Pastor Hall Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Pastor Hall Blu-ray Movie Review

"Then they came for me."

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 6, 2022

Released just one month before Frank Borzage's excellent The Mortal Storm (widely recognized as the first American studio film that dared to criticize Hitler), Roy Boulting's solid UK predecessor Pastor Hall examines similar territory: an otherwise quiet European village torn apart by Nazi occupation. This one is a bit closer to the present, though: it takes inspiration from the historical case of German theologian and pastor Martin Niemöller who, among other things, penned the post-war confessional "First they came...", a version of which is featured on the United States Holocaust Memorial. Yet his most famous claim to fame -- though certainly polished to an exaggerated shine in Pastor Hall -- is his public preaching against Hitler's invading forces, which led to a seven-year stint in Nazi concentration camps.

Niemöller is transposed into titular character Frederick Hall (Wilfred Lawson), a pastor in the small German village of Altdorf whose daughter Christine (Nova Pilbeam) is engaged to family friend Werner von Grotjahn (Brian Worth). The looming occupation by Nazi Stormtroopers soon divides their humble community almost in half, with Hall's family -- which also includes Werner's father, General von Grotjahn (Seymour Hicks) -- largely siding against the invading forces, especially after a violent nighttime raid on Jewish businesses obviously meant to represent Kristallnacht. Pastor Hall is warned on multiple occasions not to preach against their actions publicly, and is even instructed to "modify" his daily scripture lessons to comply with Nazi ideology. He does neither and is sent to Dachau for an undetermined stay, where hard physical labor and torture for his continued disobedience gradually turn him into a gaunt, weathered version of his former self. Nonetheless, his family members are nonetheless able to strike a bargain with a sympathetic officer... even despite Hall's wishes, as he'd rather become a martyr than fall in line with their hateful way of life.

Hall is portrayed as a steadfast, unyielding opponent of the Nazi wave, a designation that applies to almost no one else in the film's appropriately small universe. (Others are clearly against the takeover, yet some are willing to make certain moral compromises along the way.) This makes Pastor Hall a clearly idealized version of the real-life Niemöller, a self-identified antisemite who was originally a supporter of Adolf Hitler during his rise to power earlier that decade; his "First they came..." confessional is, after all, an admission of inaction. Pastor Hall also takes the unsavory road of turning its main conflict into a holy war, once again portraying Christianity as holding a monopoly on moral behavior even as Nazi oppressors quote from the same bible. This bitter aftertaste is the only thing that keeps Pastor Hall from achieving a greater legacy, as it's an otherwise very effective drama with great pacing and memorable performances.

Powerhouse Films recently released Pastor Hall simultaneously in the US and UK as a solid Limited Edition Blu-ray as part of their ongoing "Indicator" line, pairing a new 4K-sourced transfer with the studio's Criterion-esque style of deluxe packaging and a nice collection of bonus features. It's a well-rounded enough film on its own two feet but, when part of a package like this, Pastor Hall is an even easier recommendation for die-hard fans and new viewers too.

Pastor Hall Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Powerhouse Films' 1080p transfer of Pastor Hall will thrill those who love the silvery grain of nitrate, as their exclusive new restoration shows a strong foundation that preserves the film's original appearance. The booklet advertises it as being sourced from a 4K scan of an original nitrate positive element preserved by the BFI National Film Archive with restoration work carried out in 2K at Final Frame Post, London and, as evidenced by these screenshots, displays a high level of fine detail and excellent contrast levels that proves the initial scan was done with care. But while I obviously prefer this type of end result over one slathered with digital noise reduction or other heavy-handed techniques, I feel that the image could have benefitted from another round or two of manual cleanup. Vertical scratches and dirt/debris can easily be picked out at regular intervals while black levels fluctuate between shots, even sometimes pulsing during especially dark scenes. There's also some flagrant ghosting during a third-act escape scene which transforms moving figures into literal blobs. (Other source defects are present but unavoidable, including a few missing frames and very slight warping.) Yet the image as a whole is very appealing and should certainly please film purists; my overall rating hovers somewhere between a 3.5 and 4, but it's closer to the latter so that's where it lands.

Pastor Hall Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The booklet also advertises that this Blu-ray's DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio mix was restored using the same credentials, resulting in a largely clean and crisp presentation that nonetheless shows its age in a few respects. Dialogue, sound effects, and the original music by Charles Brill and Hans May are all well-balanced, with the latter sounding bright and clear despite some obvious thinness at the high end. Hissing, crackle, and other maladies can be picked out on more than a few occasions but, under the circumstances, this is a quality effort that does its job admirably.

The optional English subtitles, advertised as "new and improved", are also well done and show no obvious sync issues; they even replicate an occasional word or two of spoken dialogue not heard in a few missing frames.

Pastor Hall Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in Indicator's typical deluxe packaging, with a Criterion-style thick keepcase that proudly displays its reversible cover artwork. A thick and glossy booklet is also tucked inside that includes attractive photos, a handful of essays and the usual production fare including cast/crew details, acknowledgements, multiple short essays (including information about the lost Eleanor Roosevelt introduction for American audiences, which includes a text reproduction), and details about the new restoration. On-disc extras are plentiful and informative.

• The IWM Oral History with Roy Boulting - The late director of Pastor Hall speaks at length about the main feature and his prolific career in this quasi-commentary, a 1980 archival interview conducted by the Army Film Unit that plays over the main feature. Additional topics include Boutling's other film projects, his work with Army Film Unit, his twin brother John, friction with the Ministry of Information, and more. It's in rough shape overall but certainly listenable, although a second set of subtitles would probably have helped.

• Matthew Hockenos: Faith Without Borders (15:04) - The New York-based Hockenos, listed as Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History at Skidmore College, speaks about Pastor Hall's inspiration Martin Niemöller and his real-life actions that were... well, let's just say slightly exaggerated in the film.

• Richard Falcon: Cutting Class (13:54) - This interesting interview with ex-BBFC examiner Richard Falcon details the film's history with the British Board of Film Censors, which includes the BBFC's original stance of not approving films that were deemed critical of the Nazi Party due to the fact that they might cripple any potential peace deals between Hitler and then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Other affected films are also covered, including the 1928 production Dawn and a never-produced war drama titled Mad Dog of Europe.

• Welt in Film: "Niemöller Speaks in Hamburg" (2:25) - This brief clip of vintage 1946 newsreel footage feature's Hall's inspiration, theologian Martin Niemöller, speaking about post-war German guilt.

• Image Gallery - 30 high-resolution still images in varying aspect ratios.

• The Dawn Guard (6:19) - Directed by Roy Boulting (who speaks about it briefly in the audio interview detailed above), this 1941 propaganda piece features Pastor Hall actors Percy Walsh and Bernard Miles.

• Minefield! (14:35) - Another short film directed by Boulting for the Army Film Unit, this more objective 1944 piece details the reconnaissance work done to reveal minefields for the safety of soldiers and vehicles.

Pastor Hall Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Roy Boulting Pastor Hall is an early -- by major studio standards, at least -- anti-Nazi WWII film with roots in historical fact, although the appearance and actions of its central hero(es) have obviously been polished to an exaggerated shine. Nonetheless, like Frank Borzage's The Mortal Storm it ticks all the boxes for an emotionally stirring and effective genre effort, one that balances great performances and memorable characters with great pacing and very little fat. Indicator's dual-released US/UK Blu-ray offers plenty of support, from their solid new 4K-sourced restoration to great packaging and well-rounded bonus features. A firmly Recommended title for new and established fans alike.