Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Italian Job Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 24, 2009

Peter Collinson’s "The Italian Job" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Pictures-UK. The supplemental features on the release include two audio commentaries; making of featurette; deleted scene; vintage promotional trailers for the film; and more. In English, with optional English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, and Finnish subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I need style

Peter Collinson’s The Italian Job is about a group of British thieves who set out to steal $4,000,000 in gold from Italian automotive giant Fiat in Turin. They are led by the enigmatic Charlie Croker (Michael Caine, Funeral In Berlin), a man with connections, who has just been released from prison. He is assisted by Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward, The Scoundrel), a well-respected and notably patriotic underground boss with plenty of affluent friends.

The thieves’ plan is ambitious. They will create a massive traffic jam in downtown Turin, pack the stolen gold in three Mini Coopers and transport it out of the city. Then, they would load the gold on a bus and take it back to England.

Croker hires the best drivers he could find. He also secures the services of Professor Simon Peach (Benny Hill, The Waiters), a man with full-figured women. After a series of practice sessions, the thieves head to Turin where Italy is facing England in a crucial football game.

The Italian Job is an entertaining film that is nowadays considered a classic primarily because of its terrific car chase sequence. It blends comedy with action very well and even manages to produce a few rather intriguing generalizations about England and its status as a European powerhouse. As you could guess, there is a good reason why the thieves steal the gold from Fiat while driving Mini Coopers.

The buildup to the final act, however, is rather underwhelming. The training session, in particular, is clearly mismanaged. There is only one funny sequence that produces the famous line “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”. The rest is largely a rehashing of what had already been done better in other '60s action films (Bullitt).

The final act does deserve all of the praise it has generated over the years. Even by contemporary standards, the long and intense chase is still looks very impressive. The roof-to-roof jump sequence in particular -- which was shot on the roof of the Fiat factory -- is simply breathtaking.

An interesting bit of trivia reveals that Robert Redford was considered for Caine's part. However, Redford ended up playing one of the two classic characters in George Roy Hill’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which was released a few months after the The Italian Job.

The Italian Job Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Peter Collinson's The Italian Job arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Paramount Pictures-UK.

The Italian Job has been thoroughly restored and it certainly shows – there are absolutely no debris, scratches, dirt, or stains that I detected on this transfer. Additionally, contrast is excellent, clarity good and detail pleasing. This being said, certain people have already dismissed The Italian Job as yet another DNR disaster, but I disagree. Yes, some mild noise-filtering has been applied, but the Blu-ray transfer still reveals a good dose of film grain. Furthermore, if there is anything to be concerned about in terms of video quality it is actually the edge-enhancement that pops up occasionally. I personally do not think that it is overly distracting, but it is noticeable, especially on larger screens. Nonetheless, even with these minor imperfections, this is the best I have seen The Italian Job look and I see no reason why one should not consider buying this UK-produced Blu-ray disc if one is indeed a fan of the film. For the record, the main menu of the disc could be set in Danish, German, English, Spanish, French, French (Benelux), Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, and Swedish. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Italian Job Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are a number of different audio tracks on this Blu-ray release - English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, English Restored Dolby Digital Mono 2.0, German Dolby Digital Mono 2.0, French Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 and Italian Dolby Digital Mono 2.0. I opted for the English Restored Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English Dolby TureHD 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.

Even without a top-notch audio system, you should be able to tell that plenty of work has been done on the English Mono track. The dialog is notably clear, crisp and easy to follow. Furthermore, the balance is also very good – I did not detect any irritating audio dropouts, cracks, hissings, or pops.

The dynamic levels on the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 are slightly better. For example, there is a bit more depth during the chase sequence (the same could be said about the collision from the very beginning of the film). On the other hand, the dialog is just as crisp and easy to follow on the English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. For the record, Paramount Pictures-UK have provided optional English, English HOH, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, and Swedish subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The Italian Job Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Commentary with screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin and Mathew Field, author of "The Making of The Italian Job" – a great, very informative commentary. The two gentlemen discuss the history of the film, what it took to get it made, how it resonated with critics and audiences, etc. With optional German, English, Spanish, French and Italian subtitles.

Commentary by producer Michel Deeley and Matthew Field, author of "The Making of The Italian Job"- a new commentary recorded for the special edition of the film. Once again, a wealth of information is supplied. With optional German, English, Spanish, French and Italian subtitles.

Self Preservation Society: Making The Italian Job – a selection of behind-the scenes episodes where many of those who were involved with the film talk about its history, legacy, appeal, style, etc. A terrific supplemental feature. With optional Danish, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish and Swedish subtitles. (1080/60i, 89 min).

Mini Adventures – a look at the history of the Mini Cooper and its appeal. Some of the key chase sequences from the film are addressed. With optional Danish, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish and Swedish subtitles. (1080/60i, 17 min)

Music Video - The Self-preservation society. (1080/60i, 4 min)

The Deleted Scene with commentary by author Matthew Field – the only deleted scene from the film is deconstructed by Matthew Field. With optional German, English, Spanish, French and Italian subtitles. (480/60i, 2 min).

Theatrical Trailer – (1080p)

Re-Release Trailer - (1080p)

The Italian Job Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is very easy to recommend the 40th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray release of The Italian Job. A North American release has not even been rumored so, obviously, if you have a special place in your heart for the film, you should definitely consider adding it to your collections. Highly Recommended.