The Great Impostor Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Great Impostor Blu-ray Movie Review

The Great Impostor is a comedy-drama inspired by a true story – one so wild (and stranger than fiction) that audiences will find offers up plenty of surprise. The film is produced by Robert Arthur (Operation Petticoat, Sweet Charity). Based on the novel by Robert Crichton, The Great Impostor features a star performance by Tony Curtis – in a wide range of roles.

Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. (Tony Curtis) is a man with a mission of assuming a variety of identities: taking on the roles of a priest, a monk, a college professor, a surgeon, and even a prison warden. As Ferdinand Waldo gleefully plays with each assumed role, event start to spiral out of control when he becomes chased by the FBI, police, and other law enforcement agencies seeking to bring the impostor to justice. Will the playboy impostor be taken down?

The central component of the film is the performance by Tony Curtis. While the role seems rife for a great performance, Curtis doesn't seem entirely up to the challenge. The actor lacks the level of range that is usually required for such an expansive performance. As Curtis has to delve in to a myriad of roles, the actor has plenty of opportunity to impress. Yet Curtis shows his (somewhat) limited range instead. With so many layers to the character (performing as a priest, prison warden, surgeon, and college professor), Curtis seems to find challenge in the role – and the results remained inconsistent.

On a more positive note, the production does excel with some nice design elements throughout the filmmaking. The art direction by Henry Bumstead ( To Kill a Mockingbird, Vertigo) and Alexander Golitzen (Foreign Correspondent, Phantom of the Opera) is effective and manages to showcase the wide range of sets featured during the storyline quite well: the college, hospital, prison, and priesthood locations are effective. These design elements are impressive and add to the authenticity of the production in spades.

"Time for a mid-day snack."

The black-and-white cinematography by Robert Burks (Rear Window, Vertigo) is one of the best visual elements of the production. The Great Impostor is a beautiful looking film in many respects – and the cinematography is front-and-center in that regard. The style is pleasing throughout and provides the filmmaking with a classical style. There is much to appreciate about the cinematographic efforts.

The best component of The Great Impostor is the original music score by Henry Mancini ( The Pink Panther, The Great Mouse Detective). The score was entertaining and organic. The music was fun throughout. While some of the other elements of the film were underwhelming, the score was an entertaining delight that once again showcased the majesty of Henry Mancini. Mancini was a true Hollywood legend and provided his gift for music in every production.

The screenplay by Liam O'Brien (Johnny Midnight, Here Comes the Groom) is one of the weaker elements. The production could have benefited from a stronger screenplay. The story often feels convoluted. The pace and rhythm isn't as effective as it should be. The ideas are smart but the filmmaking execution is inconsistent. A lot of ideas but with less “pizzazz” than it should have.

Directed by Robert Mulligan (Summer of '42, To Kill a Mockingbird), The Great Impostor is unable to live up to its promising title. The filmmaking is never as exciting as it wants to be. The film was often dull to sit through. Though the concept promises greatness, The Great Impostor is simply too uneven in regards to the filmmaking. The pace is uneven and the film suffers from poor editing by Frederic Knudtson (Inherit the Wind, On the Beach).

The Great Impostor Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Great Impostor is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. Throughout the presentation, I was pleased with the black-and-white cinematography. The film certainly looks splendid and the print quality on the release is exceptional. The scan is crisp throughout: dynamic and engaging. The print has little in the way of print damage and never suffers from egregious issues (such as telecine wobble, burn marks, scratches, and other such detriments). A solid transfer of the film elements.

The Great Impostor Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono. The lossless audio quality on the release is solid throughout the presentation. The track is impressive and never struggles to present the audio in an efficient way. Dialogue is crisp throughout the entire presentation. There were no egregious issues to report in regards to hiss, crackle, warps, pops, and clicks. The audio is clean and clear – and fans will be enthused by the encoding effort.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

The Great Impostor Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger

The Great Impostor Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:26)

The Great Impostor Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Great Impostor has a great concept – but the execution isn't everything. Tony Curtis seems to be a poor choice for a role that requires so many different characters to be played during the high-concept film. The actor is dutiful but the part isn't well suited to his acting style. The filmmaking is similarly inconsistent – with some nice production design elements – but average editing and pacing does the film no favors. On a more positive note, Kino Lorber has provided the film with a solid video-audio presentation that will please fans of the film. RENT IT.