The Garment Jungle Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Garment Jungle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 24, 2020

Vincent Sherman's "The Garment Jungle" (1957) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials; new program with critic Tony Rayns; archival session with Robert Loggia; new audio commentary by critic and author Kevin Lyons; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Son, you talk to the union people?

Avoid experts claiming that they can recognize Robert Aldrich’s touch in The Garment Jungle. They can’t, because the truth is that it is impossible to tell with absolute certainty who did what in it. Aldrich made some quite interesting statements after he was removed and Vincent Sherman took over his duties, but in its present form the film looks entirely coherent. The dramatic buildup, the character arcs, the manner in which the visuals are composed and edited suggest a very particular vision that was executed with proper authority. Naturally, there are two possible scenarios that explain precisely how the film was put together. Here’s the first: Aldrich did not leave behind a substantial amount of footage and the various statements he produced after the film was completed are basically full of half-truths and lies. Here’s the second: Aldrich walked away from a nearly finished film and Sherman and his team focused only on small gaps that did not alter its composition.

Something else that is worth pointing out when The Garment Jungle is discussed is the manner in which it was promoted by Columbia. The vintage theatrical poster the studio commissioned for it actually sells a film that neither Aldrich nor Sherman directed -- it has an attractive half-naked blonde suggesting some sort of an intriguing temptation; a threatening hand holding a pair of scissors; and a young couple running away from someone or something. All of these visuals point toward a range of specific genre thrills that are actually not part of the film’s narrative. (In a new program that is included on this release, Tony Rayns also spends some time discussing the poster and notes that it essentially promotes an exploitation film. He is correct, because the poster really does give off such a vibe).

The film is set in New York City’s garment district at a time when representatives of the growing local union and various underground figures are clashing to determine how employers and employees coexist in a booming economy. The owner of Roxton Fashions, Walter Mitchell (Lee J. Cobb), has a business relationship with Artie Ravidge (Richard Boone), a shady character with a reputation, whose goons have ensured that union boys do not disrupt his operations. The protection isn’t cheap, but because it allows Mitchell to remain independent it is treated as a smart business expense. However, Michell’s relationship with Ravidge becomes complicated when the former’s partner shows support for the union boys and dies in a freak accident and then his son, Alan (Kerwin Mathews), reappears and sides with a local union activist (Robert Loggia) who has been trying to organize the workers. When Mitchell finally questions Ravidge’s methods and then chooses to walk away from him, all hell breaks loose.

The predictable sympathy for the union does not distort the reality of the situation that Mitchell and his son face after the former finally admits that he has been manipulated -- the business cannot be truly independent. So, when the violent confrontations begin, Mitchell has to pick the lesser of the two evils and pay to continue operating his business.

The fate of Loggia’s activist is also entirely predictable because his actions are not driven by a sensible strategy that can help him accomplish his goal. He is filled with anger, and whether justified or not, it is what ultimately makes it impossible for him to realize that he is surrounded by traitors.

When the final credits roll it is difficult not to conclude that the deaths have been entirely preventable and actually pointless. A simple compromise and a couple of cool heads would have been enough to avoid all troubles, with Mitchell also having the ability to effectively neutralize Ravidge and his entire organization. So, the drama that is documented is in fact a byproduct of a range of basic errors of judgement.

Shot in New York City and Los Angeles, The Garment Jungle has a quasi-documentary appearance, which coupled with its politics and melodrama makes it rather difficult to profile as a classic film noir.

The Garment Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Garment Jungle arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The master that was used to produce the release is quite good. It was prepared after the film was redone in 2K, which was a little over a decade ago when Sony was remastering all kinds of different film noirs. Aside from a few density fluctuations and some minor blemishes the overall appearance of the visuals is actually very pleasing, so even on a larger screen the native qualities of the production can be very easy to appreciate. (The most notable density fluctuations appear during the documentary footage from the funeral). Grain can be slightly better exposed and more even, but there are no troubling anomalies to report. The grading job is excellent. The ranges of grays are especially good, plus there are no traces of boosting and distracting crushing. Image stability is good. (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 Garment Jungle 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 for the main feature.

The audio is clear and stable. There are a few areas where it has a slightly boxy quality -- see the garment shop -- but this is a limitation of the original soundtrack. The upper register is clean. The dialog is easy to follow, even during mass scenes where often there are plenty of organic sounds and noises. There are no encoding issues to report.

The Garment Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for The Garment Jungle. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for The Garment Jungle.

• Tony Rayns: Law of the Jungle - in this new program, critic Tony Rayns discusses the production of The Garment Jungle, Robert Aldrich's involvement with the film and his vision for it, the current version of the film and Columbia's promotion efforts, some of the key dilemmas that its characters face, etc. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Robert Loggia: It's a Jungle Out There - presented here is an archival session with actor Robert Loggia in which he recalls his contribution to The Garment Jungle and discusses the period in which the film was conceived. The session is conducted by critic Alan K. Rode at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles on May 4, 2007. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Commentary - critic and author Kevin Lyons shares a lot of interesting information about the production of The Garment Jungle, Robert Aldrich and his work on the film, the different casting choices, the visual style of the film, etc.

• Rip, Sew and Stitch (1953) - short film with the three stooges. Directed by Jules Whites. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (17 min).

• Book - a limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Iris Veysey, Paul Duane, Jill Blake, Wheeler Winston Dixon, Nathalie Morris, and Sergio Angelini;archival interview extracts with Budd Boetticher, Joseph H Lewis, Phil Karlson, and Robert Aldrich; extracts from the autobiographies of Don Siegel and Vincent Sherman; and film credits.

The Garment Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A lot of people have different takes on what happened before and after Robert Aldrich was replaced with Vincent Sherman. But does the real story, whatever it might be, actually matter? To be honest with you, I don't think it does, because as it is The Garment Jungle is a complete film with a proper identity. It is a bit overly melodramatic at times, but a lot of films from the same era are. It is entirely possible that with Aldrich behind the camera the end product could have been drastically different, but the message that emerges from it would have been largely the same. This release is sourced from a nice organic master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' upcoming Columbia Noir #1 box set. RECOMMENDED.