Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Body Snatcher Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 10, 2019

1945’s “The Body Snatcher” (based on an 1884 short story by Robert Louis Stevenson) is remarkable in many ways, offering a slow-burn but effective chiller concerning blackmail, dead bodies, and moral corruption. It’s also an early offering from director Robert Wise, who would go on to helm many large-scale classics (including “The Sound of Music” and “West Side Story”), but here he’s dealing only with paranoia and the singular force of star Boris Karloff, who delivers an absolutely sensational performance, portraying the key figure in a terrible scheme of medical experimentation and dormant secrets.

Wise contributes a feeling of doom with “The Body Snatcher,” taking a classic horror approach of shadow play and gothic settings, yet he manages to make it all feel alive, not clichéd. The cinematic approach to the material is relatively simple, highlighting a wet European location populated by suspicious characters, pitting noble intentions against macabre secrets. However, Wise pushes harder on menace, focusing on Karloff’s portrayal of a cab driver/graverobber, giving the actor room to develop a layered performance, making the story’s troublemaker something more than a basic villain. It’s thrilling to watch Karloff go for it, taking the professional opportunity to stretch beyond his genre fame.

The Body Snatcher Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Boasting a "New 4K scan of the original camera negative," "The Body Snatcher" makes a fine impression on Blu-ray. Clarity is wonderful, with a sharp view of screen elements (save for some inherent focus issues), including the preservation of room and location dimensions. Decoration is open for inspection, and characters are vividly displayed, with fibrous costumes and textured facial particulars, with Karloff's head a road map of age and menace. Cinematography is balanced, with deep blacks and bright whites. Grain is fine and filmic. Mild speckling and scratches are detected.

The Body Snatcher Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries the feature's mood accordingly, emphasizing dialogue exchanges, which retain their definition, working through accents and vocal volume. Scoring is supportive, contributing satisfactory instrumentation, and suspense scenes are appealingly sweetened by orchestral emphasis. Sound effects are satisfactory, though the sound of horse movement is singled out strangely with heavy echo, possibly intentionally. Hiss runs throughout the listening experience, with periodic pops.

The Body Snatcher Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Robert Wise and film historian Steve Haberman.

• "Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy" (53:27, SD) is a documentary about the famous filmmaker, who was called in to rescue RKO Pictures after their disastrous relationship with Orson Welles. Interviews include time with historians and moviemakers such as William Friedkin, Joe Dante, and Guillermo del Toro.

• "You'll Never Get Rid of Me: Resurrecting 'The Body Snatcher'" (11:55, HD) sits down with author Gregory William Mank, who's a major fan of the picture, declaring it "the best horror film of the 1940s." While lengthy clips pad the run time, production details are shared by the writer, who describes Boris Karloff's professionalism and dedication to the part, enjoying the chance to play a dimensional character. There's also a summary of Bela Lugosi's participation, with the genre legend struggling with his small part, watching Karloff take command of the movie. Mank also points out highlights from the feature, offering a valentine to technical and thespian achievements.

• Still Gallery #1 (4:37) includes poster art, newspaper ads, pages from an exhibitor manual, lobby cards, theater displays, and premiere pics.

• Still Gallery #2 (5:28) includes publicity photos.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

The Body Snatcher Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wise keeps up pace, organizing ghoulish events and the occasional jump scare. He does well with the cast, who supply passion for the parts, while an appearance by Bela Lugosi is brief, but he manages to create an impression, pitting the horror gods against each other for one good scene. "The Body Snatcher" remains atmospheric and surprising, even when it reaches for formula to get by, with Wise attentive to the intensity of mind games and a gradual escalation of threat, leading to a satisfying finale.