The Square Jungle Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Square Jungle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 20, 2023

Jerry Hopper's "The Square Jungle" (1955) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the release is an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critic Eddy Von Mueller. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If you have seen The Set-Up, Champion, The Harder They Fall, and Golden Boy, you will inevitably conclude that The Square Jungle is a few notches below them. The Square Jungle goes down a very familiar path and somewhere along the way becomes very comfortable doing only enough to tell a coherent story rather than a great story. While likable, Tony Curtis is clearly acting rather than becoming the desperate boxer, too.

Determined to help his father, Pat (Jim Backus), recover from years of heavy drinking, Eddie Quaid (Curtis) decides to trade his boring job as a store clerk for the boxing ring. He begins training with retired boxer and reformed convict Bernie Browne (Ernest Borgnine), who understands what motivates him and promises to help as best as he can, but warns that the road to success is a slippery one where even the smallest error could scar him for a lifetime.

Under Bernie’s guidance, Eddie very quickly evolves into a decent boxer and earns a reputation. However, the more Eddie wins, the bigger the temptations become, making it difficult to set clear priorities for himself. He also struggles to choose between two beautiful girls, Julie Walsh (Pat Crowley) and Lorraine Evans (Leigh Snowden), who see him differently and wish to have meaningful parts in his life for different reasons. When a terrible incident resets Eddie’s boxing career, he begins reevaluating his beliefs and understanding of success and happiness.

It is unclear exactly why or when Jerry Hopper agreed to turn George Zuckerman’s original story into a film, but it may not be unreasonable to speculate that it could have been after seeing Phil Karlson’s excellent film 99 River Street a few years earlier. 99 River Street is also based on an original story written by Zuckerman and follows another boxer who has started making ends meet as a taxi driver. Interestingly, even though they are very different films in terms of personality and style, 99 River Street and The Square Jungle have influential women that permanently redirect the lives of the boxers as well.

Curtis’ first boxing role was in Joseph Pevney’s Flesh and Fury, which has much more in common with The Square Jungle. The two are not film noirs but thought-provoking dramas that focus on the character transformation a winning boxer inevitably undergoes and the moral dilemmas that emerge with it. However, in The Square Jungle the boxer’s character transformation is completed after he has walked away from the ring and used to question the competitive nature of professional boxing. Unfortunately, while the messaging is admirable, it is delivered in a very artificial way that seriously hurts the integrity of the drama and ultimately the film’s credibility. (At the right time, Curtis is forced to deliver a speech in a packed hall that effectively condemns the ultimate fighter’s inexorable desire to win in the most convincing way).

The very best films about boxers and the world of professional boxing remain the ones that acknowledge their flaws without condemning them. These films seek drama, some even encourage it, but they never disrespect it. They understand very well that professional boxing is a controlled but brutal game that is often played outside the ring, too. It is unfortunate, but it has been this way for a very long time. In its final minutes, The Square Jungle attempts to humanize this brutal game and this proves to be its biggest flaw.

The Square Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Square Jungle arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master that I liked a lot. Excluding a few blemishes and specks that pop up here and small density fluctuations, the film boasts visuals that are either very good or borderline excellent. Indeed, delineation, clarity, and depth are always pleasing. The grayscale is convincing too, though this is an area where some minor adjustments could have been made. Image stability is very good. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments, so even though grain exposure can be superior, it is already very good. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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 Square Jungle 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.

Even if you view The Square Jungle late at night and cannot turn up the volume a lot, you will not experience any difficulties hearing everything that is said. Clarity, sharpness, and stability are good. I think that dynamic intensity is very good too, though as always you need to keep in mind that this film was completed in the early 1950s and the limitations of its soundtrack are pretty obvious. The upper register is fine, though I did notice a few tiny pops. There is no distracting background hiss.

The Square Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Eddy Von Mueller.

The Square Jungle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is impossible to place The Square Jungle in the company of The Set-Up, The Harder They Fall, Champion, and Golden Boy. It is a decent film but slightly naive and perhaps intentionally manipulative. Professional boxing is a controlled but brutal game that is often played outside the ring, too. It is unfortunate, but it has been this way for a very long time. In its final minutes, The Square Jungle attempts to humanize it and this proves to be its biggest flaw. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a very nice exclusive new 2K master and is included in Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema X, a three-disc box set. RECOMMENDED.