Vice Versa Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Vice Versa Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 26, 2023

Peter Ustinov's "Vice Versa" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Network Releasing. The supplemental features on the release include vintage promotional materials and two episodes from vintage shows starring Anthony Newley. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

n a distant corner of India, a British visitor (David Hutcheson) steals an ancient stone and then successfully brings it home. However, having learned that keeping the stone would bring him bad luck, the thief gives it as an archeological gift to his former brother-in-law, Mr. Paul Bultitude (Roger Livesey), a wealthy, unapologetically prudish stockbroker. Shortly after, while attempting to comprehend the reluctance of his son, Dickie (Anthony Newley), to go back to boarding school, Mr. Bultitude declares his wish to take his spot while holding the ancient stone and a miracle happens – he becomes a replica of Dick. The most impressed son then wishes to become a replica of his father and the ancient stone grants his wish, too. After their transformations, Mr. Bultitude is promptly dispatched to the local train station where he accidentally bumps into the boarding school’s most unpleasant headmaster, Dr. Grimstone (James Robertson Justice), who instantly begins revealing to him while his son dreaded going back. At the boarding school, he reunites with his ‘girlfriend’, Dulcie (Petula Clark), who happens to be the headmaster’s daughter. Meanwhile, Dickie begins enjoying his father’s wealth and privileges but gets in some serious trouble after his ‘girlfriend’, Fanny (Kay Walsh), appears with a feisty lover who wants her for himself.

Perhaps it is true that Peter Ustinov could have made Vice Versa a much funnier film with the original material from F. Anstey’s popular novel. Part of me agrees that there should have been a greater variety of laughs after the father and his son unintentionally exchange their bodies, but this supposedly superior film almost certainly would have turned out sillier as well. It seems unavoidable because the funny comes from the silly. The father would have been forced to engage in even more outrageous activities, while the son’s transformation into an odd killjoy would have been embellished to an intolerable degree.

Another part of me, however, disagrees and is convinced that Vice Versa was done right. It is funny and witty, and plenty of the witty does not always gel with the funny because it cannot. Indeed, a lot of the witty is part of a multi-layered satire that forces the audience to ponder numerous what-if scenarios. Consider the segment where the father, trapped in his son’s body, arrives at the boarding school, and instantly becomes a big target. The headmaster repeatedly goes after the father because through flattery and rationality he forces him to react and, in the process, exposes the inferiority of his intellect. His peers dislike him because he does not see or rationalize as they do, and when he again forces them to react, the inferiority of their intellect is exposed as well. Now consider some of the son’s interactions. While trapped in his father’s body, at home he humanizes the servants who have been conditioned to behave like talking objects as they react to his supposedly odd behavior. Later, the son also exposes the woman his father unconditionally loves as a narcissist while she reacts to his decision to accept a silly duel. More than a dozen other segments follow the same pattern -- in various situations, some funny some not, reacting becomes revelatory. Realize what is happening here. The father and the son are placed in foreign environments and forced to adjust so that they look like rational and civilized human beings. Their failures are supposed to make them look ridiculous, frequently even like genuine idiots. Instead, through their failures they reveal that hardly anyone around them who is supposed to be rational and civilized thinks or behaves properly.

Vice Versa could have been a better film with a much more dramatic dissection of the civilized game everyone willingly participates in, but such a correction would have substantially expanded the unfunny material. After that, a correction in the behavior of the main characters would have been necessary too, almost certainly initiating a domino effect of other smaller corrections in the tone and style of the film as well. At present, the film maintains a good balance between the funny and the multi-layered satire that encourages a more nuanced deconstruction of its story.

The man behind the camera was future Oscar winner Jack Hildyard, who a few decades later would lense such classic and cult films as Cleopatra, Modesty Blaise, Casino Royale, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Battle of the Bulge.

Vice Versa Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Vice Versa arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Network Releasing.

The following information was supplied by the label:

"Vice Versa was first trade-shown in January 1948 at 111 minutes but, prior to its general release two months later, it had been cut back to 102 minutes. All of the master materials, including the original negatives, all run to the 102-minute length and the longer edit is presumably lost. The film has been newly scanned from a 35mm dupe negative in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1. Although the restoration included both automated and manual removal of film dirt and damage, some minor faults remain, including density fluctuations, dirt, and scratches (among other issues)."

The overall quality of the visuals is quite nice. As noted in the quoted text above, some minor density fluctuations are present throughout the entire film, and there are small surface imperfections -- such as tiny blemishes, dirt spots, and nicks -- that remain. However, there are no traces of problematic digital adjustments and corrections to repolish the visuals, which is why they reveal fine organic qualities. Yes, in some areas the fluctuations produce small anomalies but they are the type of anomalies that emerge from dated content, not digitally compromised content. They grayscale is good. In fact, virtually all of the indoor and darker footage reveals very nice ranges of grays and blacks. Image stability is very good. All in all, while slightly uneven in a few areas, this release offers a nice organic presentation of Vice Versa. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Vice Versa Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The dual Mono track is very nice. I expected to encounter various age-related imperfections, but while viewing the film, I did not notice any. Clarity, sharpness, and stability were very good. In a few areas there are fluctuations, but they are part of the original sound design. The upper register was solid as well. Dynamic intensity is unimpressive, but this is hardly surprising given the age of the film.

Vice Versa Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Strange World of Gurney Slade - presented here is Episode One of the TV mini-series The Strange World of Gurney Slade, which features one of the stars of Vice Versa, Anthony Newley. Restored. In English, with optional English subtitles. (25 min).

• The Anthony Newley Show - presented here is Saturday Spectacular, an Anthony Newley show from the early 1960s. It is absolutely hilarious and very nicely choreographed. In English, not subtitled. (49 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional and production materials for Vice Versa.

• Booklet - 12-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay on Vice Versa by critic Neil Sinyard and technical credits.

Vice Versa Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The body-swapping formula has been used in a lot of films over the years, and virtually all of them are quite funny. Peter Ustinov's Vice Versa is pretty funny, too. Some people think that it should have been even funnier, but I disagree. The balance between the funny and the unfunny in it is right because it provides the viewer with enough time to contemplate its satire, which is not as simplistic as it appears. This Blu-ray release of Vice Versa will be the last one I review from British label Network Releasing, which recently ceased operations. I will miss the label a lot because over the years I discovered some wonderful older films while browsing through its catalog. Also, I will be forever grateful to the folks that ran the label for restoring and bringing to Blu-ray one of my all-time favorite TV shows, The Professionals. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.