6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
Alison Courtland wakes up in the middle of the night on board a train, but she cannot remember how she got there. Danger and suspense ensue.
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Robert Cummings, Don Ameche, Rita Johnson, George CoulourisFilm-Noir | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
BDInfo verified
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
For at least one generation of assimilated Jews who wondered what exactly their Yiddish speaking grandparents were talking about, the name Leo Rosten is synonymous with books like The Joys of Yiddish, which took an often laugh out loud look at a sometimes intrinsically humorous language. It may come as something of a surprise therefore to see Rosten’s name as having provided both the source material as well as the screenplay for the 1948 Gaslight-esque thriller Sleep, My Love. What may come as an even bigger surprise to some film fans is seeing the name of Douglas Sirk as Sleep, My Love’s director. Sirk is of course best remembered today for his overheated fifties dramas like Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows. Sirk actually made much of his forties’ reputation on mysteries and noir like Sleep, My Love, with other potboilers like Lured and Shockproof falling into somewhat the same genre as this particular film. Sleep, My Love will feel somewhat derivative, especially for those who are fans of either the glossy MGM version of Gaslight which starred Charles Boyer and earned Ingrid Bergman her first Academy Award, or the somewhat less luxe 1940 British version starring Diana Wynyard and Anton Walbrook. Some may also find a certain similarity to Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion, though in this case there’s not much suspense as to whether the film’s husband has murderous intent.
Sleep, My Love is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. The elements utilized for this transfer have their fair share of age related damage, including quite a few scratches and white flecks. Generally, though, while sometimes variable, contrast is very strong, nicely offering Valentine's excellent cinematography. While Valentine doesn't truly exploit traditional chiaroscuro, he indulges in several very striking lighting effects that amp up the film's tension and which look quite good here for the most part. There is some variance in contrast, however—note the difference between the bulk of the screenshots and screenshot 9). The image is stable and offers very good clarity and sharpness. Grain is quite evident and natural looking and there are no overt signs of denoising or digital sharpening to cause any concern.
Sleep, My Love's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track sounds quite spry for its age, though with a just slightly brittle sounding upper end that is most noticeable in moments like the opening sequence with the oncoming train and Colbert's shrieks. Otherwise, though, the film's dialogue is very cleanly and clearly presented, with nothing much to complain about other than some very slight hiss which is evident in quieter passages. Rudy Schrager's music sounds fine, if occasionally a bit shallow.
No supplements of any kind are offered on this Blu-ray disc.
Sleep, My Love is a decent rethinking of the basic premise underlying Gaslight, but it's no so patently derivative that it becomes ineffective. Bolstered by some brisk direction by Douglas Sirk, and photographed in some moody ways by Joseph A. Valentine, this saga of a woman surrounded by a conspiracy she doesn't initially recognize or understand boasts an extremely capable cast and a couple of very effective set pieces. Olive's release once again doesn't offer anything in the way of supplements, but its "hands off" approach to digital tinkering of older elements provides a rather nice viewing experience. Recommended.
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