Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Sniper Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 8, 2021

Edward Dmytryk's "The Sniper" (1952) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival audio commentary by film noir expert Eddie Muller; archival introduction by Martin Scorsese; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

When the final credits of Edward Dmytryk’s film The Sniper appeared on my screen, I immediately began wondering whether it is fair to describe its main protagonist, Eddie Miller (Arthur Franz), as the original American Psycho. I will tell you why I think it is, and I will also tell you why I think it isn’t.

Let’s start with Eddie’s profile. Its key characteristics apparently come from an original story that was adapted by Harry Brown, who delivered the screenplay for George Stevens’ A Place in the Sun and won an Oscar for it in 1951. Over the span of a few minutes, Eddie emerges as a classic chameleon who gets triggered by young women that are fully aware of the power of their beauty. He feels an instant, almost inexorable urge to destroy them and, whenever possible, uses his rifle to do precisely that. So, even before the police begin looking for Eddie, the film provides sufficient evidence that he is a dangerous maniac on the loose.

Interestingly, by the time Eddie kills the sexy piano player Jean Darr (Marie Windsor) it is already crystal-clear that not only is he fully aware of the monster that lives inside him but terrified of its power as well. In an attempt to slow it down Eddie then intentionally burns his right hand, but the trick does not work because the monster's anger quickly numbs the pain and just hours later he is back on the streets looking for a new target. A desperate 'secret' note urging the police to stop him fails to influence the monster as well.

At this point Eddie’s profile is complete, and even though Dmytryk’s camera continues to follow closely the monster that has overwhelmed him, the focus of attention is already on the mass paranoia that has started paralyzing the city of San Francisco. Now the mechanics of the killings are essentially irrelevant because there are ripple effects causing much greater damage on the public’s psyche and the highest echelons of political power.

The public perception of Eddie, or ‘the sniper’ as he is frequently referred to in the film, is what makes it very tricky to label him the original American Psycho. Indeed, even though the similarities are there, Eddie isn’t just a twisted killer like the one Christian Bale portrayed; he is a social and cultural phenomenon and the film goes out of its way to ensure that this is precisely how its audience sees him as well. (Hence, the detailed text descriptions that appear immediately after the opening credits -- they prepare the audience for the crucial transformation. Without them, Dmytryk would have been accused of directing an exploitation picture which could have stained his legacy forever).

The city of San Francisco was a favorite destination for many American directors that shot film noirs immediately after WW2 and The Sniper makes it very easy to understand why. Before it became overcrowded, San Francisco was able to offer a seemingly endless supply of picturesque locations for any type of noir action. Also, and this is very important to remember, at the time it did not matter if the action had to be shot at night or during the day. (Don Seigel loved working in San Francisco for this exact reason. The Lineup, for instance, does not have any memorable nighttime footage but is still a hugely atmospheric film noir).

Dmytryk worked with cinematographer Burnett Guffey, who a couple of years earlier had lensed Nicholas Ray’s classic In a Lonely Place. The original soundtrack was created by George Antheil, who scored Ray’s film as well.

The Sniper Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Sniper arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

This film was remastered by Sony Pictures more than a decade ago, and in the U.S. it was available on DVD via the Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics I collection. While the age of the remaster shows, its overall the quality is still very nice.

The two areas that reveal the age of the remaster are density and fluidity. Predictably, delineation can be a tad inconsistent, especially before and after transitions, and the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to spot the difference. The most obvious examples appear in areas with plenty of light, but trained eyes will spot the discrepancies in darker areas as well. (Screencaptures #3 and 10 are taken from the same sequence and will give you an excellent idea what to expect). Fluidity is a tad loose because grain does not have the consistency you would expect from a high-quality modern 4K master, but I still think that the visuals are quite attractive. The grayscale is convincing. Blacks and white are solid, while the grays appear nicely balanced in daylight and nighttime footage. Image stability is good. Some minor specks, black spots, and blemishes are visible, but overall the film looks healthy. So, even though there is room for meaningful improvements, this is a good organic presentation of the film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Sniper 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.

I did not encounter any distracting age-related imperfections to report in our review. The audio was very clear, stable, and nicely balanced. George Antheil's score easily creates some quite memorable contrasts as well, though you should know by now that even when restored/remastered, these types of older films do not have genuinely impressive sound designs. As far as I am concerned, the basics here are very solid.

The Sniper Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - remastered vintage trailer for The Sniper. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Introduction by Martin Scorsese - in this archival video introduction, Martin Scorsese quickly explains what makes The Sniper a memorable film. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Audio Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, film noir expert Eddie Muller deconstructs The Sniper in a very familiar fashion and discusses the key locations in San Francisco (his home town) where different parts of the film were shot. Also, there is an abundance of interesting information about the careers and politics of some of the stars, Edward Dmytryk, cinematographer Burnett Guffey, etc. If you enjoy film noirs, you have to listen to Mr. Muller's commentaries in their entirety.

• Three Lives - a short from the writers and director of The Sniper, Edna and Edward Anhalt and Edward Dmytryk, and featuring Jane Wyman, Randolph Scott, Charlton Heston, and Arthur Franz. Produced in 1953. In English, with optional English subtitles. (23 min).

• Three Pests in a Mess (1945) - a short film featuring the three stooges. Directed by Del Lord, and produced by Hugh McCollum. Fully remastered. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (16 min).

• Image Gallery - a gallery of vintage promotional materials for The Sniper.

• Book - limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Peter Stanfield, David Cairns, Michał Oleszczyk, Adam Scovell, Fintan McDonagh, Andrew Nette, Jeff Billington, and Ramsey Campbell, archival articles and interviews, and film credits.

The Sniper Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Sniper and City of Fear are even more relevant today because they are warning of dangerous scenarios that sadly are now part of our reality. (Earlier today, while I was finishing this article, NYPD shut down a very large portion of Times Square after an armed and dangerous maniac, almost certainly like the one in The Sniper, went berserk). The no-nonsense attitude of these films had me on the edge of my seat and for a while I really could not tell how far they could go. Both are impressively acted and shot with a tremendous awareness of the right balance between style and authenticity that is required for them to appear legit. The Sniper is sourced from an older but strong master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It also features a typically outstanding archival audio commentary by film noir expert Eddie Muller. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' upcoming Columbia Noir #3 box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.