6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Bill Saunders, disturbed ex-soldier, kills a man in a postwar London pub brawl. Fleeing, he hides out in the apartment of lonely nurse Jane Wharton. Later, despite misgivings about his violent nature, Jane becomes involved with Bill, who resolves to reform. She gets him a job driving a medical supplies truck. But racketeer Harry Carter, who witnessed the killing, wants to use Bill's talents for crime.
Starring: Joan Fontaine, Burt Lancaster, Robert Newton, Jay Novello, Reginald SheffieldFilm-Noir | 100% |
Drama | 88% |
Crime | 25% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Norman Foster's "Kiss the Blood Off My Hands" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Josh Nelson; vintage audio program with Joan Fontaine; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.
The release is sourced from a recent, very solid 2K master. To be honest, even though the film can look a bit more impressive in high-definition, there is not a lot of room for substantial improvements. For example, there is a bit of shakiness during the opening credits and a few small blemishes, but both will be easily ignored by casual viewers. Also, the entire film looks just a tiny bit softer than it should, but there are no traces of problematic digital corrections. In other words, it has a very fine organic appearance. I noticed a bit of crushing, but the grayscale is convincing. Density levels are very good as well. All in all, some minor adjustments and cosmetic work could improve the dynamic range of the visuals and make them more attractive, but I like how Kiss the Blood Off My Hands looks on Blu-ray a lot. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The dialog is clear and very easy to follow. It is very healthy, too. There are a few areas where I felt slight unevenness in the upper register, but it is very easy to tell how much of it isn't inherited. The important point to make is that it never becomes distracting. Dynamic intensity is predictably modest.
A different, more restrained male star would have made Kiss the Blood Off My Hands appear a lot like It Always Rains on Sunday and Odd Man Out. (Is it a coincidence that the three films were made between 1947 and 1948? I don't think so). Burt Lancaster was not the right actor to play the traumatized war veteran who becomes a fugitive and accidentally falls in love with the perfect girl in post-war London. His performance is so exaggerated that for nearly ninety minutes it creates the impression that he is trying to dazzle a panel of judges that would soon be handing prestigious awards. It is too bad because Russell Metty's lensing produces some pretty striking visuals. Kiss the Blood Off My Hands is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' six-disc box set Universal Noir #1.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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1947
Indicator Series
1954
1955
Premium Collection
1951
Premium Collection
1944
Indicator Series
1949
Limited Edition
1950
Warner Archive Collection
1978
Cult Classics
1953
Arrow Academy
1948
Warner Archive Collection
1938
Arrow Academy
1947
Premium Collection
1950
1950
Indicator Series
1955
Arrow Academy
1946
Interpol / Arrow Academy
1957
1955
Indicator Series
1948
Indicator Series
1950