Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Waterloo Bridge Blu-ray Movie Review

London loves.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 16, 2020

Arriving less than a year after the seminal Gone With the Wind, Mervyn LeRoy's Waterloo Bridge gave audiences more of the beautiful young Vivian Leigh. Far removed from fierce and fiery Scarlett O'Hara, Leigh plays meek Myra Lester, a ballet dancer in WWI-era London who meets suave Captain Roy Cronin (Robert Taylor) during a nighttime air raid near Waterloo Station. Although they part almost as quickly as they met, he skips evening plans to go to her performance. There's obviously a love connection but it's hampered by two things: his obligations to the military and her autocratic troupe leader, Madame Olga (Maria Ouspenskaya). Naturally, they plan to get married within 24 hours.

Unfortunately, reality gets in the way. Roy is called to the front lines, Madame Olga will not stand for young lust, and even the nearby Catholic church doesn't do late afternoon weddings on short notice. Fate seems to working against our young lovers, but the real culprits are their own personalities: Roy is the very definition of aloof, while Myra is so afraid to stand up for herself -- or even tell the truth, for that matter -- that it's not surprising their relationship's flame is all but doomed to fizzle out. It's not long before Roy is off to battle and Myra finally works up to the courage to rebuke the domineering Madame Olga; oh wait, she doesn't, that's actually her faithful friend Kitty (Virginia Field), who she ends up sharing an apartment with after they're kicked out of the troupe. Nonetheless, the couple's plan to reunite after war's end is a noble one, even if their chances grow slimmer as days, weeks, and months pass by.

There's a lot to like about Waterloo Bridge, beginning with Vivian Leigh's lead performance. Her character's vulnerable and submissive nature is extremely well played, framing its unyielding narrative with just the right amount of pathos. (Robert Taylor isn't far behind, but his character isn't written with the same amount of emotional weight, save for the film's opening and coda.) The foggy and extremely dark London backdrop also suits this story very well, with gas-lit streets and shadowy interiors that serve up a tremendous level of rich atmosphere, while the haunting score also fits this production like a glove. Waterloo Bridge's unavoidable handicap, however, is the Hays Code, put into effect just six years before its release, which softens much of its dialogue and makes a few key story elements unfortunately vague. It's also worth noting that this handicap didn't effect the first version of the film, directed by James Whale and released in 1931. So, much like its central romance, the only real problem with Waterloo Bridge is bad timing.

Even in slightly watered-down form, the core of Mervyn LeRoy's film still packs an emotional punch and, in the shadow of Gone With the Wind, feels like a hidden gem in Vivian Leigh's filmography. Ever the savior for classic catalogue titles, Warner Archive Collection presents this remake of Waterloo Bridge in a very handsome Blu-ray package that, as usual, focuses almost all of its resources on a high-quality A/V presentation that greatly supports the film's memorable sights and sounds. Long story short: if you've been waiting patiently for this one, it's finally arrived.

Waterloo Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a exclusive 4K restoration of original nitrate elements, Waterloo Bridge looks as fantastic as you'd expect on Warner Archive's stunning new Blu-ray. Portions of this film, starting with its nighttime opening act, are exceedingly dark and immediately stand out as proof of this disc's visual strengths, as its black levels run deep with no perceivable black crush or loss of shadow detail. Only a select few shots, including those with heavy rear-projection elements, offer anything less than a stunning and incredibly stable image, and one that's clean as a whistle with excellent fine detail supporting by plenty of natural film grain. As usual, the disc is encoded perfectly with no obvious compression artifacts, banding, or similar defects, nor has is been artificially sharpened or subject to excessive noise reduction. A purely film-like image though and through, and one that will absolutely thrill long-time fans and newcomers alike.

Waterloo Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master audio mix plays it straight with a very strong and stable track that supports Waterloo Bridge's original one-channel roots. Dialogue and background effects are given equal priority with plenty of room left over for the score, a mix of original cues by Herbert Stothart and well-known songs including "Auld Lang Syne" and Leo Friedman's "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", both of which also work their way into various themes along the way. Age-related damage including hiss, clicks, and pops is virtually non-existent, giving the film a fairly robust atmosphere with excellent fidelity that's much improved over earlier DVD releases. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only; likewise, there are no obvious defects or sync-related issues.

Waterloo Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with attractive, poster-themed cover art and no inserts.

• Screen Director's Playhouse Radio Program (59:35) - This audio-only extra features Oscar-winning actress Norma Shearer in the lead role of Myra and originally aired on September 28, 1951 on NBC. It also served as the 119th and final episode of this program before its transition to television four years later.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:20) - "Her greatest role since Gone With the Wind!"...which came out a whopping six months earlier. Gotta love marketing departments, right? Watch it here.

Waterloo Bridge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mervyn LeRoy's Waterloo Bridge is the story of two star-crossed lovers whose flame burns out quietly. The pathos is strong with this one and, though it's not in the top tier of classic romances, Vivian Leigh's terrific lead performance and the foggy, quasi-noir atmosphere earn high marks indeed. Warner Archive Collection's Blu-ray is up to their usual high standards, offering an extremely strong A/V presentation with a few lightweight bonus features. Highly recommended to established fans for sure, as well as anyone who doesn't require their films to have happy endings.