Submarine 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Submarine 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 15, 2024

How many high-definition debuts can you pack into one collection? The Frank Capra at Columbia Collection aims for a record, with Submarine being one such debut, not to mention the first 4K release you'll come across in the 20-film box set. The silent film stars Jack Holt, Ralph Graves, Arthur Rankin, Clarence Burton and Dorothy Revier, while the Blu-ray features a fantastic video presentation (even though the movie is ninety-five years old) and a strong lossless audio mono mix. There aren't any extras, which is a shame, but the disc is very good nonetheless.

Jack Dorgan (Jack Holt), the premiere deep-sea diver in the Navy, and his best friend, sailor Bob Mason (Ralph Graves), are split up and given different assignments. Jack is sent home to California while Bob stays behind with the Pacific fleet. Before leaving, Jack jokes about Bob always stealing his girls, and Bob warns Jack to stay away from women wearing dice-patterned garters, his trademark. In San Diego, nearly a year later, Jack meets Bessie (Dorothy Revier) at the Palais Ballroom and immediately proposes. After Jack ships out, Bob, on leave in San Diego, goes to the Palais Ballroom, where he meets the unescorted Bessie. She accepts his invitation to dance, and after noticing her ringless wedding finger, Bob spends his leave with her. A week later, Bob is at the docks, preparing to return to sea when he encounters Jack, who invites him to meet his new wife. Introduced to Bessie, Bob is horrified and Jack is furious. Soon, though, both men have bigger problems to deal with. When Bob's submarine collides with a destroyer and sinks to the ocean floor, entombing the crew alive with little oxygen, Jack has to decide whether to help Bob or to join the rescue crew and save a man who ruined his life.

Was it Capra that was obsessed with love triangles? Or was it just audiences of the day? There's only so many ways a guy can write about a film that finds three people shuffling back and forth between one another; the men in the triangle ready to resort to blows only to survive an extraordinary circumstance that allows them to walk away, their friendship rejuvenated. It would be decades I suppose before the story of a ragtag submarine crew would be enough on its own, and that's perhaps the film's most glaring flaw: the romance, the infidelity, the shock and outrage, it's all far too contrived and predictable. But the sub? A deep sea rescue at 400 feet? Watching men face the reality of their impending death? Heroism, sacrifice and duty? Now you're talking. The third act of Submarine has all this and more, rendering the bland romantic tanglings that come before it moot. Any conflict would've sufficed, but I suppose audiences wanted as much movie as possible packed into every production. Come to think of it, it's not that unlike a Fast and the Furious flick. Lots of needless sentiment and relational battering merely to get to the good stuff.

Capra's affinity for stoic tough guys at least shines, almost as much as his penchant for a humble, wholesome everyman, and Jack and Bob hold the movie as much and as often as they hold loyalty court. One of the joys of silent films is the expressiveness of the performances. Holt and Graves -- which sounds like a detective duo -- are at the perfect crossroads of talkies and silent films, using more nuanced glimpses, furrowed brows and jaw clinches to deliver more subtle takes on their Navy men than you might expect. The result is a thriller that surely lost the ladies in the crowd the minute Bessie was no longer on hand to be judged. But the gents in the audience? I'm sure they cheered in what was easily one of the early "guy's guy" flicks. (Sexist? It was 1928. Cut me some slack.) Pumping fists and cheers are exactly what Submarine earns when it ditches its romantic subplot and lives up to its title. So go easy on ol' Submarine and dear Capra. It gets there eventually, and so does he.

Submarine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Though it lacks HDR (high dynamic range) coloring, Sony's SDR 4K UltraHD 2160p presentation is a winner. Detail is excellent, allowing the inner steelworks of the titular sub, every bolt on the Navy's diving helmets, and other elements of the production design to stand out. Textures are rather soft -- this is, after all, a late '20s film -- but that doesn't prevent the transfer from showcasing fabric, hair and pores. Moreover, contrast is dialed in without error. Black levels are deep, inky and, at the bottom of the sea, downright frightening. Gray midtones look fantastic. And the sludge of oil, the pouring sweat, the stained shirts and the grimy dive-suits look every bit as convincing as they should. Blocking and banding would be non-existent, were it not for a few shots of monotone gray sky where you can spot some compression artifacts (if you look close enough). Not that you're likely to notice it in motion at a proper viewing distance. (I so hate screenshot combing.) Still, grain is undeterred, consistent and refined. There are a few rough shots, but only insofar as the source is concerned. The encode is nearly faultless in every regard, making for yet another strong video presentation in the Frank Capra at Columbia Collection box set.

Submarine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Submarine's DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix is one of four fully silent film tracks in the Frank Capra at Columbia Collection. Dubbed a synchronized sound drama, there's no audible dialogue. However, its synchronized music score and sound effects are used to extremely effective ends thanks to the sound-on-film Western Electric Sound System process. Sony has preserved the original sound design with a wonderful degree of faithfulness, even though the movie's age is still allowed to take a small toll. Any distracting hiss is largely absent but the thinness or boxiness of various elements is retained, as each should be. I'm sure it's possible in our world of AI and advanced restoration techniques to completely retool Submarine. But who would want to watch a 1928 film paired with recreated 2024 audio? Part of the charm is the era, and the era sounds quite good via this lossless mono mix.

Submarine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No extras are included.

Submarine 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Submarine is a tale of two pictures. One, a weirdly unromantic romance. The other a tough-as-nails thriller where Navy-men put their lives on the line for one another. The second is by far the more powerful of the two, making the first a slog. Fortunately, Sony's 4K Blu-ray edition boasts excellent video and solid audio. The only thing missing is a few extras, but so far, none have been produced.