Mae Doyle is a good-time girl, but now times are bad. Weary of too much booze and too many men, she returns to her girlhood home, the fishing village of Monterey, California. There she finds security as the wife of a devoted and dull fisherman – and passion in the arms of his provocative best friend. Film noir master Fritz Lang (The Big Heat, Ministry of Fear) directs four towering talents – Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan and rising star Marilyn Monroe – in a stark tale of lives burnished by human emotion and shattered by human failings. Intense and powerfully realistic, Clash by Night (from a Clifford Odets play) is about many towns, many families. Serene on the surface. Roiling with desperation underneath.
For thoughts on Clash by Night, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/iTQfj0MHFHQ?t=2278]
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Clash by Night for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from a magnificent 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. When it comes to the Golden Age of Hollywood, no one does it quite as good as the Warner Archive. The label has once again provided a pristine presentation that is among the best we have seen from the first half of the year. Print damage has been eliminated completely, while never sacrificing its organic filmic qualities. This black and white feature shot by Nicholas Musuraca maintains its sumptuous natural film grain throughout which allows for a terrific amount of detail in the image. The presentation showcases a grand amount of depth including in the shadows where you will find no trace of black crush. This transfer is a wonder on all fronts.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that stands as tall as the video side of the equation. The stylistically distinct dialogue never falters at any point as it comes through clearly in balance with the sound effects and the music. The score from Roy Webb holds up pleasantly with no dissonance in the upper registers or other harsh inflections. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear and tear to the track. While mostly character-driven, there are a couple sequences that are a bit more active which are a bit more lively in the speakers. This is a formidable audio presentation that gives the material the care it deserves. There are optional English SDH subtitles available on the disc for those who need it.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich provides a commentary track with an archival interview with director Fritz Lang inserted into the track. Although not without its moments of silence, this is an extremely entertaining and informative track which provides context to the career of Lang, anecdotes from the production, tidbits about the film, praise for the feature and so much more that helps accentuate your appreciation for the feature.
- Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Clash by Night is a fairly engaging melodrama which undercuts its female characters by consistently forcing them to betray their feminist ideals for some frankly unappealing men. This is a product of this period in time, especially, but it is no less frustrating as you hope for a better life for these women. The performances are strong and help smooth over some of the more irritating moments. The atmosphere that is conjured is flawless, and there is a dark dread that hangs over the proceedings as you wonder exactly how things might spiral out of control. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a 5-star A/V presentation and a great supplemental commentary. If you are a fan of Fritz Lang or anyone in the ensemble, this is worth adding to your collection. Recommended
Clash by Night 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
