7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
U.S. agents infiltrate a deadly counterfeiting ring.
Starring: Dennis O'Keefe, Mary Meade, Alfred Ryder, Wallace Ford, June LockhartFilm-Noir | 100% |
Drama | 41% |
Crime | 19% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Director Anthony Mann and cinematographer John Alton worked together six times over the relatively short expanse of only three or so years, resulting in chiaroscuro drenched noirs like He Walked by Night (due in just a few more weeks from ClassicFlix), Raw Deal (on ClassicFlix’s release list, but not yet officially scheduled), Reign of Terror, Border Incident and Devil's Doorway, the one kind of outlier in this grouping due to it being a historical piece that rather presciently if somewhat tangentially examined issues of Native American rights long before they became fodder for westerns later in the fifties. Mann and Alton began their collaboration in 1947 with T-Men, a film which has a first rate presentational style bolstering a somewhat lumbering storyline, one that perhaps isn’t helped especially by a curious quasi-documentary approach that includes former Treasury Department official Elmer Lincoln Irey, the man who spearheaded the investigation which finally brought down Al Capone, in what is referred to as a “stultifying” prologue that Irey has trouble getting through, even though he appears to be reading from a sheaf of papers on the desk in front of him.
T-Men is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of ClassicFlix with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. This is another great looking restoration and transfer from ClassicFlix, which is becoming a rather enjoyable label for some lesser known but still highly enjoyable fare. The element was culled from the British Film Institute archive, and then ClassicFlix spent several months on its own restoration, with the results offering a generally excellent viewing experience. Alton's high contrast cinematography is presented rather lustrously, with deep, solid blacks and extremely well modulated gray scale. By design there are a number of scenes with relatively little shadow detail, something that makes the sudden emergence of an element like McGraw's face as seen in screenshot 4 more forceful. Clarity and sharpness are just slightly variable, but grain is very organic looking and resolves throughout the presentation without any problems. There really aren't any major issues with age related wear and tear in any discernable form.
T-Men features a fine sounding LPCM 2.0 mono track that supports Reed Hadley's rich narration extremely well, and which also delivers the film's actual dialogue without any issues. There's a slightly anemic quality to a few sound effects like gunshots, and some of Paul Sawtell's more bombastic cues can sound slightly boxy, but overall this is an enjoyable and problem free track.
T-Men's actual narrative has a kind of pedestrian, maybe even plodding, quality, but its presentational style is dynamic beyond belief. Even supposedly mundane moments like Irey's opening monologue are framed a little unevenly (see screenshot 5), and once the actual story kicks in, Alton and Mann repeatedly choose framings that keep the viewer inspecting every inch of what's going on. Performances are generally strong, if a little bland on the hero side. ClassicFlix has upped its game with this release, offering not just a stellar looking transfer but some enjoyable supplements and a really beautiful insert booklet. Recommended.
Reissue | Special Edition
1948
Deluxe Edition
1949
4K Restoration
1948
1951
Limited Edition to 3000
1987
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2002
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