‘Jigsaw’ (1962) Blu-Ray Review – Quaint British Noir Serves Up A Fairly Engaging Mystery

In this newly restored late Brit Noir classic, director Val Guest (EXPRESSO BONGO) whips up an absorbing and entertaining murder mystery based on the Hillary Waugh novel Sleep Long, My Love and inspired by the Brighton Trunk Murders of the 1930s. After discovering a woman’s body in a lonely beach house, a pair of Brighton detectives painstakingly assemble a jigsaw puzzle of clues as they attempt to track down her murderer.

For thoughts on Jigsaw (1962), please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Jigsaw (1962) makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to the Cohen Media Group with a brand new 1080p master from a new 2K restoration. While we have no doubt that this disc has been greatly improved in relation to the original conditions of the source elements, the transfer experiences some inconsistencies which keep it from being a marvel. The contrast is decent but could be a bit more firmly defined, and nicks and scratches pop up throughout with some very obvious damage popping up in a few spots. The new transfer shows off a fair amount of depth and enhanced detail within the production design. This transfer does deliver some nice textures on the clothing and within the scenery. Black levels show some amount of depth, but you will spot some black crush and compression artifacts. The black-and-white photography was made for high definition, but we wish the natural film grain was a little more consistently resolved. Cohen Media Group seems to have given this one as strong of a presentation as the material will allow. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a fine DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that serves this movie well. The dialogue is the star here, and it mostly resolves without issue. This and other environmental sounds maintain a nice fidelity, but some of the highest registers can verge on sounding a bit brash. The background noises stand out in the mix in a way that aids the narrative. There is a very minor bit of age-related damage including some crackling, but overall this does not serve as a major issue. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. This disc serves up a good audio presentation overall. 

Special Features

• Trailer: The nearly minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here. 

Final Thoughts

Jigsaw (1962) feels a bit less special when you factor in the vast amounts of twisty, procedural crime stories we have been given in the intervening years, but there is a quaint charm to its execution which will appeal to some. The performances are strong across the board, and the mystery is well executed even if it feels a bit too convoluted. Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have released a Blu-Ray featuring a decent A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. This has not been the most widely disseminated film over the years, so it is worth a look if you want a fairly engaging mystery. Recommended 

Jigsaw (1962) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.  

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

Disclaimer: Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.