Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

The Dark Past Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 10, 2021

Rudolph Mate's "The Dark Past" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with critic Pamela Hutchinson; new audio commentary recorded by critic Eloise Ross; archival promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Your mind is an enigma, but perhaps I can solve it.

Hollywood has a long history of making bad remakes and Rudolph Mate’s The Dark Past is a fine example of one such very early project. It was greenlighted in 1948, which was approximately a decade after Charles Vidor directed Blind Alley, a cinematic adaptation of an original play by James Warwick. In the play, a gangster on the run takes hostage a prominent psychiatrist who begins reconstructing his past and eventually helps him overcome decadeslong case of severe depression. However, the hostage situation is only a ruse for a nuanced character study of a man that has supposedly had his entire life turned upside down by an undiagnosed medical condition.

The fact that two different directors considered tackling the same original material in such a short period of time may seem surprising but it shouldn't be because their films actually take plenty of liberties to ensure that their message is in sync with once-current socio-cultural trends. This is the key reason why both look very dated now and are impossible to take seriously. In Mate’s film, in particular, there is a heavy emphasis on a very specific type of social messaging that does plenty of damage to its genre identity as well, which is why it is a lot easier to profile as a conventional drama than a film noir. (In the 1940s, and later as well, this type of genre overlapping wasn’t uncommon, but in this film it is very easy to see exactly why and how it was done for maximum effect).

Mate chooses to tell the story of the depressed gangster, Al Walker (William Holden), as a long flashback that is recalled by Dr. Andrew Collins (Lee J. Cobb). Having escaped from prison and reunited with his mistress (Nina Foch) and a couple of trusted associates, Walker ends up in the same countryside area where Collins owns a posh villa and together with his wife has welcomed a few close friends for a weekend party. Soon after, Walker and his associates rush inside the villa, break the party, and begin waiting for a contact that will manage the next phase of their journey. However, while everyone is waiting for the mysterious contact to appear, Dr. Collins engages Walker and eventually offers to help him overcome what he believes is a serious but treatable medical condition.

Holden produces plenty of brash statements and does a lot of cliched posturing to sell his character as a tough social outcast that ought to be extremely difficult to crack open by an upper class intellectual like Collins, but it is all a very bad theater whose one and only goal is to channel the social messaging. Less than fifteen minutes into the film you would easily guess who has scripted it as well -- society is promptly framed as the real villain and its supposed failure to give guys like Walker a chance to succeed in life becomes the real crime. At the right time, Collins then frees Walker of his dark past and eloquently declares that it is everyone’s duty to seek the good in those like him.

It is hard to tell whether The Dark Past could have been a more convincing film noir without its politics. It seems likely, but a different cast probably would have been needed as well. For example, Cobb does not seem like the perfect choice to play a man who knows how to dig deep into troubled minds and reconstruct nightmarish secrets. Indeed, it is not a coincidence that the weakest footage in the entire film is the one where his supposed intellectual superiority places him in a dominant position and he proceeds to unlocks the gangster’s mind. Holden routinely overreacts as well, leaving the impression that his character actually belongs in a different, much more intense crime film about a dangerous lunatic that is destined to self-destruct.

The Dark Past Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Dark Past arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

This release is sourced from another very solid old master. Indeed, while I could easily spot a few areas where ideally the density levels of the visuals ought to be superior, on my system the entire film actually looked a lot better than some recent restorations of other vintage films. Perhaps it does help that the vast majority of the footage comes from inside the villa because the lighting is carefully controlled, but the strength of the visuals is still quite impressive. Delineation, clarity, and depth are either very good or excellent. The grayscale wonderfully balanced as well, with the darker footage actually often looking even better than the well-lit footage. Grain is nicely exposed and there are no traces of digital anomalies. Image stability is very good. The entire film looks very healthy as well. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Dark Past Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are no technical anomalies to report in our review. The audio is very clear, sharp, and stable. The dialog is very easy to follow. Dynamic balance is excellent, but do not expect any notable contrasts because the film is a dialog-driven project whose atmosphere is built by the words of its characters. There are no distracting age-related imperfections.

The Dark Past Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Poised Performance: Pamela Hutchinson on Nina Foch - in this new program, critic Pamela Hutchinson discusses Nina Foch's career and involvement with The Dark Past. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• The Gilf Screen Guild Theater: 'Blind Alley' (1940) - this episode stars Edward G. Robinson, Joseph Calleia, Isabel Jewell, and Leatrice Joy. It was original broadcast on February 25, 1940. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Eloise Ross.

• Image Gallery - a gallery of vintage promotional materials for The Dark Past.

• Shivering Sherlocks - a short film about the three stooges directed by Del Lord in 1948. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (18 min).

• Book - limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Peter Stanfield, David Cairns, Michał Oleszczyk, Adam Scovell, Fintan McDonagh, Andrew Nette, Jeff Billington, and Ramsey Campbell, archival articles and interviews, and film credits.

The Dark Past Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I found The Dark Past seriously underwhelming. It is an entirely predictable character study with dated trivial politics that make it look quite amateurish. What is really odd, however, is that William Holden and Lee J. Cobb's performances are so unconvincing that when the final credits roll it feels like both were miscast. The release we have reviewed here is sourced from an old but very good master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Columbia Noir #3 box set.