7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon wants to be something his old man wasn't: a guy on the right side of the law. But Dixon's vicious nature will get the better of him.
Starring: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Gary Merrill, Bert Freed, Tom Tully (I)Film-Noir | 100% |
Drama | 55% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Eddie Muller offers a laundry list of what he terms “bad cop noirs” in the supplemental commentary included on this new Blu-ray edition of Where the Sidewalk Ends, mentioning entries like 1951’s The Prowler and 1954’s Private Hell 36 as other salient examples of this subgenre. It’s notable that all of three of these films manage to avoid at least one staple of noir, the traditional femme fatale who leads a hapless schlub to his doom. This trio of “bad cop” films posit male characters who are already well on their way to (at least potential) doom before they even meet a woman, and it’s at least arguable that none of the females in these films fulfill the traditional role of a sloe eyed seductress who acts as a 20th century (fox or otherwise) Circe, luring the (anti-) hero toward moral turpitude. Interestingly, another supposed noir, a rather famous one, also eschewed the traditional femme fatale, in fact not “really” introducing the top billed woman until well into the film. That iconic outing was Otto Preminger’s 1944 classic Laura, a convoluted tale of its supposedly murdered title character. Where the Sidewalk Ends reunited Preminger with Laura’s two stars Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, as well as Director of Photography Joseph LaShelle, and if lightning didn’t exactly strike twice, this later film is probably more securely in the dark and gritty ambience of a lot of noir than Laura’s fairly hoity toity, patrician proclivities were.
Where the Sidewalk Ends is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. It's odd in a way that cinematographer Joseph LaShelle isn't better remembered these days, for he contributed impeccable craft to an incredibly varied series of classic films, including the aforementioned Laura (for which he won the Academy Award), as well as Hangover Square, Captain from Castile, My Cousin Rachel, Marty, The Long, Hot Summer, The Apartment and How the West Was Won. The partnership between Preminger and LaShelle results in an almost balletic use of the camera throughout the film (as Muller repeatedly mentions in his winning commentary), with some incredibly graceful tracking and dolly shots adding "movement" to what are in essence pretty static and talky sequences. Preminger's brilliant blocking often creates fascinating vertical planes within the frame around which LaShelle plays with various focal points. This transfer preserves LaShelle's luminous cinematography, offering solid contrast, crisp blacks and a beautifully modulated gray scale, while also offering nice gradations between razor sharp focus within certain spaces inside the frame, while some outlying areas look relatively less sharp (intentionally so—see screenshot 10, where you'd think Andrews would be the focal point, but where he clearly isn't). Preminger and LaShelle are rather reserved in their use of close-ups, but when they do utilize them, detail is excellent (see screenshot 1). Elements are in pristine condition, with nary a nick or scratch (at least that I noticed), and the nicely textured grain field resolves very naturally. Though housed on a BD-25, there's not a glut of supplemental material on tap to take up valuable real estate, and as a result this fairly short film has more than enough breathing room for excellent compression.
Where the Sidewalk Ends features a nice sounding DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track which more than capably supports the film's dialogue, sound effects and score (one which makes ubiquitous use of Alfred Newman's Street Scene. Dynamic range is actually fairly wide considering the era of the film, and there is no damage of any kind to warrant concern.
Where the Sidewalk Ends probably relies a bit too much on too many convenient plot contrivances, an element which tends to rob the film of some of its down and dirty ambience, but Andrews is dynamite in a difficult role, and the film manages to traffic in both a kind of unseemliness and a weird nobility. There's a lot of "color" in this black and white film, and noir fans should have a field day. Technical merits are great, and Where the Sidewalk Ends comes Highly recommended.
1944
Warner Archive Collection
1951
Limited Edition to 3000
1950
Includes They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and The Organization on standard BD
1967-1971
Hot Spot
1941
1947
1954
1942
1951
1945
Warner Archive Collection
1953
Limited Edition to 3000
1954
1986
1950
1946
Encore Edition | Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1953
Warner Archive Collection
1947
1946
1955
1955