All Joe Sullivan wants is “a breath of fresh air.” But when you’re serving time in stir for robbery, fresh air is a rare commodity. That’s about to change though as mob boss Rick Coyle has greased the skids inside the prison walls, so Joe can make it outside where girlfriend Pat will be waiting.
But things don’t exactly go as planned for the duo as car trouble during their getaway forces them to get help from the only person nearby — strait-laced legal assistant Ann Martin, whom they kidnap and use to evade capture. Things aren’t going as planned for Rick either, who set up the escape fully expecting the fugitive to get “cut down” so he could keep the $50,000 he owes Joe for taking the rap for him.
Now past the dragnet, the trio each find themselves increasingly conflicted in their loyalties and core beliefs as Joe is torn between the two women, who both care for him, while Pat and Ann each make decisions that prove they’re not as bad, or as good, as they’re supposed to be.
Raw Deal presents the moviemaking team of director Anthony Mann and cinematographer John Alton at the peak of their success (fresh off their box office smash T-Men), offering dark, moody atmosphere filled with fog-shrouded landscapes and characters who are no strangers to the “left-handed endeavor” of crime. Scenarist John C. Higgins (He Walked by Night) and co-writer Leopold Atlas offer a taut, suspenseful tale of one man’s desperate bid for freedom and the two women who love him.
For thoughts on Raw Deal, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Raw Deal makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to ClassicFlix with a 1080p master from a 2K restoration of 35mm nitrate fine grain elements that is quite excellent. This transfer shows off a grand amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The lovely black-and-white photography shot by John Alton shines in high definition with natural grain intact and density fluctuations mostly kept under control. Black levels are pretty deep with no obvious occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. Contrast is well defined, and damage has been cleaned up immensely with only some stray blemishes remaining. There is a fine amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. ClassicFlix has done some stellar work here and any fan should be beyond pleased with the quality. There are optional English subtitles provided.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a slightly less impressive DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that still serves this movie well enough. Dialogue and background noises are represented in harmony with the different elements coming through clearly. The music does not overwhelm the dialogue or other important information. This track does exhibit some age-related wear and tear, as it sometimes struggles with the Paul Sawtell score. There are also certain instances of dialogue that sound a bit hollow in the delivery. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Even with some core source issues, ClassicFlix has done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
This Blu-Ray set includes a multi-page booklet featuring the essay “Where Love Goes To Die: The Shattering Impact of Anthony Mann’s Raw Deal” by film historian Max Alvarez. The essay provides a great amount of context to Mann’s career at the time of the film’s release as well as biographical details and discussion of his collaboration with John Alton. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Author and film historian Jeremy Arnold provides an in-depth commentary track in which he discusses the circumstances behind the creation of this picture, how this picture subverts normal tropes, the cinematography of John Alton, the careers of the talents involved, elements of the narrative that were changed to tone down the violence and much more that makes for a very enlightening track.
- Deadly Is The Male – The Making Of Raw Deal: A nine-minute featurette in which various film historians discuss the unique qualities of the film with a particular focus on the subversion of the gender roles, the journey of the characters and more.
- Dennis O’Keefe – An Extraordinary Ordinary Guy: A six-minute featurette in which many of these same participants and some of O’Keefe’s family members discuss the background of the performer and his place in cinematic history.
- Image Gallery: A collection of rare stills, posters and promotional materials.
- Restoration Comparisons: A nearly six-minute look at the immense amount of work that was put in to restore this film. The before and after shots are stunning.
- Trailers: This disc offers trailers for T-Men, He Walked By Night, Tomorrow Is Forever, You Only Live Once, and a Film Noir Compilation Trailer.
Final Thoughts
Raw Deal is among the top collaborations between director Anthony Mann and cinematographer John Alton. Not only is the core story presented in a way that is a bit out of the ordinary for film noir, but the aesthetic drive behind the film is virtually flawless. In a genre which can get slightly repetitive at times, this film feels energized in a way that feels more rare than we would wish. ClassicFlix has released a Special Edition Blu-Ray featuring a pretty excellent video presentation and decent audio, along with a strong assortment of special features. If you are a fan of Anthony Mann or film noir, mark this down on your purchase list. Recommended
Raw Deal (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: ClassicFlix 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.