Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 11, 2010

Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom" (1960) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include a short introduction by director Martin Scorsese; a wonderful featurette with director Martin Scorsese, film critic Ian Christie, Thelma Schoonmaker, Prof. Laura Mulvey, and Karlheinz Bohm; a documentary produced by Studio Canal; interview with Thelma Schoonmaker; restoration comparison; stills gallery; and the film's original theatrical trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. Region-B "locked".

I am watching you

The name of the main protagonist in Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom is Mark Lewis (Karlheinz Bohm, Rififi in Tokyo). He is a young and quiet man who works as a focus puller at a large film studio. He is also employed by the owner of a small Soho porno shop, who pays him to photograph young girls. Demand for Mark’s photographs is strong.

Mark’s true passion, however, is not photography. He is fascinated with fear. His research work involves filming the faces of various women as he kills them. Mark carefully studies the footage in a dark room of his apartment. But this isn’t always easy because his neighbors like to party a lot. Noise distracts Mark.

Helen (Anna Massey, De Sade), a friendly girl who lives with her blind mother in the same building, approaches Mark and the two become friends. Eventually, Mark takes her out for dinner and then shows her a few films taken by his father. Helen finds them strange - one of the films shows young Mark being awakened by a man with a flashlight; another shows someone dropping lizards on Mark’s bed while he is asleep; there is even a film showing young Mark looking at the cold face of his dead mother.

Based on an original story by Leo Marks, Peeping Tom is a legendary classic British film that influenced generations of different directors around the world, including such masters as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, and Bertrand Tavernier. Recently, the film underwent an extensive digital restoration, and Optimum Home Entertainment are now bringing it back to the big screen to celebrate its 50th Anniversary. (The theatrical rerelease will coincide with the film’s debut on Blu-ray later this month).

Though today there is a guaranteed spot for Peeping Tom in the history annals of world cinema, the film wasn’t always treated with the respect it rightfully deserves. When it premiered in 1960, critics all across the United Kingdom greeted it with unprecedented hostility. For example, David Hill of the Tribune proclaimed that "the only really satisfactory way to dispose of Peeping Tom would be to shovel it up and flush it down the nearest sewer. Even then the stench would remain."

Peeping Tom is an incredibly complex, truly original film. Its main protagonist is a man who leads a double life that in a lot of ways invites parallels with the British society -- a prosperous, healthy, and demanding respect society that also has a darker side, one that is apparently fascinated with pornography and murder. There is something enormously disturbing in the way the main protagonist justifies his killings with his ‘research’, as well as seeing the owner of the porno shop where he goes after work selling candy bars to children.

The visuals have a garish, often surprisingly nasty appearance. (The use of Eastman color is most appropriate). The bright reds, blues, greens, and yellows suggest comfort and elegance that are simply missing.

Shortly after it was released, Peeping Tom effectively ended Powell’s career in the United Kingdom. Following its condemnation by the critics, Powell found it impossible to continue working there. In the late 1970s, however, Scorsese financed a rerelease of Peeping Tom, which gave it new life and rekindled interest in Powell’s legacy.

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Powell's Peeping Tom arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.

This is an exceptionally strong high-definition transfer. Freshly restored, Peeping Tom looks the best it ever has. Fine object detail is outstanding, clarity very pleasing, and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. What impresses the most, however, is the color-scheme; the variety of reds, greens, blues, yellows, browns, and blacks look sensational (there is an extensive demo included on the disc which compares the old look of the film with the new restoration). Stability is also greatly improved. For example, the background flicker and macroblocking that are present on the old Criterion SDVD release of Peeping Tom are completely gone. Many of the close-ups also look exceptionally healthy - there are no color pulsations or pixelation issues, and the high-transfer reveals a type of depth that very much rivals that of the restored The Red Shoes. Lastly, Peeping Tom has also been meticulously cleaned up. As a result, there are no large cuts, marks, stains, or debris to report in this review. To sum it all up, this is indeed an exceptional presentation of an exceptional film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The audio treatment is as impressive as the video treatment. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. There are no balance issues with Brian Easdale's score either. Indeed, the English LPCM 2.0 track has excellent depth and resonance that is not present on the Criterion SDVD release of Peeping Tom. Lastly, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or dropouts to report in this review.

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Introduction - a short introduction to Peeping Tom by director Martin Scorsese. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, PAL).

Eye of the Beholder - in this featurette, produced by Canal+ and Image UK Ltd., director Martin Scorsese, film critic Ian Christie, Thelma Schoonmaker, Prof. Laura Mulvey, and Karlheinz Bohm (who plays Mark Lewis) discuss the fascinating history of Peeping Tom and the devastating impact it had on Michael Powell's career in the UK. In English, not subtitled. (19 min, PAL).

The Strange Gaze of Mark Lewis - in this wonderful documentary, produced by Studio Canal, French director Bertrand Tavernier, film historian Charles Drazin, and psychiatrist Dr. Olivier Bouvet discuss Peeping Tom and its placement within Michael Powell's body of work. In English and French, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (25 min, PAL).

Interview - in this this interview Thelma Schoonmaker, film editor and widow of Michael Powell, acknowledges director Martin Scorsese's efforts to rerelease Peeping Tom after it was dismissed by the critics in the UK, why the film shocked critics and audiences when it was released, the extreme reviews the film received, the main character, etc. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, PAL).

Restoration Comparison - a look at Peeping Tom before and after it was restored. Without sound. (7 min, 1080p).

Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Peeping Tom. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

Stills Gallery - a collection of stills from the shooting of Peeping Tom. (1080p).

Commentary - a very informative audio commentary by film critic Ian Christie, who carefully deconstructs Peeping Tom and points out why it irreversibly damaged Michael Powell's career.

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Optimum Home Entertainment have put together a fantastic package for Michael Powell's once very controversial Peeping Tom. The film looks and sounds phenomenal. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed also contains a number of very informative supplemental features. In addition to this terrific Blu-ray release, Optimum Home Entertainment are also bringing Peeping Tom to the big screen to celebrate its 50th Anniversary. So if you are in London this month, do not miss it! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.