This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Movie star Charlie Castle (Jack Palance) draws the ire of Hollywood producer Stanley Hoff (Rod Steiger) when he refuses to sign a new seven-year contract. Castle is sick of the low quality of the studio’s films and wants to start a new life. While his estranged wife (Ida Lupino) supports him in the decision, Castle’s talent agent (Everett Sloane) urges him to reconsider. When Castle continues to be uncooperative, Hoff resorts to blackmail in order to get his way.

For thoughts on The Big Knife, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/tgmHjkh1298?si=xqhJVAkc1ohLOHUX&t=2910]

Video Quality

The Big Knife comes to Blu-Ray thanks to MGM with a 1080p transfer that looks pretty solid but exhibits some room for improvement. This film has previously been released on Blu-Ray through Arrow Video, and all evidence points to this using the same master. The new transfer shows off a good amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Contrast is admirably defined with only fleeting instances of flicker or density fluctuation in the print.

Black levels showcase some welcome depth with no egregious occurrence of crush or compression artifacts. There is some occasional softness to the image, but you still get a favorable amount of texture on the clothing and within the production design. Nicks and scratches show up occasionally, but nothing significant enough to sink the experience. The natural film grain remains intact with only a bit of noise interfering with the gorgeous black-and-white photography. MGM has done a nice enough job here of bringing this one back into circulation.

Audio Quality

MGM brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that does what is asked of it but still shows its age. Dialogue comes through clearly without much distortion or other sonic intrusions. The environmental effects never get too ambitious given the scope of the story. The sounds of certain kinetic moments add a bit of life to the mix. The score settles the tone of the story, and it holds up okay when it comes to fidelity. The track mostly avoids speed bumps outside of some age-related issues. MGM has done a decent job with the sound. There are no subtitles provided.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on the disc.

Final Thoughts

The Big Knife is a pretty solid film noir, but it does not do enough to set itself apart from the countless other movies within the genre from the period. Jack Palance is a strong screen presence and the women in his life do what they can with their thinly defined characters. The plot gets a bit too self-conscious by throwing in some big swings in the narrative which it doesn’t really need. It works to pass the time, but it is not a classic. MGM has brought this film to Blu-Ray with a fine A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. Those who are enthusiastic about the genre will gain more from this.

The Big Knife 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: MGM 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.