Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Way of the Strong Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 16, 2024

One of the first high-definition debuts you'll discover in the Frank Capra at Columbia Collection is The Way of the Strong, which tells the story of a scarred man who uses a far better-looking gent to fool a blind woman into thinking he's handsome. The Blu-ray features a decidedly decent AV presentation, although it doesn't include any extras.

During Prohibition, bootlegger Handsome Williams (Mitchell Lewis) -- known best for one hell of an ugly mug and for fits of violence whenever he catches a glimpse of his face -- muscles in on the business of Tiger Louie (William Norton Bailey), stealing his shipments. Louie plots revenge, asking his moll Marie (Margaret Livingston), a barmaid at Handsome's tavern, to watch for an opportunity to catch Handsome alone. One night, Marie sees Handsome admiring a blind street violinist named Nora (Alice Day) and notifies Louie. Handsome evades the gunfire that soon erupts, carrying beautiful Nora back to his tavern after she faints. Handsome falls in love with her almost immediately and shows her every kindness, hiring her to play in his club with Dan (Theodore Von Elst), a talented pianist. When she insists on feeling his face, Handsome pushes Dan toward her so Nora will believe Handsome lives up to his nickname. But horror strikes Handsome when Louie and Marie kidnap Nora and hold her for ransom. Can Handsome save his gal? Will Dan continue to keep quiet even though he's falling for Nora too?

Handsome's ruse with Nora goes on a bit too long and by today's standards, consent is being tossed to the side with frightening abandon. But in 1928, such things weren't in play, and Handsome is a gangster anyway. Hardly the hero of the tale. That falls to Dan, who -- spoiler -- does indeed ride off into the sunset with Nora by film's end. Handsome's fate is much, much darker (perhaps Capra hadn't entered his full happy ending phase yet), but at the same time registers as tragically fitting for a man whose violent tendencies have put a blind woman in danger so many times. Still, there's a sweetness that's almost Beauty and the Beastian to Handsome's affection for Nora and his treatment of her, despite her physical limitations. I briefly thought to myself that a blind person shouldn't be so aghast at someone's appearance, just the fact that they've been lying to her for weeks, but that's a small quibble for a story that actually works pretty well, all things considered. The performances are a tad over the top, but it is the silent era, and the middle of the tale drags as too much time is spent with Louie and Marie. Ah well. This is early Hollywood at its simplest and remains a solid flick with a nice, heartwarming tale of two kids falling in love and... erm, escaping warring gangsters in Prohibition America.

The Way of the Strong Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Print wear invades another early Capra film in the Frank Capra at Columbia Collection, but its relatively minimal and, with the era squarely in mind, easy to overlook. Otherwise, contrast is dialed in nicely, black levels are deep and satisfying, detail is quite good, grain is refined and the picture doesn't disappoint too often. A more extensive overhaul would probably produce better results but I'm glad if Sony had budgetary limitations, they chose to sink their resources into later Capra films.

The Way of the Strong Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's not much to really say beyond The Way of the Strong sounds great. A silent film comprised entirely of music doesn't have much of a challenge to overcome, and Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix certainly handles everything that comes its way with ease. There's a bit of thinness to the instrumentation that traces back to the elements' age, but other than that, there's nothing to really complain about.

The Way of the Strong Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Way of the Strong includes an audio commentary with film historians Stan Taffel and Bryan Cooper.

The Way of the Strong Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Way of the Strong is a spin on Beauty and the Beast, and hasn't exactly aged well. Still, it's a fine product of the silent era and early enough in Capra's career to do what it needed to do: propel him to bigger and better things. The Blu-ray edition features decent video and strong lossless mono audio. It's a barebones disc, though, which is a shame.