Port of Freedom Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Port of Freedom Blu-ray Movie Review

Featuring impressive performances by Hans Albers and Ilse Werner.

Port of Freedom is a romantic-drama produced during World War II. Though the feature-film was made in Germany during a time in which the Nazi party held control over the film industry, the storytelling focuses on a simple tale of love, kindness, and happiness. Starring Hans Albers, Port of Freedom is a exploration of dreams – and the journey dreams take us on.

Hannes Kroeger (Hans Albers) is a musician who finds some time for fun within the late-night cabarets of Germany and the red light districts of Hamburg. Kroeger used to be a sailor madly in love with the glorious sea. Yet circumstances led Kroeger to stay in Germany and not set sail once more. When the entertainer meets the a beautiful young farm girl, Gisa Hauptlein (Ilse Werner), sparks fly and Hannes heart melts. A opportunity to return to the sea beckons at his name. Can Hannes choose between the love of his life and his admiration of the sea?

Hans Albers is impressive in the lead role. Albers was an enormously popular actor in his heyday and the role was a perfect fit for him. Hannes Kroeger is a quirky character and one with a number of big dreams. Albers delves in to the part with a clear passion for the role and it shows. Ilse Werner is also terrific and does a strong job opposite Albers. The chemistry between the pair is impressive to behold.

One element of Port of Freedom that surprised was the special effects by Gerhard Huttula (Scandal in Fairyland, The Goose Girl). The filmmaking uses vintage special effects techniques for some truly experimental filmmaking (especially in the second half of the film). These scenes are impressive: showcasing the night life of Germany in a way that is compelling to see unfold.

The life of a dreamer.

The original music score composed by Werner Eisbrenner (A Love Story, Rebel Flight to Cuba) is another worthwhile element. The music helps enhance the rhythm of the storytelling. As the film progresses, the score plays a bigger role in the filmmaking and manages to ebb and flow nicely.

The cinematography by Werner Krien (The Ideal Woman, The Last Summer) made a strong impression, too. The visuals are creative and engaging. Port of Freedom is a visual stunner at times. As the film builds, the experience heightens and becomes thrilling.

Edited by Anneliese Schonnenbeck (Sky Without Stars, The Girl from Flanders), Port of Freedom is inconsistent in the editing department. The first half of the film has some scenes that are overlong and could have been trimmed down. The second half of the film plays must better. If the editing had been a little tighter, the film might have reached an even greater status – nonetheless, Schonnenbeck managed a decent effort.

The production design by Gerhard Ladner (Illusion, Film Without a Name) and Max Mellin (Do Not Send Your Wife to Italy, Agent 505: Death Trap in Beirut) is one of the stars of the show. The sets manage to showcase the cabarets well: giving the production some vital scenery. The results are effective and enhance the mood.

Directed by Helmut Kautner (A Glass of Water, The Rest is Silence), who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Richard Nicolas (Anna Susanna), Port of Freedom is entertaining and worth a look. It certainly benefits from solid performances delivered by Hans Albers and Ilse Werner. Though not perfect, Port of Freedom is still an interesting example of WWII-era filmmaking in Germany and the efforts of filmmakers looking to distract audiences from the horrors of the time.

Port of Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Port of Freedom is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The release comes from a brand new 4K restoration which utilized the original camera negative. However, some scenes are comprised of best available footage from a scan spliced in to the 4K footage.

The 4K restoration footage looks outstanding and is the star of the video-presentation. The majority of Port of Freedom looks crisp and satisfying. Colors are impressive and are true to the cinematography of the time period. During certain sequences, the footage is obviously of a slightly lesser quality, but not unwatchable – these moments showcase some thin scratches and minor print wear. Nothing too distracting or detrimental to the presentation. All in all, Port of Freedom looks great and fans will be pleased to see such a nice high- definition transfer.

Port of Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The German uncompressed PCM mono audio soundtrack sounds quite good. The track is never overly harsh sounding. Though there were a few spots where the audio had some slight crackle, the track is generally solid. Dialogue was clear and easy to understand. The scenes with slightly lower audio fidelity may be from the spliced in footage that was not in 4K. Overall, Port of Freedom has worthy audio and the dynamic range is reasonable given the age of the production and its elements.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Please Note:

Unlike some Kino Lorber presentations, Port of Freedom only includes an English SDH subtitle track. Throughout the feature-film, there are occasional notations indicating when sound is being spotlighted during the film. There were no standard English subtitles on this Blu-ray release. Even so, it is barely a distraction and not too concerning.

Port of Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Olaf Moller

Port of Freedom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Port of Freedom features strong performances by the duo of Hans Albers and Ilse Werner. The chemistry between the pair is vital to the filmmaking. The lush cinematography is impressive, too. The Blu-ray release comes from a brand new 4K restoration. Worth a watch.