Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

Sirocco Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 15, 2022

Curtis Bernhardt's "Sirocco" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc inlcude exclusive new audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson; archival program about the life and legacy of Humphrey Bogart; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Fugitives

I am completely unfamiliar with Joseph Kessel’s novel “Coup de Grace”, which was apparently the inspiration behind Curtis Bernhardt’s film Sirocco. However, I am going to speculate that the tone of Kessel’s novel does not have a lot in common with that of Sirocco. I am even going to speculate that the story that is told in Kessel’s novel isn’t the same story that is told in Sirocco. It can’t be. Sirocco is neither a good, and by good I mean authentic, historic drama, nor a proper film noir. It is an exotic film that bends history in a typical Hollywood-esque fashion to tell a fluffy story that could have resonated only with an audience that did not care much, or at all, about history. In other words, it is a made-up fairy tale for adults.

So, why did Humphrey Bogart go all in on Sirocco? Bogart did not just play the main character in Sirocco, his production company, Santana, also made the film happen. Why? Is the story that is told in Kessel’s novel so good that Bogart could not afford to ignore it? Was it just the right story for the type of exotic film he wanted to make? Or is there another much better reason that explains Bogart’s decision to make Sirocco? Again, Sirocco isn’t just a film that he got paid to do, but one that he worked hard to make happen. Why? Could it be that Bogart made Sirocco for Bernhardt as some sort of favor? I am speculating and asking a lot of questions because Sirocco is a genuine misfire, so whatever the intent behind it might have been, the end product did not turn out as it should. But why? If a film gets so many different things wrong, as Sirocco undoubtedly does, there has to be a good reason, or in this case, as I suspect, several reasons.

The year is 1925 and the location is the Syrian capital, Damascus. The French control the entire city and most of the country, but resistance groups are constantly attacking them and sabotaging their efforts to “restore order”. (Throughout the film the two rivaling sides use “order” in different contexts, so “restoring order” means completely different things to them). People frequently die, but American businessman Harry Smith (Bogart) likes the scene because it offers plenty of opportunities for someone like him to make a fortune. And Smith is already taking advantage of the opportunities as best as he can -- he imports pretty much everything the locals needs to survive and the French to have a good time in the few nightclubs that are allowed to operate, plus he secretly sells arms to Emir Hassan’s (Onslow Stevens) so he and his rebels can continue to attack the French. If the status quo remains unchanged, in a few months Smith would have enough to pack up his bags and return home a very, very rich man.

But on a night when Smith nearly gets killed while having a drink in the biggest nightclub in town, fate introduces him to Violette (Marta Toren), the mistress of Colonel Feroud (Lee J. Cob), who is the right-hand man of General LaSalle (Everett Sloane). Amidst the rubble inside the bombed nightclub, Smith instantly falls in love with Violette, and in the days that follow attempts to conquer her heart. Eventually, he befriends Violette and she begs him to help her escape Damascus with him, but when they attempt to exit the city with a local human trafficker all hell breaks loose.

The biggest troubles in Sirocco are a byproduct of its inability to develop a proper identity, which isn’t at all surprising because Bernhardt’s direction is extremely unconvincing. For example, up until the moment where Bogart and Toren attempt to leave Damascus Bernhardt shoots Sirocco as a historic drama that has to deliver numerous cliched messages about colonial powers and their politics. Within this particular context, Cob produces short but very carefully scripted preachy statements that become the carries of the cliched messages. Here Bogart is only a cynical pragmatic who plays both sides as best as he can. Then suddenly his pragmatism evaporates and he begins making childish mistakes that destroy his status as an outsider as well. This isn’t an impossible scenario, but Toren never creates the impression that she could be the classic femme fatale that can destroy the type of man Bogart supposedly is. On top of this, Cob’s rationality evaporates too, so the second half acquires a completely different personality that is utterly incompatible with that of the first half.

Kessel’s novels have inspired some wonderful films, like Belle de Jour and Army of Shadows, so I assume that there is quality material in "Coup de Grace" as well. If I am correct, this means that Bernhardt was not the right man to direct Sirocco. In its current form, Sirocco looks like a seriously undeveloped film with a badly mishandled personality that might have been greenlighted to capitalize on the success of Casablanca. This is the only scenario that explains why Bogart and his production company Santana became involved with it.

Sirocco Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sirocco arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. Its overall quality is very similar to that of the other older masters the major provided for the remaining films in the Columbia Noir #5: Humphrey Bogart box set. Delineation and clarity are usually pretty good, even in darker areas where older masters can reveal a wide range of familiar limitations. Depth is pleasing as well. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections, but the entire film has a slightly stronger contrasty appearance than what I would have liked to see. It does not harsh, but it is very easy to tell that the surface of its visuals could have a more attractive organic appearance. (For reference, this is exactly the type of attractive appearance newly restored in 4K The Harder They Fall). The grayscale is good. However, some minor effects of the discussed harshness affect the balance between the grays and whites. Image stability is good. Fluidity can be improved, but this isn't an area of concern. A proper 4K restoration will eliminate the many minor white specks, black marks, blemishes, and even a few scratches that pop up throughout the entire film. All in all, even though Sirocco can look healthier and more attractive, its current technical presentation is fine. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Sirocco Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The audio is outstanding. When the current master for Sirocco was prepared at Sony Pictures, someone clearly worked very hard to ensure that the audio is as healthy as possible. Obviously, clarity and sharpness fluctuate a bit because the original soundtrack has its fair share of native limitations, but this has nothing to do with the health of the audio. While viewing the film, I did not notice any age-related imperfections to report.

Sirocco Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson.

• The South Bank Show: "Bogart:Here's Looking at You, Kid" (1997) - this archival program was produced to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of Humphrey Bogart's passing. It takes a closer look at the iconic actor's background, classic characters and the films they were part of, and relationship with Warner Bros. Included in it are clips from interviews with film historian Robert Sklar, actress Rose Hobart, biographer Joe Hyams, and John Huston, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (52 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for Sirocco.

• Book - limited edition exclusive 120-page book with a new essay by Imogen Sara Smith, extensive archival articles and interviews, new writing on the various short films, and film credits.

Sirocco Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Curtis Bernhardt's Sirocco fails for many of the exact same reasons Billy Wilder's Five Graves to Cairo does. This means that it is a pretty ridiculous fairy tale for adults that desperately wants to be taken seriously while pretending to be historically objective. I think that it exists only because Humphrey Bogart thought that it can be made with a fairly small budget but do good business for his production company, Santana. This Blu-ray release is sourced from an older but decent master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Columbia Noir #5: Humphrey Bogart, a six-disc box set.