Pendulum Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Pendulum Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 11, 2023

George Schaefer's "Pendulum" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features on the release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It is a special day for Captain Frank Matthews (George Peppard). After years of being one of the best cops in Washington D.C., Mathews is presented with a medal in front of flashing cameras and microphones held by some of the most prominent journalists in the area. His latest, great accomplishment is the capture of a vicious maniac (Robert F. Lyons) who has repeatedly raped and killed.

But for years Matthews’ personal life has been heading in a different direction, and in recent months, he has finally uncovered proof that his beautiful wife Adele (Jean Seberg) is a cheater. The pain from the discovery has been excruciating, and seeing Adele flawlessly play the part of a loving and caring wife each day has made it unbearable. It is why Matthews has been spending more time at the police station, working harder than ever, trying to keep his mind as busy as possible. His work has been the only fix for his misery, but he has come to realize that it will never be permanent. How could it be?

Just days after Matthews’ decoration, attorney Woodrow Wilson King (Richard Kiley), a famous civil libertarian, begins representing the maniac and, much to the amusement of many, provides evidence that his client has been mistreated. A judge then reluctantly rules in his King’s favor, and the maniac is set free. Barely able to contain his anger, Matthews repeatedly clashes with Adele and eventually reveals that he knows about her secret. However, instead of trying to repair their marriage, or terminate it, Matthews puts the drama on hold and goes to Baltimore to give a speech that would please a friendly and very influential senator (Paul McGrath). Adele accuses him of being a paranoiac but invites her lover to visit her again, and they make love in the bed she shares with her husband. While they are still in bed, someone enters the house and executes both.

As the news about the double murder spreads like fire, Matthews is declared a prime suspect and an arrest warrant is promptly issued by his boss. Unable to convince his former colleagues to even consider that he may be innocent, Matthews then reaches out to the only man in town whom he believes can help him. It is King, the same man he had to face in court while trying to send the vicious maniac to the electric chair.

George Schaefer spent more than two-thirds of his career working on TV content, so it should not be surprising that Pendulum has certain qualities that would have been perfect for an elaborate TV pilot. For example, Pendulum is tightly controlled and has a very consistent tempo. It is dialog-heavy and borderline action-free. All of its visuals, including the darker ones, are very clear and sharp, routinely revealing almost flawless nuances. While it is not allergic to darkness and shadows, it quickly creates the impression that it prefers bright light.

Interestingly, with only a couple of minor tweaks, Pendulum would have been incredibly easy to profile as film noir -- but not a classic film noir. Rather, it would have been one of those ‘new’ made-for-TV film noirs, like Don Siegel’s The Killers, which was released just a few years earlier. In fact, Peppard and Seberg appear to be performing in precisely that kind of ‘new’ genre film as well. This makes Pendulum a very intriguing film, especially if 1960s TV and cinema trends are taken into consideration when it is carefully deconstructed.

But there is just enough subversive material in Pendulum to make it easy to argue that it is a political thriller disguised as film noir, too. All one has to do to identify the political messaging that is channeled through it is pay close attention to the carefully scripted statements the prominent lawyer delivers while he clashes with and then defends Matthews. Ironically, but not surprisingly, the finale destroys the lawyer’s main argument about the universal nature of legal rights in America because it effectively demonstrates that the legal system is unable to protect itself from bad actors.

Schaefer’s director of photography was Oscar winner Lionel Lindon, whose credits include film noir classics like Alias Nick Beal and The Scarlet Hour, the hugely influential Secret of the Incas, and the iconic political thriller The Manchurian Candidate.

Pendulum Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pendulum arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

In the United States, Sony Pictures released Pendulum on Blu-ray in 2018. (You can see our listing and review of this release here). This Australian release is sourced from the same master that was used to prepare the American release.

I do not know when the master was prepared, but it is very strong and gives the film a gorgeous organic appearance. Frankly, I do not think that this master has any notable weaknesses. There are a couple of areas that can be strengthened a bit -- density levels and saturation levels, but not balance -- but even if they are these improvements will be cosmetic in nature. Indeed, delineation, clarity, and depth are already very, very good. Color balance is very convincing, too. In fact, it is pretty easy to tell that the party at Sony Pictures that prepared the current master had reference materials because all primaries and supporting nuances are set exceptionally well, so if bumped to 4K where the color gamut is superior, the same settings will undoubtedly produce some quite spectacular visuals. Grain exposure could be slightly more convincing, but there are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, I did not see any distracting age-related imperfections to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Pendulum Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The film has a very active soundtrack that may surprise some viewers. The lossless track reproduces its native qualities very well, without ever revealing signs of aging. The dialog is always very clear, sharp, and stable, so you will be able to hear all exchanges without ever adjusting the volume of your system.

Pendulum Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.

Pendulum Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

See Don Siegel's The Killers and George Schaefer's Pendulum on the same night and you will realize that they have a lot in common. Both have similar noirish qualities, but are not conventional film noirs. Both were influenced by prominent trends in TV production during the 1960s, though The Killers did some influencing of its own as well. These films just as easily unite several outstanding actors that are at the top of their game while following instructions from two excellent directors. Pendulum is one of four terrific films starring George Peppard that are included in this lovely box set from Australian label Imprint Films. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.