Letter from an Unknown Woman Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Letter from an Unknown Woman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 5, 2017

Max Ophuls' "Letter from an Unknown Woman" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interviews with Oscar-winning documentarian Marcel Ophüls, cinematographers Ben Kasulke and and Sean Price Williams, and professor Dana Polan; new audio commentary by Max Ophuls expert Lutz Bacher; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Molly Haskel. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The story is simple yet profoundly moving. In Vienna, Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan, Gigi, The V.I.P.s), a handsome pianist, receives a long letter from a woman who never stopped loving him. He knew her as a girl, spent time with her as a young woman, and then met her again when she was already married to another man. But each time he forgot about her.

During the years Stefan never realized that it was always Lisa (Joan Fontaine, Rebecca, The Women) that he kept coming back to because he was too busy rehearsing, traveling, and meeting people who admired his talent. Each time Lisa entered his life he experienced true happiness and felt alive, but he always went back to his music. Lisa loved him too much to demand that he stays with her. She was patient and respectful, happy to simply be close to the man she loved.

In the letter Lisa describes how difficult life was for her when Stefan was not around. As a girl she had to follow her parents when they moved from one place to another. As a young woman she could spend time with Stefan, but he never had enough time for her. As a married woman she had to be careful not to let her husband discover that her heart belonged to another man. There were times when Lisa was frustrated and tried to forget Stefan, but she could not stop loving him.

They had a son together, but Lisa never told Stefan that he had become a father. She loved him so much that she did not want to jeopardize his career by telling him that she had his son. Was she right to stay out of his life? She loved him and at the time what she did felt right. She hoped that one day, when Stefan had accomplished his goals, he would return to her. She was young and too naïve, convinced that the best was yet to come.

Then, one day Lisa finally realized that she would never have the life she was waiting for -- they met again and Stefan did not recognize her. Now she is dying, but she isn’t blaming Stefan for anything. The letter he is reading is her final confession -- the best moments of her life were the moments she shared with him, the only man she ever loved.

Based on the story by Stefan Zweig and a script by the great Howard Koch (Casablanca), Max Ophuls’ Letter from an Unknown Woman is one of the most moving romantic films ever directed.

The film is broken into three rather large episodes, each chronicling an important period of the beautiful heroine’s tragic life. Different flashbacks also highlight events that would effectively redirect her life -- for example, her initial encounter with the young officer, and later on her decision to send her son away.

The handsome pianist appears in all three episodes, but his feelings and emotions are largely ignored. Ophuls and his camera are far more interested in old Vienna. Indeed, the film is shot in a way that makes it look like the entire city is suffering with Lisa -- at times Vienna looks alive and energized, other times it seems sad and lonely. (See the short sequence at the end where Lisa slowly walks by the beautiful fountain).

The sets and decors are exquisite, while the period dresses and uniforms are amongst the most elegant seen in an Ophuls film. The lighting, a key component of the film’s visual design, is also remarkably well managed. Indeed, there are entire sequences where the mood of the film is actually altered by the unique lighting, not the words the main protagonists utter.

Fontaine is equally impressive as a girl, young woman, and a mother who has to take care of her son. Jourdan’s character isn’t easy to like, but his performance is impossible not to admire. At the end of the film, where the two meet at the opera house, the two look indescribably beautiful.

Letter from an Unknown Woman was lensed by the great Austrian cinematographer Franz Planer (Mark Robson’s Champion, William Wyler’s Roman Holiday).

Letter from an Unknown Woman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Max Ophuls' Letter from an Unknown Woman arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K restoration that was completed by Paramount Pictures and the film now looks the very best it ever has. I own two more releases -- the original North American release from Olive Films and French release from Carlotta Films -- and I can assure you that the improvements are indeed substantial. In fact, I would say that you don't even have to have a very large TV or projector to appreciate the strength of the new transfer. Basically, the entire film now has a wonderfully balanced and consistent density that ensures that very pleasing organic appearance that proper 4K restorations deliver; from start to finish depth is also excellent. Grain is finer and nicely resolved. Another important aspect of the new presentation that should be mentioned is the better grading. I did some tests with the Region-B release and the new release has an all-around better range of nuances -- it is marginally darker but with finer shadow details and a wider spectrum of grays. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are no distracting damage marks, debris, cuts, scratches, stains, or warped/torn frames to report. (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).

Letter from an Unknown Woman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The audio is stable and very clean. Rather predictably for a film from the 1940s, however, dynamic intensity is limited. On the other hand, balance between the dialog, the narration and the music is excellent. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions to report.

Letter from an Unknown Woman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, Max Ophuls expert Lutz Bacher discusses at length the production history of Letter of an Unknown Woman and its visual style (with particularly interesting about various lighting choices), as well as the working methods of its creator.

• A Deal Made in a Turkish Bath - in this brand new video interview, Oscar-winning documentarian Marcel Ophüls, son of director Max Ophuls, explains why and how his family emigrated to America and discusses his father's early years in Hollywood. There are additional comments about Letter From an Unknown Woman as well. The interview was conducted exclusively for Olive Films in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080p).

• An Independent Woman: Changing Sensibilities in Post-War Hollywood - in this brand new video interview, Dana Polan, professor of Cinema Studies at New York University, discusses the emergence of independent films in America during the 1940s and 1950s, some specific changes that occurred in the studio system as these films became more prominent, and Max Ophuls' Letter From an Unknown Woman and its distribution history. The interview was conducted exclusively for Olive Films in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• Ophulsesque: The Look of Letter From an Unknown Woman - in this new video program, cinematographers Ben Kasulke (The Forbidden Room, Keyhole) and Sean Price Williams (Good Time, Heaven Knows What) recall how they fell in love with cinema and discuss the visual style of Max Ophuls' Letter From an Unknown Woman and how as they grew older their appreciation of it changed. The programs was produced for Olive Films in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Letter From an Unknown Woman: Passion's Triumph - this featurette focuses on the life and legacy of director Max Ophuls and his masterpiece Letter from an Unknown Woman. It was created by film scholar Tag Gallagher and also appeared on Carlotta Films' Region-B . In English, not subtitled. (25 min, 1080p).

• I've Seen You Somewhere Before: Soulmates in Ophuls's Letter From an Unknown Woman - this essay was written by film critic Molly Haskell. In text-format. (14 pages/1080p).

• Booklet - 6-page illustrated booklet featuring a printed version of Molly Haskel's essay.

Letter from an Unknown Woman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Letter From an Unknown Woman is one of my all-time favorite films and I am thrilled to have this new Signature Edition in my library. The film has been recently restored in 4K and I think that this might be the best presentation of a Max Ophuls film that I have seen to date. As usual, the folks at Olive Films have also included a nice selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. Fantastic. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.