Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Odds Against Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 29, 2018

Robert Wise's "Odds Against Tomorrow" (1959) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute. The supplemental features on the disc include a vintage trailer for the film; archival Q&A session with Robert Ryan; new video interview with critic Adrian Wootton; archival Q&A session with Harry Belafonte; and archival video interview with director Robert Wise. The release also arrives with a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Tega Okiti's essay "Images of Resistance: Odds Against Tomorrow" and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

As easy as a walk in the park

Desperate men do desperate things, and sometimes the unlucky ones lose everything. This is the simple message of Robert Wise’s classic film noir Odds Against Tomorrow.

An aging player named Dave Burke (a superb Ed Begley) hires two men who urgently need money to help him rob a bank in upstate New York. The first, Johnny Ingram (Harry Belafonte), is a jazz musician who has allowed his gambling debts to cripple his life. After a long series of losses, he has finally been given an ultimatum by a tough loan shark (Will Culuva): pay back what you owe in twenty-four hours, or get a big beautiful hole in the forehead. The second guy, Earle Slater (Robert Ryan), is a vet who has recently realized that he is running out of time to do something meaningful with his life. He’s got a woman (Shelley Winters), but the only thing that he can offer her is his bed.

The men meet in Burke’s apartment where the old-timer explains to them why the entire operation will be like a walk in the park. His partners seem to trust his plan, but not each other -- Slater does not like working with blacks, while Ingram can’t stand loose cannons with ‘old-fashioned values’. Burke nearly loses them.

After a full day of soul searching the men meet Burke again and agree to keep their emotions in check until they finish the job and distribute the loot. For a while the truce and Burke’s plan seem to work perfectly, but then Lady Luck abruptly changes her mind.

The film is very gloomy, almost to the point of being unbearably depressing, but it also has an unapologetic macho attitude that makes it very attractive. This is the reason why the three men that organize the robbery and then go to work never even remotely appear like cinematic characters, they are just desperate gamblers with serious flaws who have decided to roll the dice and see if they can get away with a bag of cash that can change their lives.

It is essential to make it clear that the gloominess is not a product of intended stylization of the kind that plenty of film noirs rely on when they build their atmosphere. It is achieved while giving Slater and Ingram plenty of time to justify their decision to join Burke and in the process casually document the fast crumbling of the foundations that their lives are built upon. So by the time Slater and Ingram agree to ignore each other it is already painfully obvious that these men are so desperate that they are truly ready to risk everything.

Gloria Grahame has a small role as a frustrated wife who is fully aware that Slater has a dark past but nevertheless chooses to make love to him while his partner is away. This is arguably the one and only melodramatic sequence in the entire film.

Wise secured the services of cinematographer Joseph Brun, who had recently lensed the impressive Cinerama production Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich.

Odds Against Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the BFI.

The release is sourced from the 2K remaster that the BFI recently produced, but as the stills that accompany our review reveal the film is framed in 1.33:1 as opposed to 1.85:1. (The new release from Olive Films has the film properly framed in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1). I viewed this release again two nights ago and a some of the framing discrepancies are indeed very striking. There are a lot of segments where it is pretty obvious that there is plenty of extra space and in some cases close-ups actually appear completely off. However, as strange as it may sound, there are also a few panoramic shots where the framing here actually appears to capture some movement better. Other than that the basics appear identical -- there are no traces of digital tinkering and as a result the entire film has a very solid organic appearance. Also, the same specks and blemishes remain. Image stability is great. (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).

Odds Against Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

I can only echo the comments that I left in our review of the Region-A release. Stability and clarity are very good. However, in the exact same segments that I heard some light pops on the Region-A I could hear the same pops on this release. Obviously, some additional work could have been done to clean them up. The rest is fine.

Odds Against Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Theatrical Trailer - presented here is a vintage theatrical trailer of Odds Against Tomorrow. In 1.33:1 ratio. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Q&A Session with Harry Belafonte - this archival session with producer/actor Harry Belafonte was recorded after a screening of Odds Against Tomorrow in Chicago on August 1, 2009. The bulk of the information addresses the social climate at the time when the film was made; the drastic differences between the story that is told in the novel by William P. McGivern and the one from the film; Robert Ryan's persona and his great villains; and the visual style/cinematography of the film. In English, not subtitled. (50 min).

• Adrian Wootton on Odds Against Tomorrow - in this new video interview, critic Adrian Wootton discusses the evolution of the noir genre during the late 1950s and the social overtones that became prominent in films like Odds Against Tomorrow. There are also some very good comments about Gloria Grahame's performance and her career. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• The Guardian Interview: Robert Wise at the National Film Theatre - in this filmed archival interview, director Robert Wise discusses a new (for the time) theatrical print of Odds Against Tomorrow, the work and legacy of Val Lewton, the quality and appeal of The Sound of Music, directing Steve McQueen on the set of The Sand Pebbles, etc. The interview was conducted on August 10, 1995. In English, not subtitled. (74 min).

• The John Player Lecture: Robert Ryan at the National Film Theatre - in this archival recorded audio session, Robert Ryan discusses his philosophy of acting (and dislike of method acting), the consequences of overdirecting, violence in films and whether it is beneficial as a 'safety belt', sex and some of the ways it is promoted in films, some of the risky characters he played over the years (with great comments about Crossfire), the production of The Professionals, the lack of creativity in Hollywood, etc. The session was recorded in 1969. In English, not subtitled. (63 min).

• Booklet - 14-page illustrated booklet featuring Tega Okiti's essay "Images of Resistance: Odds Against Tomorrow" and technical credits.

Odds Against Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The BFI's release of Odds Against Tomorrow is sourced from the same nice recent 2K remaster that Olive Films used for their new release of the film, but obviously the framing is quite problematic. On the other hand, there is an outstanding archival audio interview with Robert Ryan here that I think is a good enough reason to recommend picking up a copy of it. So, if you like the film you definitely need to pick up the Region-A release for the proper technical presentation, and then if you can find this release with a very attractive price tag, perhaps you can grab a copy for your collection.