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Topic: DVD: "The Wrong Man" (1956)

John Koutsoumis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 261
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 09-02-2006 03:56 AM

"The Wrong Man" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most under-rated films yet to me it's certainly one of the more haunting crime dramas that he brought to the screen.
To me it sits next to other Hitchcock greats "The 39 steps" &
"I Confess".

What makes this film even more potent is that it's actually based on a true story of an innocent man accused of a string of recent crimes. A case of mistaken identity? More twist and starnge turns than you can poke a stick at.
Henry Fonda plays the lead with Vera Miles as his loving wife Rose. It also stars Anthony Quayle and Charles Cooper.

It's gripping from first to last frame on a grandeur scale and Hitchcocks cinematic genius is mesmerising even though he sacrificed technique for story in this case.
The Cinematography is nothing less that what you would expect from Robert Burks and Bernard Herrmann's brilliant, yet simple score would have to be one of his best.

The region 1 DVD (full frame 16:9 transfer) is very good although the grain is a little much and a few scenes in the later half have a little evident dirt and dust (different source maybe). Though overall it's excellent viewing, very sharp and great detail. Looks fantastic on generous sized video projection. The mono track is clean but there is a sense early on that some sort of noise reduction may have been used.

Extras include the trailer and a 19min look at the making of the film with interviews including film directors such as Peter Bogdanovich and Richard Franklin.

[ 09-03-2006, 12:06 AM: Message edited by: John Koutsoumis ]

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 10-02-2006 04:04 PM

I'm a sucker for little-known Hitchcock, too. I'd love to see a decent DVD of the silent and sound versions of Blackmail, with well-written commentaries which point out the subtle differences. Apart from The Lodger and The Ring, it's virtually impossible to see any silent Hithcock. I was hoping that Charles Barr's recent English Hitchcock book (dwells a bit much on the screenwriters' input, IMHO, but nevertheless opens the door on a load of Hitchcock films which are repeatedly and unjustly overlooked) would prod the BFI into doing some nice DVDs, but it hasn't happened.

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John Koutsoumis
Master Film Handler

Posts: 261
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 10-08-2006 10:55 PM

Yeah, HD mastered box sets of Hitchcocks entire filmography are overdue (well it would be nice [Cool]

)
Even some of the masters later work such as Vertigo and Marnie need new transfers. In the case of Marnie it's needs proper widescreen transfer, not a pan & scan.

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