Press Release Criterion Press Release: Brute Force (1947) (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

As hard-hitting as its title, Brute Force was the first of Jules Dassin’s forays into the crime genre, a prison melodrama that takes a critical look at American society as well. Burt Lancaster is the timeworn Joe Collins, who, along with his fellow inmates, lives under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, power-tripping guard Captain Munsey (a riveting Hume Cronyn). Only Collins’s dreams of escape keep him going, but how can he possibly bust out of Munsey’s chains? Matter-of-fact and ferocious, Brute Force builds to an explosive climax that shows the lengths men will go to when fighting for their freedom.

FILM INFO

• Jules Dassin
• United States
• 1947
• 98 minutes
• Black & White
• 1.37:1
• English
• Spine #383

SPECIAL FEATURES

• On the Blu-ray: New 4K digital restoration by TLEFilms FIlm Restoration & Preservation Services, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• On the DVD: New, restored high-definition digital transfer
• Audio commentary from 2007 featuring film-noir specialists Alain Silver and James Ursini
• Interview from 2007 with Paul Mason, editor of Captured by the Media: Prison Discourse in Popular Culture
• Program from 2017 on Brute Force’s array of acting styles featuring film scholar David Bordwell (Blu-ray only)
• Trailer
• Stills gallery
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Michael Atkinson, a 1947 profile of producer Mark Hellinger, and rare correspondence between Hellinger and Production Code administrator Joseph Breen over the film’s content

Cover by Lucien S. Y. Yang

September 8, 2020

 

[Robert Crawford]

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[bujaki]

It is a brutal film indeed! And so recommended.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Love this movie! I have it the Arrow BD and iTunes HD digital and I'm still going to buy this Criterion release. Highly recommended as one of the best prison movies ever made.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I love Burt Lancaster. I take it this is a must buy!

 

[Robert Crawford]

I love Burt Lancaster. I take it this is a must buy!

It is!

 

[lark144]

Love this movie! I have it the Arrow BD and iTunes HD digital and I'm still going to buy this Criterion release. Highly recommended as one of the best prison movies ever made.

I also have the Arrow BD, which looks terrific, but based on the press release, this may be a new master, and I may have to buy this a third time. Drat, darn and other expletives. Yes, I'm afraid it's one of those films I need in optimal condition. Love the opening scene in the rain with all those rich blacks and piercing light beams. Burt Lancaster ain't bad either. This is in his early gruff and grim phase, before the toothpaste grin appeared, so Belmondo could imitate it in A WOMAN IS A WOMAN, then say, "Mon ami Burt Lan-cast-er!"

 

[Robert Harris]

I also have the Arrow BD, which looks terrific, but based on the press release, this may be a new master, and I may have to buy this a third time. Drat, darn and other expletives. Yes, I'm afraid it's one of those films I need in optimal condition. Love the opening scene in the rain with all those rich blacks and piercing light beams. Burt Lancaster ain't bad either. This is in his early gruff and grim phase, before the toothpaste grin appeared, so Belmondo could imitate it in A WOMAN IS A WOMAN, then say, "Mon ami Burt Lan-cast-er!"

What creates the perception of a new master?

 

[Robin9]

What creates the perception of a new master?

"On the Blu-ray: New 4K digital restoration by TLEFilms FIlm Restoration & Preservation Services, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack"

 

[Robert Harris]

"On the Blu-ray: New 4K digital restoration by TLEFilms FIlm Restoration & Preservation Services, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack"

The word “new” cuts a wide swath these days. Not that it matters.

 

[Matt Hough]

I love Burt Lancaster. I take it this is a must buy!

Absolutely. This is a fantastic movie.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The word “new” cuts a wide swath these days. Not that it matters.

Marketing taking advantage of false terminology in regard to your craft.

 

[lark144]

The word “new” cuts a wide swath these days. Not that it matters.

Hello, Mr. Harris. Nice to hear from you.

I'm certainly not perfect and it's possible I'm mistaken, but...

This is what is stated in the Arrow booklet (from 2013) about the master:

"The HD master was created by the Criterion Collection. The film was transferred in High Definition on a Spirit Datacine from a Finegrain Positive."

The Criterion DVD of BRUTE FORCE (from which the Arrow HD master was taken) was released back in 2007, before 4k masters were the norm. The first 4k master I'm aware of is ALL ABOUT EVE, which I believe is 2012. Now, while it's true that Criterion advertised their recent Blu-Ray of ALL ABOUT EVE as a "new 4K master" when in fact it was the same 4k master that was used for the Fox Blu-Ray in 2012, in the case of BRUTE FORCE, 2007 seems too early for 4K. It's probably taken from the same element (which looked pretty great on the Arrow Blu-Ray) but I have a feeling it may be a new scan.

Of course, Mr. Harris, you're on speaking terms with the folks at Criterion, which I am not, and if they've told you it's the same scan from 2007, then I defer to your knowledge.

 

[Robert Harris]

The first two 4k restorations, ending with 4k data, and down to 4k video masters were The Godfather(s) - first in L.A., and Dr. Strangelove - first in N.Y.

They both were in progress first half of 2007.

I believe the 4k scans of Brute and Naked were probably performed c. 2016-17.

It's the word "new" which is inaccurate. Even worse (although not in this case) is the term "restoration," which no longer has a meaning.

A "new" model car is not a 2017... It's a 20-21.

 

[Martin_Teller]

I would say "new" in this instance means in relation to their previous DVD release.

 

[Robert Crawford]

The first two 4k restorations, ending with 4k data, and down to 4k video masters were The Godfather(s) - first in L.A., and Dr. Strangelove - first in N.Y.

They both were in progress first half of 2007.

I believe the 4k scans of Brute and Naked were probably performed c. 2016-17.

It's the word "new" which is inaccurate. Even worse (although not in this case) is the term "restoration," which no longer has a meaning.

A "new" model car is not a 2017... It's a 20-21.

Yeah, we have seen this type of marketing slight of hand language beforehand and we'll continue to see it in the future.

 

[lark144]

Maybe they could get around the inaccurcies of "new" by adapting the language of those cigarette commercials from the 1960's, and write:
"A 4K scan fresh as a mountain stream, and younger than Springtime!"

 

[cda1143]

Love this movie! I have it the Arrow BD and iTunes HD digital and I'm still going to buy this Criterion release. ...

Robert: Do these two appear to be the same source? Arrow BD is apparently 2013. iTunes is Criterion, but I don't know when it went up in HD.

...This is what is stated in the Arrow booklet (from 2013) about the master:

"The HD master was created by the Criterion Collection. The film was transferred in High Definition on a Spirit Datacine from a Finegrain Positive."

The Criterion DVD of BRUTE FORCE (from which the Arrow HD master was taken) was released back in 2007, ...

Does Arrow specify that the HD master was taken from Criterion's DVD release? or do they only say that the master was created by Criterion.

...I believe the 4k scans of Brute and Naked were probably performed c. 2016-17....

So if the Arrow BD is 2013, this would appear to be a newer master than that? I wonder if it is a different master from the iTunes HD (which is a Criterion edition).

Thanks

 

[lark144]

The

Robert: Do these two appear to be the same source? Arrow BD is apparently 2013. iTunes is Criterion, but I don't know when it went up in HD.




Does Arrow specify that the HD master was taken from Criterion's DVD release? or do they only say that the master was created by Criterion.




So if the Arrow BD is 2013, this would appear to be a newer master than that? I wonder if it is a different master from the iTunes HD (which is a Criterion edition).

Thanks

The booklet says the HD master was provided by the Criterion Collection. At the time, I read somewhere--on Arrow's website perhaps-- that the HD master provided to Arrow was the one used for the Criterion DVD. Though I could be mistaken about this.

 

[Robin9]

The booklet says the HD master was provided by the Criterion Collection. At the time, I read somewhere--on Arrow's website perhaps-- that the HD master provided to Arrow was the one used for the Criterion DVD. Though I could be mistaken about this.

The booklet also says that: Additional picture restoration was carried out using a combination of software tools and techniques at Deluxe-EMEA London. Which suggests that Criterion's work was not considered to be adequate.