Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker November 17, 2023

Universal has released Alfred Hitchcock's 'Torn Curtain' (1948) to the UHD format. It is available individually (this release) or as part of a five film boxed set along with 'The Man Who Knew Too Much', 'Rope', 'Topaz', and 'Frenzy'. 2160p/HDR video and DTS HD Master Audio is available for this and all releases in the set, and the legacy special features are brought forward onto these new discs.

For a review of the film, please refer to the previous release of 'Torn Curtain'.

Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Perhaps because the previous release of Torn Curtain was a strong one, there is a less dramatic improvement to be found in the 4K presentation. Detail levels receive a slight uptick and are best observed on closeups of faces and fabrics. Colors are also slightly deeper and are very pleasing. The image also appears to be very modestly brighter than the prior Blu-ray. As Mr. Brown noted in his review of the 2013 disc, there is a prevailing softness to Torn Curtain which must have been a choice that Hitchcock made in shooting the film. It's not present in every single shot, but it recurs often enough to not have been accidental. As with The Man Who Knew Too Much, process shots fare the worst, as is typical, as the limitations of that material cannot be helped. I did not notice any print damage or other defects. All of this conspires to make for a beautiful and filmic presentation of of this 1966 Cold War caper that makes sure the viewer can focus on Newman and Andrews instead of other distractions.

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The two-channel DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track is, again, terrific. Dialogue is always on point, nicely centered, clear, and intelligible, even in the quietest moments. The delightful score, a perfect product of its time and the likes of which we don't often see (hear) anymore has ample opportunity to shine and it effortlessly adds tension or emotion to every scene. Never overpowering, it compliments rather than dominates, allowing dialogue and sound effects to sit nicely on top of it.

Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the previous special features are brought forward to the 4K disc and are as follows:

Torn Curtain Rising (SD, 32 minutes)

Scenes Scored by Bernard Hermann (SD, 14 minutes)

Production Photographs (SD, 22 minutes)

Theatrical Trailers (SD, 3 minutes)

For a detailed look at the special features, please refer to the previous release of 'Torn Curtain'.

Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite its two stellar leads, both of whom were parked neatly at the top of Hollywood's "A-List" at the time of production, Torn Curtain doesn't quite measure up to Hitchcock's best. A bit slow, even by 1960s standards of pacing, it takes some time before confusion and questions give way to properly escalating tension. Artful directorial touches abound, despite the pacing, providing us with crafty trademark moments, with the pivotal and revealing conversation between Newman and Andrews among my favorites, as it manages to unleash emotion and explain everything that's come before without wasting a moment of time or repeating anything. A tighter script could have propelled this one into the stratosphere, to be sure, but even as it stands, due to it's excellent technical merits, Torn Curtain comes Recommended.