Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Raging Tide Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 6, 2022

George Sherman 's "The Raging Tide" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by film historian David Dell Valle and producer Miles Hunter as well as vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Man at work

Film noir afficionados should be delighted that Kino Lorber’s Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema collection continues to grow. Volume Seven, which is another three-disc set, streets tomorrow and features three cracking films: The Boss (1956), Chicago Confidential (1957), and The Fearmakers (1958). There are four other sets in the pipeline as well, with the latest one expected to arrive on the market sometime in October.

A few of the films from the upcoming sets I am really looking forward to viewing in high-definition are Lady on a Train (1945), World in My Corner (1956), and Behind the High Wall (1956). I know Lady on a Train and World in My Corner and both are very fine films. In fact, I might even argue that the latter is as good as The Set-Up (1949), which is one of my all-time favorite classic film noirs. I don’t think I have ever seen Behind the High Wall, but its premise sounds very intriguing and since the 1950s produced some of the greatest jailbreak/prison riot films, I expect it to be pretty special. (Don Siegel’s Riot in Cell Block 11, one of the genre’s all-time greatest, was released just a couple of years before Behind the High Wall).

But the Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema collection does not feature only film noirs. In fact, I would say that about sixty to seventy percent of the films in this collection are something else. Is this a problem? Well, it could be for some collectors, but not as far as I am concerned because many of these ‘other’ films are really interesting melodramas, crime dramas, and time capsules that almost certainly would have never seen the light of day had they not been included in the collection. Many of these films feature early performances by some of old Hollywood’s soon-to-be greatest stars as well, so while they might be smaller films, they are still important films very much worth seeing and collecting.

George Sherman’s The Raging Tide is included in Volume Six and is one of those ‘other’ films. It does have some noirish overtones, occasionally even the appearance of a film noir, but it is actually a classic crime drama that works as a conventional time capsule as well. It is set in San Francisco in the early 1950s where local gangster Bruno Felkin (Richard Conte) fumbles a supposedly perfect play to get rid of a problematic former business associate and immediately becomes a fugitive. As the police begin looking for him, Felkin finds shelter on a fishing boat operated by aging sailor Hamil Linder (Charles Bickford) and his seemingly perpetually unhappy son Carl (Alex Nicol), who despite working very hard barely make ends meet. While on the boat, Felkin and Linder discover that they have very similar views on life and form a close bond, while Linder’s son agrees to take care of the fugitive’s business dealings in the city and consequently makes a move to take away his girl (Shelley Winters).

The drama in The Raging Tide is of the kind that never ages. Parts of it could appear slightly outdated, but only because over the years the two sexes have gone through various cycles redefining their roles and expectations of each other with a great deal of naivety. At the center of the film is the old truth that life is a series of choices and they determine the path that ultimately becomes our fate, and the drama that flourishes in it produces a number of situations proving that it is so. Crime, greed, infidelity, anger, and redemption are some of the key themes in these situations.

The cast is very good, but it has to be pointed out that The Raging Tide wasn’t marketed right. Indeed, the original poster for the film -- which the folks at Kino Lorber essentially reproduced as the cover of their release -- gives Winters top billing but she has a minor role, while Bickford, who is the catalyst of the drama, appears toward the bottom of it. Conte does lead in a predictable fashion, so his spot on the poster is correct.

The great cinematographer Russell Metty lensed The Raging Tide, but it is difficult to praise his work in it. Just a few years later Metty would go on to lense the vastly superior classic films Touch of Evil, Written on the Wind, and Spartacus.

The Raging Tide Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Raging Tide arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a very nice new 2K master. There are a few spots here and there with small density fluctuations and other minor surface wear, but the entire film has a solid organic appearance and this is what matters the most to me. As you can tell from the screencaptures we have included with our review, the grayscale is very convincing as well. In fact, even though a few softer than usual visuals produce some unevenness darker areas usually have very nice ranges of shadow nuances. There are absolutely no traces of problematic digital tinkering. Image stability is good. So, even though there is room for minor cosmetic adjustments, I like how the film looks on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Raging Tide Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any serious anomalies to report in our review. The dialog was very clear, clean, and stable. Frank Skinner's music produces plenty of good contrasts as well, though you need to have realistic expectations because the limitations of the original soundtrack are still easy to detect. I did notice some extremely light hiss trying to sneak in the upper register, but there were no distortions or other similar age-related imperfections.

The Raging Tide Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for The Raging Tide. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by film historian David Dell Valle and producer Miles Hunter.

The Raging Tide Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For a very short period of time The Raging Tide does look and behave like a film noir, and Richard Conte's presence in it can almost trick one to declare that it is, but eventually it becomes quite clear that it was conceived to be something else. Considering that it is included in a film noir box set, is this a problem? Not as far as I am concerned. To be honest, I really enjoy the Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema collection precisely because it gathers films that are close relatives of the classic film noirs that otherwise would most likely never see the light of day. Many of these films feature early performances by some of old Hollywood's soon-to-be greatest stars, so while they might be smaller films, they are still important films very much worth seeing and collecting. I enjoyed The Raging Tide a lot. It looks pretty good after it was remastered in 2K as well. Kino Lorber have bundled it with Singapore and Johnny Stool Pigeon in Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VI, a three-disc box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.