The Odessa File Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Odessa File Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 2, 2018

Ronald Neame's "The Odessa File" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; archival audio interview with Oswald Morris; new video interview with stuntman Vic Armstrong; and more. The release also arrives with a 40-page illustrated booklet featuring new essay by Carmen Gray, an overview of contemporary critical responses and historic articles on the film, and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Under pressure

There are some films that just get better and better as they age. Ronald Neame’s The Odessa File is not one of them. This film comes from the early ‘70s and is based on a popular novel by Frederick Forsyth, but its style is so out of sync with the tone of its story that today it is virtually impossible to take seriously.

Hamburg, Germany. On the eve of President Kennedy’s assassination, freelance journalist Peter Miller (Jon Voight) is handed a diary that belonged to an elderly Jewish man who has committed suicide. Miller begins reading the diary and learns about an evil Nazi commandant named Edward Roschmann (Maximilian Schell) who ran a notorious concentration camp where the Jewish man was held during WW2. Deeply moved and intrigued by the recollections in the dairy, Miller decides to investigate Roschmann and find out if he is still alive and living under a borrowed identity. (Very early into the film it is revealed that the Holocaust survivor had accidentally recognized the monster in Hamburg). Soon after, Miller begins digging for information on Roschmann, but very quickly realizes that there are a lot of influential people in Hamburg that do not approve of his investigative work. When he ignores their warnings, professional assassins hired by the secret organization Odessa attempt to neutralize him.

Instead of giving up his mission, however, Miller travels to Vienna and meets Simon Wiesenthal (Shmuel Rodensky), another Holocaust survivor, whose sole purpose in life is to track down and bring to justice chameleons like Roschmann. Miller is then introduced to Israeli intelligence operatives who train him to become a Nazi looking for a new life under a false identity and instruct him how to penetrate Odessa and get to Roschmann.

There are pretty large segments of The Odessa File that have the B-grade quality of Ken Clark’s Eruospy thrillers. Indeed, with the exception of Voight the rest of the actors frequently look strikingly stiff and the manner in which they recite their lines with heavy accents basically makes it impossible to take the drama and the action seriously. The film’s most striking weakness, however, is its inability to present and deconstruct the larger geopolitical events that are identified during Miller’s mission with the necessary authority. As a result, one is routinely left with the impression that key characters are repeatedly promoting outlandish conspiracy theories whose only purpose is to enhance an exotic atmosphere. This is very unfortunate because it is not how Forsyth’s novel presents the material, which is why it also engages the mind in an entirely different manner.

Voight is the lone star and his solid performance is undoubtedly the reason why the film is still worth a look. However, the more time one spends with his character, the clearer it becomes that the entire project is a misfire. A few stronger casting choices and stylistic adjustments would have ensured a far more authentic and ultimately vastly superior end result.

Neame worked with cinematographer Morris, who a few years earlier had assisted Martin Ritt on the excellent Cold War thriller The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

The Odessa File Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ronald Neame's The Odessa File arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Pictures.

The release is sourced from a 2K remaster of the film that was prepared by Sony Pictures in the United States. I like it a lot. In fact, excluding a few segments where I felt that the density levels could be slightly better, I think that it is outstanding. Indeed, the close-ups routinely boast excellent depth and delineation, while the wider panoramic shots look wonderfully balanced and sharp (see screencaptures #2 and 3). Fluidity is also excellent and blown through a projector the entire film has a very consistent organic appearance. Colors are fresh, properly balanced, and stable. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments, or any other questionable digital work. Image stability is great. A few tiny blemishes pop up, but there are no cuts, debris, damage marks, or torn frames to report. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Odessa File 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. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The Mono track has been fully remastered and it is very easy to tell. The audio is stable, clear, and properly balanced. There isn't even a whiff of dynamic instability. Andrew Lloyd Webber's score does have an important role to play as it helps the film's dramatic intensity, but you should not expect any big and memorable contrasts.

The Odessa File Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Trailer - vintage trailer for The Odessa File. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Super 8 Version - presented here is an altered vintage Super 8 version of The Odessa File. In English, with optional English subtitles. (17 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for The Odessa File.

• Foreign Friends - in this new video interview, continuity supervisor Elaine Schreyeck recalls her interactions and work with director Ronald Neame. The interview was conducted exclusively for Indicator/Powerhouse Films i 2018. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Safe but Real - in this new video interview, stuntman Vic Armstrong recalls his work on The Odessa File where he did stunts for Jon Voight's character. The interview was conducted exclusively for Indicator/Powerhouse Films in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The BFI Interview with Oswald Morris - in this archival audio interview, cinematographer Oswald Morris discusses his large body of work and shares plenty of interesting information about various people he worked with, including John Huston (The Man Who Would Be King), Rene Clement (Lovers, Happy Lovers!), and Stanley Kubrick (Lolita), amongst others. The interview was conducted by Anwar Brett at the National Film Theatre in London on May 14, 2006. In English, not subtitled. (62 min).

• The BFI Interview with Ronald Neame - in this archival audio interview, director Ronald Neame talks about his long career and work with the likes of Robert Donat and John Boulting, and discusses some of the way in which cinema evolved, but not for the better. The interview was conducted by Matthew Sweet at the National Film Theatre in London on October 19, 2003. In English, not subtitled. (67 min).

• Booklet - 40-page illustrated booklet featuring a new essay by Carmen Gray, an overview of contemporary critical responses and historic articles on the film, and technical credits.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

The Odessa File Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I think that Jon Voight was the only person who had the right idea about the type of journey his character was on, which is why there is such an obvious discrepancy between his performance and what everyone else around him does in The Odessa File. This is very unfortunate because there is a lot of serious talent in this film. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' recent Blu-ray release is sourced from a solid 2K remaster that was prepared by Sony Pictures in the United States. The release also has a very good archival audio interview with cinematographer Oswald Morris in which he shares a lot of interesting information about various people he worked with throughout his career. RECOMMENDED.