’36 Hours’ Blu-Ray Review – A Psychologically Thrilling Journey Into Wartime Manipulation

It’s 1950. Maj. Jefferson Pike is in an Allied military hospital, under the care of an American doctor. Pike is an amnesiac, and if he could recount the details of D-Day, his last memory, perhaps it would unlock his mind. Only it’s really 1944, and Pike is deep in German territory in a faux hospital built just for him. James Garner does a heroic star turn as increasingly suspicious Pike, and Rod Taylor makes a canny opponent as the duplicitous Doktor in a tense cat-and-mouse, twist-filled wartime thriller. The Nazis have only 36 Hours to pull off their elaborate ruse and get the D-Day plans out of Pike. But if that doesn’t work, they will use any means necessary.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents 36 Hours with a terrific 1080p master transfer released in 2017 in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 2K scan of the Fine Grain Safety Master. This transfer delivers a resplendent level of quality for this carefully crafted production. The black-and-white photography from Philip C. Lathrop looks sumptuous with no obvious signs of damage or debris, with only the opening newsreel and a handful of shots exhibiting a brief downturn due to the filming techniques. Black levels are strong with no murky moments while highlights likewise hold firm. No digital manipulation has been applied that would disturb the intended natural appearance. We did not spot any unwanted nuisances such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues outside of a few intrusions of noise. The label put forth good work with this one. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that sounds pretty great with its age factored in. It has been preserved well with little in the way of hollowness, sibilance, or any other odd intrusions. The usual age-related wear and tear is not an issue with no obvious drop-outs, hissing, or popping. Despite being a wartime movie, this is not a particularly action-oriented tale. Nevertheless, there is a world of personality in the sound design that keeps things engaging on a sonic level. Dialogue comes through with welcome clarity. It works commendably with background noises and a fantastic Dimitri Tiomkin score to never overshadow any focal elements. Warner Archive has done lovely work with the audio track. Optional English SDH subtitles are included for the feature film. 

Special Features

• Theatrical Trailer (2:52)

Final Thoughts

36 Hours is a unique spin on the wartime genre as you take a psychologically thrilling journey into manipulation and subversion that works quite well. The performers really anchor the action with a cat-and-mouse interplay that never goes into mustache-twirling territory to keep the emotions more authentic. The film is relatively low-key, but it makes things more impactful in the long run. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation but almost nothing in the way of supplements. If you love a good wartime thriller, this should be on your list. Recommended 

36 Hours can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.