Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The Captive City Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 8, 2016

1952’s “The Captive City” is a film noir that directly reflects its tumultuous production era, acting a response to Senator Estes Kefauver’s participation in the United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce, where the government went after the plague of organized crime. It’s a rage against the (corrupt) machine movie, with star John Forsythe portraying a newspaper man discovering a criminal underworld in his own backyard, intent on exposing unlawful behavior while gradually becoming aware of its influence over everyone he interacts with.

Director Robert Wise (following up “The Day the Earth Stood Still”) tries his best to avoid transforming “The Captive Room” into a message movie, filling the effort with panicked discoveries and threats, while violence explodes periodically. It’s an uphill battle for Wise, who’s working with a dry screenplay that frequently values investigative scenes that don’t always spark to life. Forsythe is terrific in the lead role, and the feature finds more than a few moments worth his quaking commitment to depicting outrage, but “The Captive Room” isn’t as eventful as it initially promises, soon caught up in a conversational mood instead of making something profound out of the story.

The Captive City Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Detail is generally strong during the AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation, picking up valuable textures from costuming and the meaty faces that make up the supporting cast. Period cinematography is somewhat balanced, with adequate delineation, and blacks look slightly brightened at times to preserve frame information. Grain is fine and filmic. Source runs into its fair share of mild scratches and speckling, but avoids extended damage.

The Captive City Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is less than inspiring. While some degree of age is expected, "The Captive City" struggles with fuzziness and faintly fluctuating levels, clouding the listening experience. Dialogue exchanges aren't completely threatened, but they lack definition, failing to give the passionate drama genuine snap. Music is purely functional, emerging with a wall of sound position that supports the movie but doesn't enliven it. Sound effects are thickly defined. Hiss is detected throughout the feature.

The Captive City Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:49, HD) is included.

The Captive City Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As an unexpected seal of approval, Senator Kefauver actually appears at the end of the film, imploring viewers to stand up to organized crime when they witness evil emerging around them, trying to stir up a suitable level of inspiration. Perhaps "The Captive City" doesn't carry immense power as a fist-clenching call to arms, but it's passable as a talky but mildly effective thriller, showcasing the power of one against many. Try to work past the feature's period political motivations, and there's plenty here that engages.