U.S. Agent Jack Bearnes lies in an open field, shot and beaten. A giant, harrowing machine suddenly roars to life, its blades biting into the earth. Terrified, Bearnes tries to crawl away. But the machine crawls faster. As searing as a shot of tequila down a dust-parched throat, this steely thriller stars Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy as agents from each side of the Mexico-California border. Their job: Catch the thieves, murderers and moneymen who prey on illegal aliens desperate to make a few Americano dollars sweating as farm laborers. Anthony Mann (Winchester ’73, The Naked Spur) directs, turning his lens to the beauty and the terror of stark desert wastelands. Blending classic film noir with a surprisingly contemporary plot, Border Incident is a relentless, cutting-edge gem of the genre.

For thoughts on Border Incident, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/b-PtbyQxg_Q?t=176]

Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Border Incident for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K scan of the Preservation Safety Fine Grain. The Original Camera Negative was one of the unfortunate casualties of the Eastman House fire in the ‘70s which destroyed so much film history, but thankfully MGM had a jump on preserving their films with a great backup copy that could almost be mistaken for the OCN.

Even when working with a second generation source, Warner Archive continues to deliver top-notch work with an image that truly shimmers. Print damage is pretty much nonexistent throughout the duration of the movie with specks and scratches proving to be a rare sight. There are a few establishing moments where quality dips slightly due to the use of opticals at the time, but this is not a deficiency in the transfer itself. This black and white feature has nice, natural film grain throughout that provides a substantial amount of detail to the image. Much of this film takes place in darkness or in shadow, and the presentation retains a solid amount of depth with no evidence of any black crush. It is always a treat to see how much Warner Archive can achieve with their careful curatorial efforts.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is as hard-hitting as the source material will allow. The more kinetic sequences including a dramatic confrontation with a massive farming machine are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear such as hissing or popping in the track. The dialogue is delivered in a manner that always comes through clearly. As a matter of fact, none of the sound effects or the score ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. Overall, this is a strong audio presentation that gives the material the life it deserves. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Dana Polan provides a thorough commentary track in which he discusses where this film falls along the spectrum of film noir, the work of director Anthony Mann, the visual aesthetic of the picture, the performances in the film and more that is well worth a listen.

Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided which does a fine job of showcasing the film.

Final Thoughts

Border Incident has the somewhat stilted “police report” framing device that was popular at the time it was created complete with overbearing narration. Despite this, director Anthony Mann really brings this one to life once we get into the meat of the narrative as we explore a criminal dynamic which is unfortunately as relevant as ever concerning illegal immigration and the exploitation of those looking for a better life. The performances are strong, and some of the sequences are as gripping as anything you will come across. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and an entertaining commentary track. Anthony Mann films or those looking for a well-crafted crime narrative should enjoy this. Recommended

Border Incident can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through 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.