The Tenth Man Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

The Tenth Man Blu-ray Movie Review

The Tenth Man is a WWII romantic drama-thriller. The feature-film adaptation is based on the original novel penned by Graham Greene (The Third Man). Executive produced by Norman Rosemont (All Quiet on the Western Front, The Secret Garden) and William Self (Vacation Playhouse, Adventures in Paradise), the film is a compelling television movie. Produced by William Hill (Frenzy, One Against the Wind), David A. Rosemont (The Pillars of the Earth, Into the West), and Michael Stringer, The Tenth Man stars Anthony Hopkins, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Derek Jacobi.

Jean Louis Chavel (Anthony Hopkins) is a successful and wealthy French lawyer who is residing in a quiet home during Nazi occupation. During a randomized police raid, Chavel finds himself arrested and tossed in to a prison cell alongside other innocent prisoners. Chavel finds himself being put up for a firing squad execution. Determined to escape the grip of death, Chavel promises a poor and dying man to help him survive: convincing them to take on his mantle and go to the firing squad for him in order to save his own life.

Chavel promises his estate and wealth to the man’s family in return for his sacrifice. After becoming free from the grip of death, Chavel finds himself seeking to help care for the man’s family and he becomes romantically involved with said man’s sister, the beautiful and intelligent Therese Mangeot (Kristin Scott Thomas). Yet things become far more complicated when another man arrives at the scene – claiming to be Chavel (Derek Jacobi). Can the romance of Chavel and Mangeot survive?

The performances are arguably the greatest attribute of the filmmaking. The leading performances by Anthony Hopkins and Kristin Scott Thomas are at the forefront of the film. The chemistry between these actors is incredible and there is something remarkably compelling about seeing these two actors bounce off each other. An excellent effort from both actors.

Hopkins delivers one of his most sophisticated and complex roles (even as a television movie the role required a great deal from him and he does a great job in this production). Kristin Scott Thomas is exceptional and carries herself with a sense of serene sophistication. Derek Jacobi is arguably a scene stealer and one of the best highlights of the film. A performance that was ultimately awarded with an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.

The production design by Michael Stringer (A Shot in the Dark, The Awakening) is one of the most sophisticated components of the film. Stringer does a solid job with the effort. There is a clear understanding of the production requirements and the designs bring to life the prison and the homestead elements.

The art direction by Cliff Robinson (Out of Africa, Black Hawk Down) is complex and far more involving than one might expect to find with a television movie. This is one of the delights in watching some of these 1980 period television films – the kind of high-profile filmmakers on the production are often higher quality than as seen in some other periods of television productions. A delightful effort by Robinson.

The costumes by Robin Fraser-Paye (Poirot, Prisoners of the Sun) are wonderful and there is plenty to appreciate about the designs. Fraser-Paye clearly has a keen understanding of costume design. The costumes for both Anthony Hopkins and Kristin Scott Thomas are exquisite. This should come as no surprise given the designer’s involvement with the production of Poirot.

The score composed by Lee Holdridge (Splash, Old Gringo) is an element of The Tenth Man that doesn’t stand out as well as some of the other components. The score is reasonably engaging for what it is but the score never quite manages to evoke as strong a feeling as some of the other production elements. Holdridge is a decent composer but the music simply doesn’t evoke as much as expected.

The cinematography by Alan Hume (Runaway Train, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) is a delight. The film looks every bit as authentic as a theatrically released production. Hume is a great cinematographer – nothing about this film makes one think of a “television movie” (in the derogatory sense of this production term). The effort here is worthwhile and the visuals are splendid.

Edited by Millie Moore (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Great Texas Dynamite Chase), The Tenth Man is well paced and has a good sense of storytelling through the editorial arena. The film flows well and there is quite a lot worth appreciating about the edit. Moore did a great job with the material.

The screenplay by Lee Langley (A Woman of Substance, All for Love) finds a perfect balance between the drama and romance of the story. In my view, the romance was the most essential element of the film. A tale that has some compelling romantic scenes and the script imbues some wonderful depth to the story and this solid scripting helps the actors to shine.

Directed by Jack Gold (Aces High, Man Friday), The Tenth Man is an underseen television film and one that could use new life with its new presentation. Gold delivers a solid film and he adds some smart filmmaking flourishes to enhance the storytelling. The filmmaker helped to bring forth excellent performances from the cast. The Tenth Man is well worth discovering.

The Tenth Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Tenth Man is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition. The release includes a selection of presentation options: the presentation is provided in the open matte 1.78:1 widescreen version (providing the film with a theatrical scope ratio) or the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. This is not a pristine restoration but the quality is generally excellent and the level of detail apparent in the presentation is satisfying. Color reproduction looks excellent and there is a nice layer of grain apparent on the image. The image quality appears the same between the open matte widescreen and full screen versions. The image is naturally filmic looking and far better preserved than expected for a made for television film.

The Tenth Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The audio option remains the same between either the 1.78:1 widescreen or the 1.33:1 full frame presentation. The sound quality on the Blu-ray release is crisp and satisfactory (with good dialogue reproduction). The audio sounds crisp given age of production. For a television film, the audio elements remain satisfying.  The score is well reproduced on the release.

The Tenth Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber:

When Eight Bells Toll – Trailer (HD, 2:50)

The Bounty – Trailer (SD, 2:08)

The Silence of the Lambs – Trailer (HD, 1:52)

Nixon – Trailer (SD, 4:32)

Hannibal – Trailer (HD, 2:19)

Bitter Moon – Trailer (SD, 1:56)

The Tenth Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Tenth Man is a compelling drama. The film is a wonderful made-for-television effort from director Jack Gold (Aces High). The performances are the highlight of the film. Anthony Hopkins, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Derek Jacobi all deliver exceptional performances and the roles were perfect for each actor. The chemistry between Anthony Hopkins and Kristin Scott Thomas is especially impressive.

The Blu-ray release includes a strong video and audio presentation. One of the highlights of the release is the inclusion of both the 1.78:1 widescreen and 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. These options provide viewers with the original broadcast presentation as well as a version with a theatrical scope aspect ratio. A nice treat for fans (and either option provides a solid encode with excellent clarity). The lossless audio capably preserves the soundstage. The only downside to the release is a somewhat lackluster extras package. Fans of The Tenth Man may wish to pick up a copy for their collection. Recommended.