Detective Story Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 18, 2020

William Wyler's "Detective Story" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer; new program with film noir expert Alan K. Rode and critic Constantine Nasr; new audio commentary; and photo gallery. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Didn't know my wife was a tramp

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 1.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Detective Story arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an old master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. Its age shows, especially in terms of grain exposure, but I think that it offers a very pleasing presentation of the film.

First, the surface of the visuals, which is defined by their grain exposure, is where the age of the master shows the most. I did not see any concerning traces of problematic digital tinkering, but a brand new 4K, or even 2K, master will undoubtedly come with a better organic grain structure, which will immediately improve delineation and depth. However, the density levels of the current master are so good that they actually help the grain look far better than it really is. It is why very large parts of the film actually look surprisingly good. Clarity is very, very nice. I also liked the grayscale. A little bit of black crush is noticeable, but there are fine ranges of grays and whites. Image stability is excellent. A few tiny black spots can be seen, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, burn marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. So, Detective Story can and should look better in high-definition, and I personally believe that the folks at Paramount Pictures will eventually remaster it in 4K. However, even though it shows its age, the current presentation is quite good. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

On my system the lossless audio sounded great. I assume that when the current master was prepared at Paramount Pictures proper work was done to ensure that the audio is optimized as best as possible. Can it sound better? I find it difficult to write yes at the moment because I did not hear any issues that a new remix could address. I thought that it was very healthily and with the type of dynamic characteristics that an older film from the early 1950s should have.

Detective Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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

• Hollywood Champion: A Tribute to Kirk Douglas - this new program would have been enough for me to enthusiastically recommend Via Vision Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Detective Story. In it, film noir expert Alan K. Rode and critic Constantine Nasr offer an enthusiastic but very fair assessment of Douglas' career and personal life as well as some of the big films he made that are now considered timeless classics. The program was produced exclusive for Via Vision Entertainment. In English, not subtitled. (43 min).

• 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.

• Photo Gallery - a large collection of production and promotional stills for Detective Story. (6 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. As far as I know, this is the first high-definition release of the film, which is included in this four-disc box set from Australian label Via Vision Entertainment. The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures, but the technical presentation is quite nice. Also, it features an outstanding exclusive new program with film noir expert Alan K. Rode and critic Constantine Nasr as well as a brand new audio commentary. The tribute program with the two gentlemen I thought was simply terrific. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.