Movie Reviews

‘All My Sons’ Blu-Ray Review – Edward G. Robinson Delivers Knockout Performance In Arthur Miller Adaptation

By Dillon Gonzales
February 14, 2022
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Based on the work of acclaimed playwright Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman, The Crucible) and starring Edward G. Robinson (Scarlet Street, Night Has a Thousand Eyes) and Burt Lancaster (I Walk Alone, Elmer Gantry), All My Sons is a wartime tragedy of a family torn apart and forced to come to terms with their inner demons. Chris Keller (Lancaster) returns home from war with news of his impending engagement to Ann Deever (Louisa Horton, Walk East on Beacon!), the fiancée of his missing-in-action and presumed-dead brother. With Ann come memories better left forgotten. As the ghosts of the past creep back into the Keller home, Chris’s father (Robinson) makes a stunning and painful revelation that will change the family forever. Directed by Irving Reis (The Big Street, Enchantment) and shot by Russell Metty (Touch of Evil, Spartacus), this powerful drama is an unforgettable tale of moral dilemmas and remains a timeless classic.

For thoughts on All My Sons, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.

Video Quality

All My Sons makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p master from a 2K scan that is pretty wonderful. While the occasional speck pops up, the film is largely free of any blemishes which allows it to look the best it ever has. The black-and-white photography shot by Russell Metty wows in high definition with natural grain intact. There are not very many moments where anything appears clumpy or unnatural. There is a pleasing amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels are very deep with no noticeable occurrences of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and the track only experiences a minor amount of density fluctuation in the print. Kino Classics has done some marvelous work here.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a pretty solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie well for what it is trying to accomplish. This track does present with a very minor amount of age related wear and tear including some faint hissing and crackles that likely date back to the source elements. Dialogue and background noises are represented in pleasing harmony with all competing elements. The music never overpowers the dialogue or other important information, but it does sound a little fragile at its highest peaks. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The good folks at Kino Classics have done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Kat Ellinger and Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin deliver an incredible commentary track in which they discuss the Arthur Miller source material and how it translates to the screen, the film’s score, how this story reflects the culture of the time, the horror motifs, the film’s reputation and much more that makes for a great listen.

Trailers: There are trailers provided for The Stranger, The Woman In The Window, Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Desert Fury, Kiss The Blood Off My Hands and The Devil’s Disciple.

Final Thoughts

All My Sons is a nimble tale which puts you at ease within the familial dynamic before turning up the heat when it comes to dramatic twists and turns. The source material from Arthur Miller is filled with memorable dialogue and perfectly-placed revelations that keep you glued to the screen throughout. Edward G. Robinson proves to be the standout here, but the entire ensemble is working together perfectly to bring this to life. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a really great commentary track. If you are a fan of the talent involved, you should consider this one a must-see. Recommended

All My Sons 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.