Dishonored Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Dishonored Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 15, 2018

Josef von Sternberg's "Dishonored" (1931) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival interview with Nicholas von Sternberg; new video essay created by film scholars Cristina Alvarez Lopez and Adrian Martin; and new video program featuring film scholars Mary Desjardins, Amy Lawrence, and Patricia White. The release also arrives with an 80-page illustrated book featuring essays by critics Imogen Sara Smith, Gary Giddins, and Farran Smith Nehme. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Agent X-27

There is no doubt that Dishonored is the most absurd film that Marlene Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg made together. It is as unrealistic as a James Bond thriller and loaded with so many clichés that even a seasoned Dietrich fan could get a serious headache while trying to endure it.

Dietrich plays a widow who makes ends meet as a prostitute on the gloomy streets of Vienna during WWI. On a cold and rainy night she attracts the attention of a middle-aged gentleman (Gustav von Seyffertitz) who hires her for a bit of fun but later on actually tests her loyalty to her country. After he concludes that she can be trusted, the client reveals that he is the head of the Austrian Secret Service and invites her to join his team of spies. Shortly after, the prostitute becomes agent X-27.

Her first target is a high-ranking military official (Warner Oland) who is suspected of selling government secrets to the Russians. During a masked ball, X-27 approaches him and later that night the two arrive at his place. After X-27 discovers evidence that her admirer is a traitor, he commits suicide. X-27 is then ordered to track down his trusted associate, agent H-14 (Victor McLaglen), who turns out to be an even better and more attractive chameleon. The brilliant recruit is eventually sent on a dangerous mission near the Polish border where she must obtain crucial documents about the enemy’s strategic military plans. Here she meets H-14 again and the two begin a dangerous affair that presents her with a difficult dilemma that threatens to collapse her mission.

The film was apparently inspired by Mata Hari’s legacy, but Daniel Rubin and von Sternberg’s script is essentially a collection of short stories about a striking seductress that freely adopts different identities and then has some colorful adventures across war-torn Europe. It is absolutely impossible to take seriously. Sadly, the film is also virtually impossible to enjoy as a spy spoof. Parts of it mix silly humor and old-fashioned action but they are routinely countered with odd patriotic material which demands that the drama that agent X-27 is involved with is taken seriously. So the light tone that a good spy spoof usually needs is never fully established.

The characterizations are also paper-thin and on top of this their evolutions occur with rushed transformations that actually affect the rhythm of the film. Instead of being introduced by meaningful events the majority of them are revealed when it is clear that von Sternberg is simply ready to shift the film in a new direction.

What partially redeems the film is the outstanding attention to detail and von Sternberg’s ability to make Dietrich look beautiful regardless of the setting in which her character is placed. Of course this should not be at all surprising as it is a key quality of all of the films that von Sternberg and Dietrich collaborated on.

*This home video release of Dishonored is sourced from a brand new 4K master that was struck from 35mm nitrate prints held by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Dishonored Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.19:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Josef von Sternberg's Dishonored arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the book provided with this Blu-ray release:

"New digital transfer for Dishonored was created in 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner at Roundabout Entertainment from 35mm prints held by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Transfer supervisor: Lee Kline/Criterion Post, New York.
Colorist: Lee Kline."

The quality of the new transfer is extremely similar to the one that was created for Blonde Venus, though it would appear that the existing elements for this film may not have been as healthy. In terms of density, depth, and fluidity, however, there is a level of consistency that is equally pleasing. Predictably, the grading is again very convincing -- there are solid but not crushed blacks and proper ranges of healthy grays and whites. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. A few transitions have fluctuating grain patterns, but this is very common for these types of early films. Also, a few very minor scratches and blemishes remain, but all noticeable age-related imperfections have been carefully removed. (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).

Dishonored 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 stable and clean, but at times it is predictably thin. It is how the audio was recorded, so this is a source limitation that is unavoidable. On the other hand, clarity and stability are very good. Also, there are no troubling distortions or other serious age-related imperfections to report.

Dishonored Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Dietrich Icon - in this new video program, film scholars Mary Desjardins, Amy Lawrence, and Patricia White discuss the emergence and establishment of Marlene Dietrich as a Hollywood icon as well as her professional relationship with Josef von Sternberg. The program was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (22 min, 1080p).

• Bodies and Spaces, Fabric and Light - this new visual essay focuses on the visual style and composition of the Hollywood films that Marlene Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg made together. The essay was created by film scholars Cristina Alvarez Lopez and Adrian Martin for Criterion in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).

• Nicholas von Sternberg - in this documentary, Nicholas von Sternberg, son of director Josef von Sternberg, remembers his father and his decision to become a cameraman (so that he could be closer to him), and discusses his style -- and specifically his management of light and shadow, which resembled painting -- as well as his relationship with Marlene Dietrich. The documentary was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory in 2014. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080i).

• Book - 80-page illustrated book featuring essays by critics Imogen Sara Smith, Gary Giddins, and Farran Smith Nehme, as well as detailed technical credits for each film in the box set.

Dishonored Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dishonored is the most underwhelming film that Marlene Dietrich and Josef von Sternberg made together. It is an odd spy thriller that struggles to balance the comedy and drama from Daniel Rubin and von Sternberg's script and ends up relying exclusively on the beauty and charm of its star to engage. There are bits of it that look good, but the rest is instantly forgettable. The release, which is included in the Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood six-disc Blu-ray box set, is sourced from a very good new 4K restoration and features an outstanding interview with Nicholas von Sternberg.