looks exactly like the special woman that could inspire a man to rethink his entire life -- and then risk it because of her. Portman’s nuanced performance is just as good and gives the film that refined quality that modern crime capers no longer know how to find and promote.

John Barry’s beautiful score is the icing on the cake, pure perfection. Some older viewers will also be delighted to hear Shirley Bassey singing “My Love Has Two Faces”.

Deadfall Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bryan Forbes' Deadfall arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Signal One Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an old master. However, it is a very healthy master and with strong qualities that ensure a hassle-free viewing experience even on fairly large screens. Some of the master's limitations could be recognized during the darker/indoor footage where small ranges of nuances are not optimal, but there are no distracting anomalies to report. In fact, there is very little black crush and overall balance is actually quite good. Density could be better and if Fox eventually produces a proper 4K remaster this is the area where the most significant improvements will occur. Obviously, grain would be better exposed and resolved, though on the current remaster there are no traces of compromising digital tinkering. I also like the color scheme, though I recognize that saturation could be even better. (On the other hand, this is exactly the type of color grading job that I would immediately take over the one that Fox did for Robert Altman's 3 Women). Image stability is very good. I noticed a couple of tiny white flecks, but there are no distracting debris, cuts, stains, large damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Deadfall 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 current lossless track is excellent. Fox probably did a full remix when the current master for Deadfall was prepared because clarity, depth, balance, and stability are outstanding. Frankly, I do not think that if in the future the film is redone in 4K and the audio is remixed there would be any meaningful improvements. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

Deadfall Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Deadfall. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Isolated Score - presented as LPCM 2.0.

• The John Barry Touch: The Music of a Master - this archival featurette takes a closer look at John Barry's legacy and the score he created for Deadfall. Included in it are clips from interviews with the composer, author Eddi Fiegel (John Barry: A Sixties Theme), and director Bryan Forbes. The featurette also appeared on Fox's North America DVD release of the film. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• From the Page to the Screen - in this new video interview, film historian Chris Poggiali discuses the production history of Deadfall, its placement in Michael Caine's body of work, some of the differences between Desmond Cory's novel and the film (for example, in the book there are three heists while in the film there are only two), the complicated relationships between the key characters, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Signal One Entertainment. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Still Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for Deadfall.

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film historian Christopher Bray and production credits.

Deadfall Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am aware that Deadfall is not universally liked, but I think that it works really well and has a wonderful style that makes it quite special. It is actually a good thing that it did not turn out to be another James Bond copycat, or one of those colorful spy spoofs that were all the rage during the late '60s and early '70s. Signal One Entertainment's recent release is sourced from an old but very healthy master that was prepared by Twentieth Century Fox. If you enjoy the film as much as I do, definitely consider picking up a copy of it for your library. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.