A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Captive City -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Filmmaker, Robert Wise, a cinephile favorite for many films, inclusive of The Haunting, The Sound of Music and West Side Story, began his career as an apprentice sound effects editor in 1934, on Of Human Bondage.


In 1939 he moved to editor, with The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and by 1941 was selected to cut Citizen Kane.


There's a pattern here.


Quality.


He began directing with Val Lewton's RKO horror unit, on The Curse of the Cat People (1944), and continued creating wonderful films for the next four decades.


His 1952 The Captive City, a beautifully shot black and white noir photographed by Lee Garmes (he's one of the greats - look him up), is an interesting film syncing with government investigations into crime, and is a good, but never great film.


The interest sixty years later is generally linked to work work of Mr. Wise, as well as composer Jerome Moross, later best known for his score for The Big Country.


For me, it's something totally different.


Take a close look at Mr. Garmes work, under Mr. Wise, and you'll find the ghost of the great Gregg Toland.


This is one that you'll have to see to believe, and becomes the prime reason why The Captive City must be in every serious library.


The Blu-ray is a beautiful affair. Generally great blacks, with a lush gray scale, proper grain, and once again (what's happened to the MGM we know and love), "it's clean."



Image - 4.75

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 4.75

Pass / Fail - Pass

Recommended


RAH

 

[Paul Penna]

For people like me who get off on the time-capsule aspect, note that it's filmed almost, if not indeed entirely, on location, including interiors. Photographed so cleverly that you're convinced - as intended - that it's Every Small Town, USA. You'd never know it was Reno, Nevada - ironic, given the film's subject matter.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yeah, I have this on preorder so I'm really looking forward to seeing it again in 1080p.

 

[JoHud]

The MGM MOD was pretty dreadful in it's low-res glory. This should be leagues above it.


I actually watched it twice, second time I liked it more than the first. Though I still consider it a more minor Robert Wise film. Hopefully the new transfer colors my perception yet again

 

[John Maher_289910]

I love this film by my favorite film director. I always felt it served as the structural template for INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. Looking forward to seeing it in high def.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

For people like me who get off on the time-capsule aspect, note that it's filmed almost, if not indeed entirely, on location, including interiors. Photographed so cleverly that you're convinced - as intended - that it's Every Small Town, USA. You'd never know it was Reno, Nevada - ironic, given the film's subject matter.

Even though I knew it was filmed in Reno, the only easily-identifiable landmark that I noticed was a shot of the El Cortez Hotel as Jim and Marge are passing by in their car.


I have a friend who grew up in Reno in the fifties and I'm going to have him take a look at it.