Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Witness for the Prosecution (re-dux) -- in Blu-ray (2 Viewers)

[Robert Harris]

Yet another Kino "re-issue" title that gives us an upgrade of 50%+ in data throughput, along with a requisite viewable difference in quality at close quarters.

A great film from Billy Wilder, that sports a terrific cast:

Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton, along with support from a number of actors you'll undoubtedly recognize.

Elsa Lanchester, John Williams, Henry Daniell, Ian Wolfe, Torin Thatcher, and Una O'Connor.

For those who care, this Very British drama was shot at M-G-M in Culver City.

A beautiful disc.


Image – 9

Audio – 9 (DTS-HD MA 2.0 Monaural)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Worth your attention - 10

Slipcover rating - 1

Upgrade from DVD - Absolutely

Highly Recommended



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https://www.amazon.com/Witness-for-...82-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[Matt Hough]

Yep, one of the best filmings of Agatha Christie material in existence. And the stuff added for the film that was not in the original play is super entertaining and doesn't detract one whit from the main murder mystery.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I just got a shipping notice for my pre-order. I'm looking forward to watching it twice with Joseph McBride's audio commentary.

 

[cda1143]

I just got a shipping notice for my pre-order. I'm looking forward to watching it twice with Joseph McBride's audio commentary.

Darn you! I almost resisted double dipping, and then you had to go and mention the McBride commentary.

 

[madfloyd]

This title sounds familiar - another one I should watch before I die.

 

[telzall]

I'm in!!!!
What other Kino reissues are there that have upgraded image quality?

 

[Will Krupp]

Mine's waiting for me at home as we speak. I'm so glad I resisted the urge to buy this when Kino first put it out. It saved me a double dip!

 

[Douglas Bailey]

I love this as a Charles Laughton character piece, and it's worth having just for his amazingly sly performance, but I can't say the plot holds up. I've shown it to someone who'd never seen it before, and they immediately saw through a key plot element that's supposed to be a surprise. Not much suspense there. (I also find Tyrone Power surprisingly stiff as the beleaguered defendent; was he forced on Wilder by the studio or something?)

 

[Will Krupp]

I love this as a Charles Laughton character piece, and it's worth having just for his amazingly sly performance, but I can't say the plot holds up. I've shown it to someone who'd never seen it before, and they immediately saw through a key plot element that's supposed to be a surprise. Not much suspense there. (I also find Tyrone Power surprisingly stiff as the beleaguered defendent; was he forced on Wilder by the studio or something?)

If you're talking about what I THINK you're talking about, I honestly believe that we're always supposed to see through it and feel ourselves clever for having done so. I mean, the surprise to the audience isn't the "what" but the "why" after all. I've always treated it as a red herring.

Of course, If you're talking about something else, then I apologize (but never mind )

 

[Matt Hough]

In the play version,

Spoiler

I don't think the audience is meant to see through the disguise (the character is given a bogus credit in the playbill), but in the movie, the actress is possessed with a slight speech impediment which makes her disguise easy to penetrate,

something Billy Wilder had to have known would happen.

 

[Will Krupp]

something Billy Wilder had to have known would happen.

The same is also true of the Ralph Richardson/Diana Rigg/Deborah Kerr TV remake from 1982. No real effort is made to completely fool us, which both movies could have done if they really wanted to.