I Am the Law Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

I Am the Law Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 28, 2022

Alexander Hall's "I Am the Law" (1938) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. There are no supplemental features on the release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

How can a film that was made in 1938 produce so many truths about corruption in America’s higher echelons of power that remain relevant in 2022? The film and its truths do not require serious analysis to get the answer to this question. It is a simple answer and it sums up perfectly why corruption will continue to thrive in the future as well.

Law professor John Lindsay (Edward G. Robinson) confesses before his students that he is going to miss them dearly while on sabbatical. He must go because the sabbatical is part of an important arrangement he has made with his wife (Barbara O’Neil), too. Shortly after, however, Lindsay is approached by Eugene Ferguson (Otto Kruger), a prominent member of New York’s Civic Committee, and offered a very attractive job. For a fixed term of twelve months, Lindsay could act as a special prosecutor with virtually unrestricted powers to eliminate the racket business that is suffocating the city. If he accepts the job, Lindsay would report only to the District Attorney (Douglas Wood) and, when asked, brief the mayor. Initially, he rejects the offer fearing that changing plans would irreversibly damage his already shaky relationship with his wife, but then changes his mind. After the inevitable quarrel with his wife, Lindsay goes to work.

Ferguson’s son, Paul (John Beal), a big admirer of Lindsay, is immediately hired to assist with the legal paperwork that would be required to put the racketeers in jail. However, almost immediately after Lindsay begins gathering information and connecting dots that reveal to him who are their leaders, he realizes that not even one of their victims would be willing to testify in court to get them convicted. Then, as his enthusiasm for the job quickly begins to evaporate, Lindsay makes an even more disturbing discovery – his lack of progress is being used by multiple shadow figures to reorganize the racketeering business and enhance its public reputation as indestructible.

Directed by Alexander Hall, I Am the Law is loosely based on an original story by Fred Allhoff that initially appeared in Liberty Magazine. This story was made into a screenplay by Jo Swerling, who penned such classics as Lifeboat, Blood and Sand, and Leave Her to Heaven.

I Am the Law has two contrasting halves that gradually reshape the image of the law professor. In the first half, he is an ambitious outsider whose academic definitions of right and wrong are free of nuances, which is why he quickly suffers numerous setbacks. In the second half, he is a ruthless pragmatic fully aware that his appointment was a well-calculated move made possible by the parties that he is supposed to investigate.

Both halves produce equally timeless truths about corruption in America. For example, Lindsay’s investigative work quickly reveals that corruption thrives because it is protected by people in power. In other words, it has a hierarchical, well-insulated structure that is tightly controlled. Lindsay’s investigative work also reveals that the people that must fight corruption are usually the ones with the ability to manipulate the public’s perception of it. (Lindsay’s entire appointment is a variation of the classic adage If you want absolutely nothing done, form a committee. This is precisely why he is identified by Ferguson as the perfect candidate to form a team to tackle corruption in the city. He is a naïve law professor with an excellent reputation and zero understanding of the nature of the challenge he will be facing).

In the second half, the film gradually introduces the idea that the only antidote for the deeply-rooted corruption of the kind Lindsay discovers is the wrecking ball approach. Because Lindsay cannot win while following the law, for a short period of time he becomes the law and successfully erodes the foundation of the racketeering organization.

Hall directs with notable confidence but the overall quality of I Am the Law is not comparable to that of Here Comes Mr. Jordan, which earned him an Oscar statuette.

I Am the Law Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, I Am the Law arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. There is room for improvement in a couple of areas. For example, there are a few small but noticeable drops in density levels that affect delineation and depth. Also, some visuals reveal tiny scuffs and specks, plus there is one rather big blemish that quickly pops up and disappears, which means that there is plenty of room for cosmetic improvements. Some small stability enhancements can be introduced as well. However, the entire film has a fine organic appearance and even on a very large screen the visuals tend to look quite good. Grain exposure can be better, but there are no traces of problematic digital corrections and I consider this a major strength of the master. The grayscale is convincing. In the areas where the density fluctuations emerge some improvements can be made, but these are momentary drops that I am fine with. All in all, if fully restored in 4K I Am the Law will look better in high-definition, but the current master has strong organic qualities. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

I Am the Law Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

All exchanges throughout the film are very easy to follow. Clarity and sharpness are very good. Depth reveals minor fluctuations, but I would describe it as good. If you turn up the volume, you will notice that some extremely light background hiss attempts to sneak in, which means that there is room for cosmetic improvements, but your viewing experience will not be affected. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.

I Am the Law Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this release.

I Am the Law Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Great power and corruption are inseparable. Does this mean that the latter can only be managed? If laws are created to protect the people in power and then everyone else, the answer is yes. Alexander Hall directed I Am the Law in 1938 but all of its revelations about corruption in America remain valid. This recent release from Australian label Via Vision Entertainment is sourced from an older but good organic master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.