7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A crooked lawyer tries to protect his numbers running brother from a ruthless crime boss.
Starring: John Garfield, Thomas Gomez, Marie Windsor, Paul Fix, Howland ChamberlainDrama | 100% |
Film-Noir | 73% |
Crime | 8% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Abraham Polonsky's "Force of Evil" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival video introduction by Martin Scorsese; new audio commentary by critic Imogen Sara Smith; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Force of Evil arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
Force of Evil made its high-defnition debut with this release from Olive Films in 2012. It is the only other release of the film that I have in my library. Kino Lorber's release introduces a brand new 4K restoration of Force of Evil that was completed by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by The Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. Restoration work was carried out at Roundabout Entertainment and Audio Mechanics.
The 4K restoration looked very good on my system. I did numerous comparisons with the previous release and in quite a few areas now the visuals have a much more attractive organic appearance. However, work has been done to rebalance density fluctuations which is why the entire film has a light velvety look. I like it but there are some darker areas where very fine nuances are not as nicely exposed as ideally they should be. Also, in some areas blacks become too thick and begin to crush. Nevertheless, delineation, clarity, and depth range from good to very good. The grayscale is convincing. Many of the highlights that were uneven on the previous presentation now look terrific. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks immaculate as well. (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).
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 restored audio track is outstanding. On the previous release, a few areas had very light hiss sneaking in from time to time, plus some noticeable unevenness. On the restored track, I did not notice any hiss or unevenness. I thought that clarity, sharpness, and stability were as good as they could be. I was quite impressed.
What separates bad men from evil men? The former can have some good in them, the latter are despicable, irredeemable human beings. Also, not all bad men become such by choice. Some have to be if they wish to be successful in life. It is sad that it is so, but it has been this way for a long, long time. Abraham Polonsky's directorial debut, Force of Evil, is a cynical but very effective reminder of these old facts of life. Kino Lorber's release introduces a good new 4K restoration of Force of Evil that was completed by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation. If you reside on the other side of the Atlantic and wish to pick it up for your collection, please keep in mind that it is Region-A "locked". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
1955
1946
Includes Elia Kazan: Outsider 1982 Documentary
1954
1948
Encore Edition | Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1953
4K Restoration
1973
1927
1961
1948
1945
1950
1942
1957
1976
Warner Archive Collection
1947
1955
1945
1947
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1949
1955