Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Under Capricorn Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 27, 2018

While a master of filmmaking, one of the all-time greats of the form, Alfred Hitchcock wasn’t immune to a few failures during his reign. 1949’s “Under Capricorn” arrived a year after his imaginative dramatic construction on “Rope,” working to sustain such extended theatricality for a costume drama, and one that’s largely missing conflict and certainly lacking pace. Hitchcock tries to find his way around the picture, delivering all the craft he can muster, only to find the general lethargy of the material smothering style at every turn.

Michael Wilding, Ingrid Bergman, and Joseph Cotton star in this adaptation of a 1937 Helen Simpson novel. “Under Capricorn” strives to submit a love triangle of sorts, but remains a tale about the past, with three characters struggling with the people they were and the messes they’ve become. Hitchcock’s job is to open up the story, and he does what he can to give the effort some visual oomph, reviving the single-take approach from “Rope” to emphasize movement and symbolic position. However, “Under Capricorn” has trouble with staginess, with the theatrical aspects of the production unable to gel with cinematic design.

Under Capricorn Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Boasting a "Brand new 4K restoration," "Under Capricorn" arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded image (1.31:1 aspect ratio) presentation. The Technicolor movie does well with colors (with slight separations), keeping hues bright and inviting, displayed most impressively on costuming, which deliver a period feel. Skintones are appealing, fitting into the heightened look of the feature. Detail is strong, giving close-ups generous facial textures, and clothing remains fibrous. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is fine and filmic. Source showcases some speckling and a few chemical blotches along the way, while judder is periodically encountered, especially pronounced around the 98:00 mark. Mild scratches are encountered as well.

Under Capricorn Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix introduces itself with a loud burst of scoring that pushes the limits of stability. Music eventually settles down, and some degree of instrumentation survives. Dialogue exchanges are more inviting, capturing dramatic urgency and quieter conversational moments. Performances are preserved. Mild hiss is detected throughout.

Under Capricorn Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Kat Ellinger.

• "Hitchcock/Truffaut: Icon Interviews Icon" (12:12) is an audio-only conversation between the filmmakers, with specific attention on "Under Capricorn," finding Hitchcock particularly down on the effort. He places some blame on screenwriter James Bridie, who, according to Hitchcock, wasn't very attentive to third acts, and salary disputes put unnecessary pressure on the feature's financial performance, with Hitchcock and Ingrid Bergman taking big paydays. The picture's box office failure also vexes the helmer, admitting that the bank took possession of "Under Capricorn," keeping it out of public view for decades. Truffaut shares his praise for the movie, but remains aware of its limitations, including casting. Some talk of "Vertigo" is also included, with the film, at this point in history, dismissed as a flop. Hitchcock maintains "Vertigo" will break even, but admits there was a "leading man problem."

• "Cinema of Signs: Claude Chabrol on Alfred Hitchcock" (26:42, SD) is a 2006 French special that tracks the development of the "Hitchocockians" movement, with the likes of Chabrol, Truffaut, and Eric Rohmer sharing their analysis of the master's work in Cahiers Du Cinema magazine. Excerpts from a one-on-one interview are included, taking a look at "Under Capricorn" and Hitchcock's oeuvre in general, with Chabrol discussing form and content, singling out features such as "Marnie" and "Frenzy" as quality examples. Chabrol also shares his opinion on a script that was being developed for Hitchcock before his death, and comments on the helmer's decline, highlighting the frustrated sexuality of his latter films.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:04, HD) is included.

Under Capricorn Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Under Capricorn" isn't a dud, but more of a misfire, as performances from the leads are invested, with Bergman and Cotton especially in the moment, doing well with extended screen time to find their characters. Tech credits are also top-notch, giving viewers something to appreciate when drama fades away. "Under Capricorn" is simply dull, unable to conjure the emotional hurricane Hitchcock imagines, displaying a deflated quality with a scenario that should be more enticing, pitting broken hearts and minds against one another in the unusual setting of Australia as it starts to take shape in the 1800s.