7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Gregory Peck plays a journalist who goes undercover as a Jew to expose anti-Semetism in post-war America.
Starring: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, Anne RevereRomance | 100% |
Melodrama | 20% |
Drama | 15% |
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 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
While it's easy to retrospectively equivocate America fighting Germany during WWII with America fighting specifically in support of Europe's oppressed
Jews, the U.S.'s motivations during the war had little to do with stopping Nazi Germany's systematic, state-sponsored ethnic cleansing. And when the
war ended, with some six million Jews dead and millions more displaced, anti-Semitism was still very much an unsavory reality in American life. No, we
didn't have pogroms or slave labor, but we did have institutionalized discrimination of the unspoken, white-washed variety—"gentleman's
agreements"—with landlords denying Jews as tenants, employers tossing out resumes with typically Jewish names, and neighborhood residents
subversively trying to keep out "undesirables."
Made in 1947, the film Gentleman's Agreement called out this de facto cultural trend for what it was—base, unfounded, entirely shameful
prejudice—stirring up Hollywood controversy in the process. When he experienced discrimination firsthand on the false assumption that he was Jewish
—he was denied membership to a country club—20th Century Fox producer Darryl F. Zanuck decided to make the film, despite the concerns of his
Jewish colleagues, who worried the movie would only whip-up America's sleepy anti-Semitism into a more-active fervor. In what would become the
first in his series of "big issue" pictures, future On the Waterfront director Elia Kazan eagerly took on the project, which issues a direct
challenge to the idea that it's better to suffer quietly than make thing worse. In Gentleman's Agreement, only blatant, brutal honesty can
shock people—especially those who are otherwise kind, and perhaps unintentionally racist—out of their backwards attitudes.
I always look forward to these catalog releases from 20th Century Fox, because they do such a damn good job with them. Gentleman's Agreement is no exception, arriving on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer of a print that's been wonderfully restored. Natural 35mm film grain is kept intact—no digital noise reduction or edge enhancement here—while damage and debris has been completely removed. Beyond a few blink- and-you'll-miss-'em white specks, the image is absolutely pristine—no scratches, no hairs, no judders or skipped frames. The only evidence that you're watching a print from the 1940s are the occasional brightness/contrast fluctuations, which are too slight and fleeting to really be noticed. Generally, the black and white gradation is excellent, with strong but not overpowering blacks and highlights that never blow out. This transfer really makes the most of Arthur C. Miller's cinematography, which shows a masterful control of light and shadow. And although there are a few softish shots here and there, most of the film is wonderfully sharp and detailed in closeup, from the chiseled good looks of Gregory Peck's face to the visible clothing textures of the classy mid-century suits and dresses. It's hard to imagine the film looking much better.
Not to be outdone, the film's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio mono track is as clear and dynamic as we can reasonably expect an audio mix from the '40s to be. Most importantly, dialogue is perfectly balanced and always easily understood, with no high-end crackles or muffling, not even during the few instances where Schuyler and Kathy raise their voices at one another. Similarly, famed composer Alfred Newman's orchestral score is clean and fairly full, lacking the thin, tinny quality of some recordings from the era. If there was any damage to the track, it's been almost completely attenuated here— there are no pops, hisses, crackles, sudden dropouts, or any other problems to report. The disc also includes Spanish and French Dolby Digital mono dubs, along with optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
The first of Elia Kazan's "big issue" films, Gentleman's Agreement expresses righteous indignation at the widespread anti-Semitism in post-war 1940s America, taking on the then-hush-hush topic by baldly calling it out for what it was and is—simple, unfounded prejudice. If the film feels a little didactic now, it's only because Kazan needed a blunt cinematic object to get the point across, particularly in a time when Americans were in denial about their racial/ethnic attitudes. Although it's not Kazan's best picture—his best work was to come—it did win Best Picture and Directing Oscars at the 1947 Academy Awards, and features some dynamic acting by Gregory Peck and Dorothy McGuire. Additionally, 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray restoration of the film is remarkable, making this an easy recommendation for fans of classic mid-century Hollywood drama.
Warner Archive Collection
1945
50th Anniversary
1973
2015
Limited Edition to 3000
1979
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2004
Fox Studio Classics
1960
1942
1947
1942
Limited Edition to 3000
1958
Warner Archive Collection
1948
The Roadshow Edition
1944
Warner Archive Collection
1946
2014
1992
Limited Edition to 3000
1959
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1943
1959
Limited Edition to 3000
1957
80th Anniversary Edition
1942