Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Suspect Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 11, 2021

Robert Siodmak's "The Suspect" (1944) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only supplemental feature on the disc is an exclusive new audio commentary by author and critic Troy Howarth. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The married man

If Charles Laughton’s character, Paul, was only an unhappily married middle-aged man with a terrific reputation he would have figured out a strategy to repair what isn’t working between him and his wife, Cora (Rosalind Ivan). It would not have been easy, but with his intelligence and strong morals their marriage would have been preserved.

But Paul isn’t an unhappily married man. He is an utterly miserable man, which is why his mind has a very easy time convincing him that the only fix for his suffering is murder. So, at the right moment, Paul kills Cora.

He gets the job done like a seasoned professional -- quickly and efficiently, without any complications. When the doctor examines Cora’s cold body, he immediately concludes that she had an awful accident. What a tragedy. Now, Paul must stay strong, and learn to live as a widower.

Well, not really, because Paul has been seeing Mary (Ella Raines), the young and beautiful lady who came to his office looking for a job. In fact, she might have been the reason why Paul had to kill Cora, because after his wife discovered that the two were spending time together his misery became unbearable. Now, Paul is ready to officially bring Mary into his life and start a family with her. Of course, first he has to bury Cora properly and then take care of the formalities that emerge after a middle-aged man prematurely loses his wife, but everything should work exactly as he has planned it. Paul is even prepared to make the curious Inspector Huxley (Stanley Ridges) capitulate and admit that his suspicions of foul play are entirely unjustified.

Robert Siodmak’s cinematic adaptation of James Ronald’s novel This Way Out has many of the key stylistic characteristics that define the early film noirs, but it is a lot easier to profile as a terrific character study. Indeed, at the heart of Siodmak’s film is a very finely crafted examination of a character transformation that produces a humane killer whose words and deeds seem entirely logical. This is the real twist in this film -- a character that should be incredibly easy to condemn and dislike forces the audience to root for him.

So, why does this twist actually work?

A couple of reasons. Siodmak allows the audience to see multiple sides of Laughton’s character after he begins engaging his kind neighbor (Molly Lamont), who appears trapped in an equally miserable marriage and is on the verge of giving up on life. His seemingly unexpected solidarity functions as a litmus test that rearranges a lot, including the audience’s understanding of the motivations behind his actions. Also, the murder never becomes the focus of attention. Instead, Siodmak examines the environment in which the killer emerges from. This helps the audience understand why Laughton’s character is already compromised before the murder, and why his public life is going to become just as miserable as his personal life if he remains inactive. The intent of course isn’t to exonerate him, but to put the spotlight on the real catalyst behind the incoming drama. (Before the murder his relationship with the younger woman isn’t romantic, so technically he isn’t a cheater. But when his abusive wife threatens to frame him as a cheater and destroy his public image, his morals overwhelm his serenity and his irreversible transformation is initiated). So, the twist works because the film does not attempt to guide the audience through a ‘proper’ deconstruction of the drama it chronicles. It offers multiple points of view and then leaves the audience to ponder whether Laughton’s character ever had a legit chance to regain his freedom.

A few of the supporting actors look rather good, but the entire film works as well as it does because of Laughton’s brilliant performance. Indeed, it may very well be his best.

The Suspect 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 Suspect arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a very beautiful new 2K master. To be honest, aside from a few very small density fluctuations that are retained from the existing elements the rest looks really, really good. (You can see an example of a native drop of density levels in screencapture #4). Delineation and depth range from very good to great, plus the fluidity of the visuals is often terrific. This master is graded very nicely as well. The blacks look strong and stable but do not produce any distracting crush, while the grays and whites have very pleasing ranges of nuances. I projected the film and on my system it looked great. There are no traces of problematic digital work. Grain is nicely exposed and looks healthy. Yes, some minor fluctuations are retained, but they have entirely organic characteristics. There are no serious stability issues. All in all, this is a very fine presentation of The Suspect that makes it a real treat to revisit the film 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 Suspect Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only on 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 notice any technical issues to report in our review. The audio is very clean, stable, and easy to follow. Whenever the music comes up the audio does become a bit 'thin', but this is to be expected from a film that was completed in the early 1940s. What needs to be underscored is that there are no distracting anomalies like background hiss, pops, and distortions. Balance is good as well.

The Suspect Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, author and critic Troy Howarth discusses in great detail the stylistic identity of The Suspect, Charles Laughton's performance and career, the exact manner in which the film makes his character sympathetic, the moral gray area in the film, Robert Siodmak's cinematic style and legacy, etc. It is a predictably excellent commentary.

• Trailers - trailers for the following titles from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. The Paradine Case
  2. Witness for the Prosecution
  3. The Spiral Staircase
  4. Cry of the City
  5. So Evil My Love

The Suspect Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A classic film noir would have used the original material from James Ronald's novel to produce plenty of suspense in a terrific period environment. Robert Siodmak's The Suspect uses the same material to craft a very interesting character study that is almost completely devoid of suspense. When the film's final credits pop up on your screen, ask yourself whether Charles Laughton's character ever had a chance of becoming a free man again. If your answer is yes, then you need to see the film again because you missed its point. Why? Because he isn't the man your answer implies he is. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a very beautiful new 2K master that was supplied by Universal Pictures and features a predictably excellent exclusive audio commentary by Troy Howarth. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.