In 1930, director Lewis Milestone won an Academy Award®* for his eloquent anti-war masterpiece, All Quiet on the Western Front. But with Edge of Darkness, made in 1943 during the dark days of the German blitzkrieg, Milestone displays no such pacifist sentiments. Indeed, this remarkable drama, set in a small Norwegian village, pays tribute to the heroic spirit of common people taking up arms against the Nazi invaders. Errol Flynn delivers a fine, understated performance as a common fisherman who leads the town’s resistance efforts, while Ann Sheridan’s strong character reflects the strength of all womankind. And featured in the superb ensemble cast are Walter Huston, Ruth Gordon, and Judith Anderson.
For thoughts on Edge Of Darkness (1943), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents Edge Of Darkness (1943) for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from the best preservation elements available. Warner Archive continues to deliver top-notch work with an image that is nothing short of stunning for a film that is nearly eighty years old. Print damage is virtually nonexistent to these eyes throughout the duration of the movie. There are a few establishing moments where quality dips slightly due to the condition of the source, but this is not a deficiency in the transfer itself. This black and white feature has nice, natural film grain throughout that provides a great amount of detail to the image. The presentation has a pleasing amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. It is always amazing to see how much Warner Archive can achieve with their miraculous presentations as I have yet to ever be truly underwhelmed by them.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is as impactful as the source material will allow. The more kinetic sequences including climactic firefights and explosions are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear to the track. All of the dialogue is delivered in a manner that always comes through crystal clear. As a matter of fact, none of the sound effects or the score from Franz Waxman ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it. Overall, this is a solid audio presentation that gives the material the life it deserves.
Special Features
- WB Shorts – Gun To Gun: An 18-minute 1944 Western short from director D. Ross Lederman deals with disputes over taxes from cattle herding. This is a pretty lively short that is presented in a nice looking HD presentation.
- WB Cartoon – To Duck…Or Not To Duck: A seven-minute Looney Tunes short from Chuck Jones featuring Daffy Duck at odds with Elmer Fudd after he takes some shots at him. Once again, this is presented in a lovely HD presentation for the first time on disc.
- Theatrical Trailer: A two-minute trailer is provided which does a fine job of showcasing the film.
Final Thoughts
Edge Of Darkness (1943) is without a doubt a forceful piece of propaganda, but with its anti-Nazi messaging you can forgive it for taking a stand during the war efforts. If you can contextualize this film with the time it was released, you will be left with a pretty impressive war picture featuring strong performances and thrilling spectacle. Errol Flynn delivers a fine performance alongside the spellbinding Ann Sheridan. The action in this film is memorable from beginning to end, but even more importantly the character dynamics will keep you invested despite the film being a bit on the long side. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a couple of interesting supplements. Fans of old-school war pictures should take note of this one. Recommended
Edge Of Darkness (1943) can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store 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.
