The General Died at Dawn Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The General Died at Dawn Blu-ray Movie Review

A fun and suspenseful thriller from the great Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front)

The General Died at Dawn is a fast-paced thriller with exciting twists and turns in the tale. Starring Gary Cooper and Madeleine Carroll, the film is based on a story written by Charles G. Booth (The House on 92^nd Street). Produced by William LeBaron (The Very Idea, It's the Old Army Game), the experience is one that fans of classic noir- infused thrillers will want to experience.

American agent O'Hara (Gary Cooper) is on a special mission to overcome the diabolical plans of the vile General Yang (Akim Tamiroff) and bring weapons to those involved in the opposition. The evil Yang is determined to control North China at any cost. Taking a perilous train ride to dangerous land in Shanghai, O'Hara meets the drop-dead-sexy Judy Perrie (Madeleine Carroll).

Unknown to O'Hara, Judy was assigned to lure him and prevent his mission from being a successful one. Will O'Hara survive the train ride? Or will General Yang become victorious in this dangerous game of cat-and-mouse?

The performances were of great vitality to the success of the production. Gary Cooper and Madeleine Carroll were both remarkable in their respective roles in the film. There is a clear sense that these performers have romantic chemistry with one another. The sultry elements of the film are a nice component of the production. Cooper is a suave cool as the American hero and Carroll is a rather sumptuous vixen to seduce him. The chemistry which bounces off of the two performers give the filmmaking a real heat that can't go ignored.

The General Died at Dawn also features a top-notch original music score composed by Werner Janssen (The Southerner, Eternally Yours). The music strikes the right notes. The score adds to the sense of excitement and suspense that the storyline develops. As viewers delve further and further into the universe of the production, the score heightens the tone of the film with relative ease. There is a sense that composer Janssen has a strong understanding of the craft and of how to explore all the right notes for each scene within the film.

"What's this about six feet apart?"

The lush black and white cinematography by Victor Milner (Reap the Wild Wind, The Love Parade) is one of the best elements of the production. The sleek aesthetic gives the film a dark, noir like atmosphere, which in turn helps the filmmaking feel more suspenseful and exciting. The visuals pierce the story well: one is easily drawn in to the world of the characters. The experience is all the more enjoyable as a result.

Edited by Eda Warren (The Young Savages, His Kind of Woman), The General Died at Dawn has an impeccable pace. There is no sense of a lull in the filmmaking. The production feels steady: concise. The editing was one of the main reasons the story flowed so well.

The art direction by Hans Dreier (The Lost Weekend, Frenchman's Creek) and Ernst Fegté (The Princess and the Pirate, Five Graves to Cairo) delivers on the suspenseful tone of the story. Establishing the tone early on in the film, the train setting gives ample opportunity for mystery. The filmmakers capitalize on this element of the production well. The shadowy aspects of the train (and the art direction) helps the film excel in the suspense genre. A testament to the fine artistry of Dreier and Fegté.

Not to be overlooked, the costumes by Travis Banton (Trouble in Paradise, Shanghai Express) are exquisitely designed. The gowns worn by leading lady Madeleine Carroll are especially remarkable to behold. There is something creative going on in each scene of the film and the costumes help the film excel is all of these arenas by giving the characters the appropriate aesthetic to their respective roles.

Director Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front, Mutiny on the Bounty) brought his A-game to the production. Working with the screenplay by Clifford Odets (Sweet Smell of Success, The Story on Page One), The General Died at Dawn has more than enough creativity on display to make it a worthwhile endeavor. The story is an exciting one and doesn't miss a beat. Milestone knows his craft and creates a shadowy world of suspense that is so excellent that the time flies by. The General Died at Dawn is certainly an under-the-radar classic that is worth checking out.

The General Died at Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The General Died at Dawn has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. This is an exceptional presentation which is stunning to behold from start to finish. The transfer is of a new master completed in 4K. The 4K scan looks terrific and brings with it a new sense of life and vitality to the film. The black and white cinematography looks hypnotic and transporting. A natural layer of fine film grain is also left intact throughout. There were no egregious issues to report with regards to print degradation issues such as warps, burns, and other-such elements. The print is crisp and pleasing. Fans will be enormously pleased with the top-notch effort by Kino.

The General Died at Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release for The General Died at Dawn is presented with an English DTS-HD Master Audio mono sound track. The lossless high resolution encode is a wonderful presentation for the feature-film. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The track was consistently impressive from start to finish. There were no egregious issues to report with regards to hiss, crackle, pops, and clicks. The presentation is remarkable. Kudos to Kino for another excellent presentation.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

The General Died at Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by author/film historian Lee Gambin and actress/film historian Rutanya Alda

The General Died at Dawn Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:28)

The release includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (SD, 1:42), Beau Geste (SD, 1:28), Man of the West (HD, 3:02), The Great McGinty (HD, 1:41), and The Black Sheep (SD, 1:36).

The General Died at Dawn Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The General Died at Dawn is an entertaining, fast-paced, and exciting suspense film that deserves to be seen. The production is well mounted on so many levels: the art design and cinematography are top-notch. The performances by Gary Cooper and Madeleine Carroll are exquisite. There is great chemistry between the actors. I found the film exciting and worthwhile from start to finish. The Blu-ray release features a stunning restoration: a brand new 4K scan. The Kino release also includes an excellent lossless audio track. Highly recommended.