The Stranger Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Stranger Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 21, 2017

Orson Welles' "The Stranger" (1946) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new audio commentary by film historian Nora Fiore; and new essay on the film by Dr. Jennifer Lynde Barker. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Professor Charles Rankin

Since 2011, Orson Welles' The Stranger has appeared twice on Blu-ray in the United States via different local labels. Each of these releases was also sourced from different restoration projects. This upcoming Blu-ray release of The Stranger is sourced from yet another independent restoration project which was finalized by Olive Films. For a complete analysis of the film, see my colleague Casey Broadwater's review of Kino Lorber's 2013 release here.

The Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Orson Welles' The Stranger arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

This is the third time The Stranger transitions to Blu-ray in the United States and I have to say that it is the very best presentation of the film that I have seen to date. Simply put, it is the only presentation that actually has strong organic qualities that make the film look like film.

There are still some obvious source limitations that impact depth and clarity. The most obvious examples occur during the indoor/nighttime footage where shadow definition isn't optimal and occasionally there are small traces of light fading, but these are native source limitations, not anomalies that were introduced by technicians in a lab. The best news here is that the grain does not appear manipulated (on this release it is basically wiped out by some sort of a digital filter, while on this release it is completely overwhelmed by contrast boosting and very strong sharpening adjustments) and as a result plenty of valuable nuances are retained. So while you are still going to notice some sporadic fluctuations in terms of density and fluidity, the film now has plenty of proper organic qualities that ensure good to very good delineation and depth. I also wish to mention that brightness levels are better managed and as a result the film's overall dynamic range is far more convincing. Overall image stability is good, though a few shaky frames remain. Occasionally A few tiny flecks, scratches, and blemishes CAN be spotted, but there are no large damage marks, massive cuts, torn frames, or other distracting age-related imperfections to report. All in all, while ideally the film could look better, given its troubled history and available elements I would categorically state that this upcoming release offers substantial improvements in every single area we analyze in our reviews and therefore it is the one to own. Well done, Olive Films. My score is 3.75/5.00. (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 Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

There are some minor inherited fluctuations in terms of depth and dynamic intensity, but there are no serious anomalies that can negatively affect your viewing experience. If I had to guess I would say that some background hiss and crackle was almost certainly removed as some point, though the original audio has not undergone an extensive restoration of the type that very large restoration projects typically ensure. Also, the optional English SDH subtitles will almost certainly be appreciated by a lot of viewers.

The Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Stranger. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, film historian Nora Fiore discusses in great detail the fascinating history of The Stranger and Orson Welles' equally intriguing relationship with the film, the complex narrative structure and the stylistic appearance of the film (with some very good observations about the lighting choices throughout the film), the constantly evolving relationships between the main characters, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Olive Films.

• "The Stranger: Murderers Among Us" - presented here is a brand new essay on Orson Welles' film by Dr. Jennifer Lynde Barker. In text-format.

• Booklet - with printed version of Dr. Jennifer Lynde Barker's essay and original production stills.

The Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I found the previous two releases of The Stranger to be seriously underwhelming, and to be honest had pretty much given up hope of ever seeing a proper presentation of the film. So I was very pleasantly surprised when I learned that Olive Films were planning to produce another release from a different master. I am happy to report now that this upcoming release is quite the revelation. To be perfectly clear, some inherited source limitations remain -- and given the complex history of the film this is hardly surprising -- but the overall presentation is everything that I hoped it would be. The film now has a slightly dated but stable organic appearance that makes it very easy to appreciate the artistic vision of its creator. Wonderful job, Olive Films. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.