Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 3, 2022

William Wyler's "Detective Story" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary by film noir expert Alan K. Rode as well as vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Didn't know my wife was a tramp

Note: The text below was initially used in our review of the Australian release of Detective Story that Via Vision Entertainment produced in 2020.

How cynical does a great cop have to be? I found myself pondering this question quite a bit after revisiting William Wyler’s film Detective Story because the answer isn’t as clear-cut as it may appear. In fact, the more I was trying to decide, the less certain I became that this is actually a legit question to ask. I will try to explain why while also addressing the nature of the drama that is at the heart of this very good film.

Kirk Douglas is James McLeod, a veteran detective who works as hard as he can at a very busy police precinct somewhere in the heart of New York City. He does everything by the book, even when he deals with cases his colleagues think deserve far less of his attention. Sometimes McLeod secretly agrees with them, but over the years he has realized that it is the only way he can do his job right.

While working on a big case involving prominent abortionist Karl Schneider (George Macready), McLeod loses his temper and physically engages him, causing his superior, Lt. Monaghan (Horace McMahon), to question his working methods. Soon after, Monaghan is tipped off that McLeod has a personal reason to detest Schneider, but when he attempts to find out the truth from him gets only a blank stare. Monaghan then contacts McLeod’s wife, Mary (Eleanor Parker), and much to his surprise she confirms to him that years ago she secretly used Schneider’s services. However, Mary also confesses to Monaghan that she never told McLeod because it was a painful experience that did not have any relevance to their relationship. When McLeod is brought into the discussion, Mary’s admission about dealing with Schneider rocks his world and forces him to aggressively question the nature of their relationship. Then with Mary preparing to walk away from him, McLeod slowly begins to reevaluate the manner in which he judges everyone.

The film’s greatest vulnerability is undoubtedly its dated morality which places its characters in two camps -- the good in the first, and the bad in the second. After that, it becomes awfully difficult to ignore the artificial melodrama that flourishes in different episodes where they confront each other’s beliefs because there is essentially a whole lot of black and white in them and only a few shades of gray. But I did not have a problem with the division because it made me see and ponder how similar some of these characters became whenever they allowed the other side to define them. The strength of their arguments was also invalidated as soon as the other side would reframe them, causing the truth -- as well as the viewer’s perception of the truth -- to quickly evolve in some quite unpredictable ways.

But what if a healthy dose of cynicism can make it extremely difficult and even impossible for the truth-bending to occur? Wouldn’t then a great cynic make a great cop?

Early in the film, McLeod seems to be precisely that kind of a great cop -- very straightforward and efficient, immune to feelings that could cloud his judgement and impair his work. But then a single revelation forces him out of his comfort zone and destroys his ability to be objective in the same way he has been in the past. And as soon as the change occurs, the same cynicism that once helped him appear strong and fair begins working against him, effectively ensuring his inevitable and tragic self-destruction.

It is impossible to disagree that the drama in this film is entirely preventable. But who is responsible for it? Is it the cynical cop and his inability to forgive and preserve a crumbling relationship? Is it his wife and her failure to reveal to him an important part of her past? Or is it the cop’s superior and his poor handling of an explosive situation? If your immediate reaction is that these are silly questions because the answer is too obvious, then just like the cop you are due for a rude awakening in your life. It probably, and hopefully, won’t be as dramatic, but it is coming because just like the cop at some point in the future you will be judged by your own faulty standard of measure.

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Detective Story arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

In 2020, we reviewed this Australian release of Detective Story which was sourced from an older but still quite good master supplied by Paramount Pictures. This release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master struck from the original camera negative.

Previously, I speculated that a new 4K and even 2K master will immediately make a notable difference in the surface of the visuals, which is usually defined by the quality of the grain exposure. This is the main improvement that the new 4K master delivers. On this release, the surface of the visuals looks healthier and more attractive. The grayscale is better too, though there are quite a few areas where the two presentations of the film look very similar. On my system, the ranges of grays and whites looked better balanced and as a result some finer nuances had more appealing organic qualities. This isn't surprising because older masters typically reveal weaknesses in the management of highlights and darker nuances. On this release, you will not see consistent, easy-to-appreciate improvements in terms of delineation and depth. Why? Because the previous release handles these areas pretty well. The noticeable improvements will be in areas where the visuals reveal strong organic qualities and by default enhance delineation and depth. Also, even though on this release grain exposure is superior, it could be even better. Image stability is good, but there are a few shaky transitions. Finally, there is room for cosmetic improvements. While I personally do not mind the occasional tiny flecks, scratches, and blemishes if the visuals have convincing qualities, some people do and prefer that they are spotless. On this release, there are still plenty of minor surface imperfections that could have been removed with digital tools. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The audio is very clear and easy to follow. I pulled out the Australian release of Detective Story that I have in my library and tested a couple of different areas and as I suspected the quality of the audio was practically identical. On the other hand, I assume that the audio on the new 4K master was simply transferred as is without major restoration work. Why? Because during the most intense footage the upper register begins to feel a tad fragile. I am quite certain that the master replicates what is on the origin al audio files because the audio sounds the same on the previous release as well. In other words, there are no technical issues to report.

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, Alan K. Rode discusses in great detail the production, themes, and style of Detective Story and shares a lot of very interesting information about Kirk Douglas' personal life and career. It is a fantastic commentary that should not be missed by Douglas or film noir fans.

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Detective Story. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I don't think that Detective Story has all of the classic characteristics it needs to be profiled as film noir, but it is a very fine film with a predictably excellent performance by Kirk Douglas. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release is sourced from a good exclusive new 4K master that was struck from the film's original camera negative. Also, it retains the excellent audio commentary that film noir expert Alan K. Rode recorded in 2020 for Australian label Via Vision Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Detective Story. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.