Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

Trapeze Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 9, 2015

Carol Reed's "Trapeze" (1956) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors Concorde Video. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original theatrical trailer for the film. In English, with optional German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"You'll never throw a triple! You know why? 'Cause you drink too much..."

A young and very handsome American circus flyer named Tino Orsini (Tony Curtis, Some Like It Hot) arrives in Paris looking for the great trapeze performer Mike Ribble (Burt Lancaster, Sweet Smell of Success). He wants to learn from Mike how to do the triple somersault because his father, also a circus performer and an old friend of Mike, has told him that he is the best in the business.

Tino discovers Mike at Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione, but quickly realizes that he is a shadow of the man his father described to him -- after suffering a serious injury that has ended his career, Mike has become a bitter loner who can’t stop drinking. When Tino reveals to Mike why he has come to Paris, he tells him to pack up his bags and go straight back to Brooklyn.

But Tino’s enthusiasm and persistence eventually convince Mike to see what he is capable of. Mike immediately realizes that Tino has what it takes to be a star and much to the surprise of his former colleagues who have been quietly tolerating his bad temper agrees to be his mentor.

Mike and Tino’s relationship, however, is soon tested by the stunningly beautiful and very ambitious Italian tumbler Lola (Gina Lollobrigida, The Law), who has recently abandoned her acrobat partners.

Based on Max Catto’s novel, Trapeze is a rather unusual entry in British director Carol Reed’s oeuvre -- next to The Third Man, Odd Man Out, The Fallen Idol, and Night Train to Munich -- but the attention to detail in it is familiar. Indeed, Reed’s careful observations of the acrobatic acts infuse Trapeze with a type of atmosphere that creates the impression that one is in fact given a unique glimpse at the routine dealings between the performers, the producers and the workers at Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione.

The script is hardly as nuanced as the novel -- key elements from Mike and Tino’s relationship, for instance, are clearly downplayed – but the great chemistry between the stars more than makes up for the omissions. For example, there is a terrific fluidity in Lancaster and Curtis’ acrobatic acts that also reappears in their casual exchanges. To be perfectly clear, the required dramatic element is obvious, but their relationship evolves naturally and one never feels the need to question the sincerity of their statements. The stunningly beautiful and very relaxed Lollobrigida also does not disappoint as the ambitious Lola, who is fully aware that she can easily manipulate the two most exciting performers at Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione. (Trapeze marked the American film debut of the legendary Italian actress).

Ultimately, while Trapeze obviously does not have the depth of Reed’s masterpieces, it is easy to see why it became the top grossing film of 1956. It has an impressive cast and the acting is excellent, Robert Krasker’s lensing is equally impressive, and it offered audiences a peek into the less than glamorous life behind the scenes at the famous Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione.

In 1956, Trapeze was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival where it won Silver Bear Award for Best Actor (Burt Lancaster) and Bronze Bear Award/Audience Poll (Carol Reed).

Trapeze Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Carol Reed's Trapeze arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors Concorde Video.

This release makes it painfully obvious why at the moment in the United States Trapeze is available only on DVD via MGM's on-demand program -- apparently, the studio does not have a proper master to produce a solid Blu-ray release.

Detail and clarity fluctuate a lot and there are rather big portions of the film where the visuals appear distractingly flat. Contrast levels are also problematic, though they actually appear slightly better balanced. Color saturation and stability are very disappointing. There are basic color tonalities that are simply missing and as a result different parts of the film can look notably weak (you can see an example of the severe discoloration in screencapture #7). Some grain is retained and there are no traces of recent sharpening adjustments, but the various issues mentioned above have essentially collapsed the organic qualities we expect to see when older films transition to Blu-ray. The only good news here is that overall image stability is actually quite good, but scratches, debris, and light damage marks are still easy to spot. To sum it all up, Trapeze can and should look a lot better on Blu-ray, but a new master is needed to produce a proper release. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Trapeze Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. For the record, Concorde Video have provided optional German subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image and the black bar below it.

The lossless track is actually very strong. Excluding some unevenness in the high frequencies that occasionally makes its presence felt, clarity and depth are consistently pleasing. The music is also well balanced with the dialog. More importantly, there is no distracting background hiss. Also, there are no pops, audio dropouts, or other major age-related imperfections to report in this review.

Trapeze Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original English-language theatrical trailer for Trapeze. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Trailers - trailers for other Concorde Video releases.

Trapeze Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Currently, in the United States Carol Reed's Trapeze is available only on DVD via MGM's on-demand program. It is easy to see why -- apparently, there isn't a suitable master to produce a solid Blu-ray release. If you wish to own a copy of this film, my advice to you is to wait until a new master emerges. AVOID.