Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Drifting Blu-ray Movie Review

An entertaining silent era production.

Drifting is a silent-era production set against the backdrop of a village in Shanghai, China. The film is based on the play by Daisy H. Andrews and John Colton. An entertaining silent gem, Drifting is well worth checking out.

Cassie Cook (Priscilla Dean) is a drug-dealer attempting to sell more opium to the Chinese market. Facing off against government agent Capt. Arthur Jarvis (Matt Moore), Cassie is determined to get all the of the opium profits available in Shanghai – even surpassing her competitor, fellow drug-dealer Jules Repin (Wallace Beery). As Cassie drifts around in Shanghai, will she become the drug-lord queen?

Priscilla Dean impresses in the lead role. Silent films were a different matter altogether compared to talkies – and required a lot of expression from performers. Dean does an excellent job of helping to explore the story of the filmmaking.

A strong performance by Priscilla Dean.

Edited by Errol Taggart (Song of the City, The Longest Night), Drifting is a good effort from an editorial perspective. The pace is entertaining and the film never seems to drag on for too long. Throughout the film, I was surprised by the breezy energy of the production and how well the filmmaking flowed.

The cinematography by William Fildew (The Island of Intrigue, Miss Robinson Crusoe) is one of my favorite elements of the film: the blue, yellow, and pink tinted sequences offer a unique visual style which adds some extra excitement to the filmmaking. Color tinted silent era films add something special to the experience. The end results are undeniably impressive.

Directed by Tod Browning (Freaks, Dracula), who penned the script alongside co-screenwriter A.P. Younger (Pleasures of the Rich, College Days), Drifting is a fun silent classic. The story was entertaining and the performances fit the bill. Worth a watch for silent film enthusiasts.

Drifting Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino, Drifting is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The encode presents a transfer taken from a 35mm print which was preserved by the George Eastman Museum. The dupe print is not sourced from the original camera negative but was the best available option from Kino Lorber. Though the scan shows some general wear and print damage (as well as some contrast fluctuations), Drifting still looks quite impressive and more-so than most would expect for a silent production.

Drifting Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The audio quality on the release is quite good, presenting the music score with lively orchestration. The score sounds crisp, clear, and lovely. Truly exceptional.

Silent with English intertitles.

Drifting Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Anthony Slide

The Exquisite Thief (HD, 10:50) presents the only surviving reel from the 1919 silent-era feature-film, which was an early collaboration between actress Priscilla Dean and director Todd Browning.

Drifting Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Drifting is entertaining and features a strong performance by Priscilla Dean. The filmmaking is quite energetic – far more so than some might expect for a silent era production. The release features a strong video presentation. A worthwhile release. Recommended.