6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
At the end of the Second World War six German ex-soldiers return to Berlin and set up as a bomb disposal group. The pressure of the dangerous work starts to affect them, the more so as they have agreed to pool half their pay so that if only one survives he takes it all. Casualties and friction are inevitable, and having to handle British 1000lb bombs seems particularly bad news.
Starring: Jack Palance, Jeff Chandler, Martine Carol, Robert Cornthwaite, Dave WillockWar | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Not only is 1959’s “Ten Seconds to Hell” a genuine nail-biter, but it manages to find another corner of WWII history to explore, pulling emphasis away from the Allied effort in Europe to explore tensions in Germany during the initial phases of reconstruction. Adapted from a Lawrence P. Bachmann book and directed by Robert Aldrich (“The Longest Yard,” “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”), the feature hands viewers a unique perspective, tracking the conflicts and confusion of six disgraced German soldiers who’ve accepted a bomb disposal detail that seldom permits a happy ending. It’s a flipside of wartime honor and duty that isn’t frequently explored, observing the shell-shocked reaction of traditional enemies now in charge of piecing together a shattered country.
Remastered for its Blu-ray debut, "Ten Seconds to Hell" boasts an impressive AVC encoded image (1.66:1 aspect ratio) presentation. Fine detail is especially welcome here, capturing facial particulars even away from sweaty close-ups, while set design and bombed-out locations retain a superior texture that sustains the haunted tone of the effort. Black and white cinematography is balanced and secure, offering ideal delineation. Grain is managed to satisfaction, preserving a filmic appearance. Print is in terrific shape, with only some minor speckling encountered.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix brings out suspense with healthy dialogue exchanges, keeping tension high with defined emotions and contained extremes. Scoring has moments of pronunciation, but remains supportive throughout, carrying dramatic surges comfortably. Atmospherics with desolate locations are evocative, and sound effects, from bomb blasts to the careful twisting of metal, are defined. Hiss is detected, but never distracting.
Vulnerabilities are acceptable but hardly necessary in "Ten Seconds to Hell," which remains in top form during disarming sequences -- moments of meticulous duty that carry tremendous anxiety. Suspense is key here, not flimsy romantic ways, which throttle suspense instead of encouraging pace. Still, this is sharp work from Aldrich, who delivers a hearty sense of panic and tone of dread that keeps "Ten Seconds to Hell" on target, working its way to an impressively macabre and masculine finale.
Warner Archive Collection
1955
1971
1970
1969
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1957
1959
1951
Saboteur: Code Name Morituri | Limited Edition to 3000
1965
Warner Archive Collection
1945
Limited Edition / Import
1940
1943
1967
1949
1942
1968
1962
Fragile Fox
1956
1954
Special Edition
1958
Warner Archive Collection
1955