Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Gold Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 11, 2016

Directed by Karl Hartl, 1934’s “Gold” has plenty to say about the state of the union in Germany. A critique of greed and abuses of science, the feature is careful to support its commentary with human interests, including the possibilities of love. “Gold” is broadly defined but competently managed by Hartl, who blends striking visual elements with melodrama, creating a somewhat slack but effective offering of entertainment that hopes to rattle moviegoer minds with its depiction of a financial apocalypse.

The plot of the feature concerns titans of business and science coming together to build a machine capable of turning lead into gold, with some hoping to use the breakthrough to advance education, while others plan to manufacture a fortune large enough to break the world’s banks. Granted, the money men haven’t really thought out their plan, but greed blinds reality, putting lead character Holk (Hans Albers) in the middle of schemes and murder, while also nursing female attention from two interested ladies. Hartl isn’t the finest craftsman of suspense, but passion comes through with periodic clarity, watching Holk battle with his conscience throughout the story. Fine performances deliver the essentials in longing and despair, helping “Gold” reach its dramatic goals between bouts of dry exposition.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.32:1 aspect ratio) presentation does significant battle with age, coming to Blu-ray without an extensive restoration. Source material is in rough shape at times, with scratches, skipped frames, and general wear and tear on view throughout the viewing experience -- intensity fluctuates, along with flicker. Contrast isn't troubling, but blacks tend to look diluted. Detail is surprisingly strong, capturing expressive performances largely showcased in close-up, exploring facial textures with clarity, and set design achievements are also open for inspection when focus issues are solved.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM sound mix also struggles with age-related issues, offering continuous hiss and pops. However, dialogue exchanges aren't completely overwhelmed, finding dramatics relatively secure, just not precise. Emotional movements are easy to track. Scoring also lacks definition, but intention is understood. Sound effects have their moments, including the pronounced hum of the gold machine.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Gold Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The big draw of the film is the gold machine, which emerges as a major visual in a picture that's generally strong with design elements (footage of the machine was recycled for use in 1953's "The Magnetic Monster"), with Hartl getting his money's worth by having his characters climb all over it for extended amounts of screen time. While "Gold" threatens mayhem, occasionally indulging action, it mostly resides in a position of concern, trying to clarify its message of caution when messing with the elements for profit. It's a science fiction tale, but the feature maintains attention on real-world ills, identifying great divides in class and purity of progress.