Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		5.0

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 13, 2024

Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom" (1960) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by film historian Christopher Frayling; archival introduction by director Martin Scorsese; archival program with filmmaker and producer Thelma Schoonmaker; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Note: The text below was first used in our review of StudioCanal's original Blu-ray release of Peeping Tom, which was produced in 2010.

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, Peeping Tom arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release introduces StudioCanal's recent 4K restoration of Peeping Tom, which is also available on 4K Blu-ray. I viewed the 4K restoration in native 4K, but also spent time with the 1080p presentation of it on the Blu-ray.

I mentioned in the review that is linked above that the 4K restoration looks terrific in native 4K and 1080p. The main discrepancies between the native 4K presentation and the 1080p presentation are in the area of color reproduction. The expanded color palette of 4K does produce lusher visuals, so select visuals are slightly more attractive. However, I do not think that delineation, clarity, and depth are substantially better. In some areas, small discrepancies can be observed, but the unique use of light and shadow allows the 1080p presentation to effectively match the quality of the native 4K presentation, even with the advantages that Dolby Vision and HDR provide. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks immaculate as well. (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).

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The strength of the lossless track is immediately recognizable. The dialog is very clear, sharp, and stable. There are some good dynamic contrasts, too. The upper register is free of age-related anomalies. I did not encounter any encoding issues to report.

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, critic Ian Christie carefully deconstructs Peeping Tom and explains why it irreversibly damaged Michael Powell's career. The commentary was recorded in 2007.

• Commentary Two - in this archival audio commentary was recorded by film scholar Laura Mulvey in 1994.

• Introduction by Martin Scorsese (2007) - a short archival introduction to Peeping Tom by director Martin Scorsese. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Interview with Thelma Schoonmaker (2007) - in this archival 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 United Kingdom, and discusses the film's history and critical reception, its characters, tone and atmosphere, etc. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• The Eye of Beholder - in this archival featurette, produced by Canal+ and Image UK Ltd., director Martin Scorsese, film critic Ian Christie, Thelma Schoonmaker, 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 United Kingdom. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• A Very British Psycho - this archival documentary about the life of screenwriter Leo Marks features interviews with Marks and actors Carl Boehm, Pamela Green, and Anna Massey. The documentary was produced in 1997. In English, not subtitled. (51 min).

• Restoring Peeping Tom - this recent program takes a closer look at the new 4K restoration of Peeping Tom. Included in it are clips from interviews with Simon Lund (Director of Technical Operations at Cineric). Seth Berkowitz (Digital Film Restoration Supervisor at Cineric), and Daniel Devincent (Senior Colorist and Director of Digital Operations at Cineric). In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Trailer - presented here is an original theatrical trailer for Peeping Tom. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by author Megan Abbott and techncial credits.

Peeping Tom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Stunning is a short but perfect description of the new 4K restoration of Michael Powell's shocker Peeping Tom. If you do not have a previous experience with this notorious film, which destroyed Powell's career in the United Kingdom, and have always wanted to see it, in a couple of weeks you are going to make a tremendous discovery. The 4K restoration is also available on 4K Blu-ray. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.