Laurence Harvey (The Manchurian Candidate), Tom Courtenay (Doctor Zhivago) and Mia Farrow (Rosemary’s Baby) star in this thought-provoking Cold War thriller about the dangerous and oftentimes lonely world of espionage. Russian double agent Alexander Eberlin (Harvey) has long been posing as a British spy in England, but, feeling like a “man without a country,” he wishes to return to his motherland. His request for a transfer is denied, however, and his life is further complicated when British Intelligence assigns him and his cold-blooded boss (Courtenay) to travel to East Berlin and eliminate his Russian counterpart and friend. Living a life of lies, Eberlin comes to the painful realization that he has no allies—and no way out. The film features the elegantly chic Mia Farrow, along with Harry Andrews (The Deadly Affair), Peter Cook (Bedazzled) and a soundtrack by music legend Quincy Jones (In the Heat of the Night). A Dandy in Aspic was begun under the direction of the great Anthony Mann (T-Men, The Naked Spur, El Cid); when Mann passed away during production, Laurence Harvey completed the film.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/Gq72yhAZ0tk?si=laY6Afjc_a19dy3V&t=720]

Video Quality

A Dandy in Aspic comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original OAR. This transfer is derived from an older master that was supplied by Sony that has been released overseas but is making its domestic debut. Unfortunately, this master is not completely flattering as it exhibits some really rough bits of age-related anomalies such as unstable depth and density fluctuation. This is a film that is in need of an overhaul from Sony if they have decent elements to work with. There are minor bits of print damage that pop up, but nothing so substantial that you would label it a mess.

The picture exhibits softness in long shots, which can most likely be chalked up to the source material. Interior shots that should be packed with little details are not well defined thanks to the lack of delineation. Skin tones are fair with some amount of detail discernible in closeup. Colors have a nice saturation and do not present with any unnatural hues. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. Digital noise does not present as a substantial issue here. Kino Classics has done what they can with the master they have been given, but we hope Sony gives it a refresh in the future.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a much more impressive DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in English with optional English SDH subtitles. You will not find any substantial age-related wear and tear anywhere throughout this one. Environmental sounds such as car noises or other mechanical elements are rendered accurately alongside everything else. The score maintains a good fidelity as it establishes a mysterious atmosphere for the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to trample the dialogue, as the track maintains a good balance so that information comes through clearly. Kino Classics has delivered a fine audio presentation for this film.

Special Features

A Time To Die with Members of the Crew: A 10-minute making-of featurette in which various members of the crew including second assistant editor Richard Dobson, continuity manager Elaine Schreyeck, special effects artist Terry Schubert, camera assistant Nigel Cousins, and stuntman Colin Skeaping reflect on their experiences with Anthony Mann, their impressions of the performers and more.

Pulling Strings with Titles Designer Michael Graham Smith and Puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew: A 22-minute interview in which these two creatives discuss their backgrounds and dive into the creation of the memorable opening credits.

Inside Mann with Film Critic and Broadcaster Richard Combs: A 12-minute piece in which this film critic explores the life and career of Anthony Mann, how this feature fits into his legacy, the themes and style of this picture, and much more that is worthwhile.

Trailers: The minute-long trailer is provided for A Dandy in Aspic. There are also trailers provided for Room At The Top, The Manchurian Candidate, Secret Ceremony, Death On The Nile, The Secret Ways, Dead Heat On A Merry-Go-Round and The Ipcress File.

Final Thoughts

A Dandy in Aspic is an unfortunate final film for director Anthony Mann considering the classics he has associated with his name. This film is far from an embarrassment, but it is quite messy throughout, and one cannot help but wonder how things would have looked if he had been able to finish it himself. Laurence Harvey does not bring much excitement to the lead role, and Mia Farrow is entirely underutilized. The film has its moments, but it is largely a disappointment. Kino Classics has given this feature a new Blu-Ray featuring an unsteady A/V presentation and a couple of cool special features. This one is mostly recommended to fans of the talent involved.

A Dandy in Aspic is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.