The murder of a Hamburg barmaid seems an open-and-shut case until a recently demobilized Nazi soldier, reassigned to the police force, suspects it’s the work of a serial killer. His efforts to bring the murderer to justice run afoul of the Reich, which fears the culprit is Aryan—not the foreigner, gypsy or Jew they would prefer. Director Robert Siodmak, the greatest practitioner of Hollywood noir (Criss Cross, The Killers, Phantom Lady, et al.), returned to Germany in the 1950s to finish his career. This was the most powerful film of those later years, a subtle yet scathing payback to the Nazis that chased him from his homeland. Based on the true story of murderer Bruno Lüdke, Siodmak creates a tense policier that’s also a psychological drama exploring how some of those who did not flee the Reich struggled to maintain their integrity and morality in the face of overwhelming corruption and evil. — Eddie Muller, Film Noir Foundation.

For thoughts on The Devil Strikes At Night, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/DcSe3clAjBA?t=78]

Video Quality

The Devil Strikes At Night makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p transfer which is not noted as being from a new 2K or 4K scan, but frankly looks incredible. The print is in phenomenal shape with barely anything in the realm of nicks or scratches. The striking black-and-white photography shot by Georg Krause shines in high definition with natural grain intact. You get a substantial amount of detail present with textures on the outfits and within the period production design. The new transfer shows off a grand amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels are very deep with no notable occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is firmly defined, and the track only experiences the most minor instances of flicker and density fluctuation in the print. Kino Classics has delivered a top-notch presentation here.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a really good LPCM 2.0 track in the original German that serves this movie well. Dialogue and environmental elements are represented in harmony with all competing sounds. This track only presents with a very minor amount of age related wear and tear and some faint hissing. The soundtrack maintains a decent fidelity with not much in the way of strain or weakness at its peak. The music never overwhelms the dialogue or other important information. Kino Classics has done a fine job on the audio side of the spectrum. There are optional English subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film historian Imogen Sara Smith delivers a really informative commentary track in which she talks about how this film fit into the filmography of Robert Siodmak, how this fulfilled a desire for the director to reckon with his past, how it compares to the real-life events, the unique tone of the film, and much more. This is a well-researched track that is worth checking out.

Final Thoughts

The Devil Strikes At Night is a very engaging and impactful rebuke of the Nazi regime by someone who was directly impacted by their actions. Yet, this is not simply a wish-fulfillment project devoid of artistic or narrative merit, as director Robert Siodmak takes a real-life story and artfully explores how it related to the national bureaucracy of the time. The film is impeccably paced as the narrative threads weave together quite gracefully for a bittersweet ending. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports a first-rate A/V presentation and a great commentary track. If you are Siodmak fan, or simply looking for an enthralling investigative thriller, this is well worth your time. Recommended

The Devil Strikes At Night is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.