7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
British writer and director Sidney Gilliat (GREEN FOR DANGER, THE LADY VANISHES) is responsible for some superb moments of cinematic suspense. This lesser-known crime drama – based on the book "Fortune Is a Woman" – featuring the beautiful Arlene Dahl (THE BLACK BOOK, SLIGHTLY SCARLET) as a married woman who runs into a former boyfriend, insurance investigator Oliver Branwell (Jack Hawkins, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, FIVE FINGER EXERCISE), in the line of his business. When her husband (Dennis Price, MURDER MOST FOUL) dies in a fire, the two re-kindle a relationship that ended abruptly. Eventually, murder, arson and blackmail threaten to consume them both.
Starring: Jack Hawkins (I), Arlene Dahl, Dennis Price (I), Violet Farebrother, Ian Hunter (I)Film-Noir | 100% |
Drama | 25% |
Crime | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This film is available as part of
Noir Archive Volume 3: 1956-1960.
Kit Parker Films and Mill Creek Entertainment continue their deep dive into what might be thought of as the substratum of film noir with
this
third collection culled from the Columbia catalog. The fact that this latest offering supposedly spans the years of 1956 through 1960 may give
some indication of
just how deep this particular dive is, since many film fans will probably (rightly or wrongly) feel like the late fifties and first year of the
sixties are decidedly past the heyday of film noir. (That "supposedly" is in the previous sentence because the earliest actual release date
for the films in this set seems to actually be 1957, not 1956, which perhaps makes my point even better.) Still, as with the first two collections,
there are some really interesting films in this set,
and genre aficionados will most likely find at least a few titles in this set, including some more British productions, that may well spark interest.
For an overview of the previous two releases in this series, please click on the following review links (which, like this one, will contain links of their
own pointing to reviews of the individual films in the set):
Noir Archive Volume 1: 1944-1954 Blu-
ray
review
Noir Archive Volume 2: 1954-1956 Blu-
ray
review
She Played With Fire is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Kit Parker Films and Mill Creek Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. While this presentation offers some "baked in" anomalies like inartful edits with misaligned frames, and some curious warping that shows up during what are pretty frequent optical dissolves, for the most part this is a very pleasing looking transfer. Fine detail is especially good delivering precise looks at some rather intricate patterns on both men's suit jackets and some of the costumes Arlene Dahl wears. Contrast is also generally solid throughout the presentation. There are some special effects sequences, including some with optical dissolves, that are noticeably softer than the bulk of the presentation. Flicker is occasionally evident, but never overly problematic in my estimation. My score is 3.75.
She Played With Fire features a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track which capably supports both dialogue and the occasional voiceover and/or narration by Jack Hawkins. William Alwyn's symphonic score which at times emphasizes some high string work also sounds clear and never overly brash or brittle. Fidelity is fine, and there are no issues with distortion or damage.
None of the three discs in this set feature any supplements.
She Played With Fire has some fun mystery elements, but it might have benefited from a more convincing conclusion. Hawkins is typically stolid as an insurance investigator perhaps discovering he's in over his head, and the film's subtext of art and arson gives the story a certain amount of distinction. Technical merits are generally solid for those considering a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1948
1955
1949
I Married a Dead Man
1950
1948
1946
1946
4K Restoration
1946
Reissue
1957
1955
I Became a Criminal / Kino Classics Presents
1947
1947
Warner Archive Collection
1940
1956
1954
Sydney
1996
Warner Archive Collection
1944
1945
1948
1955