Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Underworld U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 9, 2018

Samuel Fuller's "Underworld U.S.A." (1961) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; archival introduction by Martin Scorsese; new video interview with critic Barry Forshaw; and more. The release also arrives with a 40-page illustrated booklet with writings on the film and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Tolly

It takes a lot of courage to live your entire life as a straight shooter. If you choose to do so it means that from a very early age you would stick out like a sore thumb. You would become predictable because everyone around you will know that you never hold back your opinions. You will be admired just as much as you will be mocked for your supposed inability to be discreet and flexible, and the more people discover you, the bigger target you will become. Any unintentional omission, even the smallest error you make, will eventually be used by those who dislike your philosophy of life to prove that you are a hypocrite.

In the annals of American cinema there is no other director quite like Sam Fuller because he was, and remains, the only director who came dangerously close to being a pure straight shooter. It is essentially the key factor behind the appeal of his films -- they don’t sugarcoat reality and when they must they hit you as hard as they can. During the era that Fuller was active this was in no way a recipe for success, but it is exactly how how he liked to shoot them. Over the years he tweaked a few details that had an effect on their stylistic appearance, but their goal remained the same. They delivered the truth as understood by Fuller.

Underworld, U.S.A. is a classic example of Fuller’s dedication to the truth. It begins as young teenager Tolly Devlin accidentally witnesses the murder of his father by a group of vicious thugs. The thick shadows make it impossible for him to clearly see their faces, but before they disappear into the night he recognizes a few of the voices and next to the cold body of his father vows to avenge his murder. Many years later, Tolly (Cliff Robertson) is begins making ends meet as a safecracker and much like his father meets all sorts of shady characters. While in prison he bumps into one of the killers, Vic Farrar (Peter Brocco), and before he dies tricks him to reveal the identities of his accomplices. Soon after, Tolly discovers that Gela (Paul Dubov), Smith (Allan Gruener), and Gunther (Gerald Milton) are trusted partners of mafia boss Conners (Robert Emhardt), who is also one of the top figures in a powerful national crime organization. Driven by his inexorable thirst for revenge, Tolly then gradually earns the respect of Gella and joins his team, and at the right time finds a way to convince Conners that his partners have turned against him.

Fuller profiles organized crime as a fast-spreading cancer that first targets society’s most vital institutions and then destroys it from within. He also makes the point that under the right conditions the entire process becomes completely irreversible and therefore the few power figures that have the ability to either control its intensity or direct it become largely irrelevant. Tolly’s infiltration of Conners’ organization is basically used as a pretext to highlight the different stages of this process, from the initial escalation of low-level corruption and street crime to the takeover of interstate commerce and eventually the establishment of national crime syndicates.

The delivery of the diagnosis is virtually free of melodramatic embellishments, which is the main reason why the film has a borderline documentary appearance. Things happen very quickly and for a very specific reason, and time is not wasted to build a particular type of atmosphere. Again, it is the truth as understood by Fuller and its clarity is what provides its film with its noir identity. (The only time where a small dose of melodrama is allowed to flourish a bit is at the very end, where Tolly’s fate is sealed).

The punchy soundtrack was created by Oscar-winning composer Harry Sukman, who at the time worked closely with Fuller on a number of his projects.

Underworld U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sam Fuller's Underworld U.S.A. arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from an older remaster. I checked my The Samuel Fuller Film Collection DVD box set that Sony Pictures produced some years ago and the grading on the DVD release confirms that the same remaster was used. So the film looks healthy and stable, but on a larger screen some of the limitations of the remaster definitely become easy to spot. One of them is the light black crush that routinely sneaks up during close-ups and wider shots (see screencaptuer #11). Like most older Sony remasters this one also shows traces of grain management, so that naturally sharp and crisp appearance that the studio's new 4K remasters boast is missing. The end result is still good, but trained eyes will easily recognize that there are different nuances that should be quite a bit more convincing (see screencapture #4) and the some of noticeable flatness was introduced during the remastering process. Image stability is excellent. There are a few tiny dark spots, but there are no damage marks, cuts, debris, torn, or warped frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Underworld U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clean, stable, and very nicely balanced. The film has a pretty intense soundtrack that definitely has an important supporting role and in terms of dynamic intensity everything appears to have been optimized as best as possible. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

Underworld U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Martin Scorsese on 'Underworld U.S.A.' - in this filmed video introduction, Martin Scorsese discusses the key qualities of Sam Fueller's style and Underworld U.S.A. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080p).

• Barry Forshaw on 'Underworld U.S.A.' - in this new video program, critic Barry Forshaw discusses the evolution of Sam Fuller's work and its lasting appeal, the director's signature style, and some of the symbolism in Underworld U.S.A. as well as the dilemmas that its protagonist faces. The program was recorded in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• Sam Fuller Masterclass with Wim Wenders - presented here is an audio only version of a masterclass presented by Sam Fuller which was recorded at the Arri Cinema during Filmschoolfest Munich on November 26, 1993. During the session the director covers a wide range of topics, from his classic approach to filmmaking to his admiration for the work of Sacha Guitry to his experiences with different collaborators to government funding for cinematic projects. In English. (62 min).

• 'The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera' Rushes Tapes 07-12 - unedited footage of Sam Fuller in conversation with Tim Robbins, recorded for the Adam Simon's classic documentary. A number of different topics are covered during the interviews, from the funding of different projects to the working environment in post-war Hollywood. In English, not subtitled. (211 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - remastered vintage trailer for Underworld U.S.A.. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for the film.

• Booklet - a 40-page illustrated booklet featuring a new essay by Lindsay Anna Hallam, Sam Fuller on Underworld U.S.A., contemporary critical reviews, and technical credits.

Underworld U.S.A. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you carefully deconstruct some of the great film noirs you will quickly realize that virtually all of them were conceived with a very precise understanding of the type of style and atmosphere they had to promote in order to be effective. Even the most organic amongst them, like Jules Dassin's The Naked City, were shot with a clear awareness that they had to have a proper identity. Sam Fuller, who was a crime reporter before he became a director, had his own set of rules, and the most important one was that he would always be a straight shooter. Basically, when he stepped behind the camera he was a truth-teller first and then everything else, which is why over the years many of his films have been labeled "unsettling", "primitive", "outrageous", etc. Fuller did not sugarcoat the truth and transferred it to film as best as he could. Underworld U.S.A. is one of the edgier films in the director's oeuvre and while it highlights some well-known realities about organized crime, it is definitely worth seeing because it does so in a classic Fuller-esque manner. The Blu-ray release that is reviewed here is included in this four-disc set from Indicator/Powerhouse Films, and is Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.