Movies have been around for such a spell that our perspective of what was considered innovative over the years can be completely skewed. Modern films do not give a second thought to including CGI and other technological innovations in the course of their production because they are common tools of the trade, but at one time both filmmakers and audience members had to reckon with this changing of the times. As crazy as it may seem, the same could be said of sound recordings. When acclaimed director Josef von Sternberg (The Docks Of New York) made the decision to craft his first film using synchronized sound technology, many of his contemporaries raised concerns about how these new developments might change how films are made. While empathetic, von Sternberg was more intrigued by the greater creative control he would have over his pictures – imagine being able to telegraph every single sound the audience heard in conjunction with the on-screen visuals! While good, the 1929 film Thunderbolt is not the greatest film from the director, yet it represents a pivotal step in his art that is not to be missed.
Thunderbolt finds von Sternberg returning to the gangster drama that treated him so well early on in his career. George Bancroft (Stagecoach) would earn his first and only Oscar nomination in the lead role as “Thunderbolt” Jim Lang, a gangster who starts out the picture a wanted man and does not get much of a reprieve from here. His top girl arrives in the form of the inimitable Fay Wray (King Kong, Doctor X) as Ritzy, a girl who is tired of the morally corrupt life and is looking to go straight. When the two hit a Harlem nightclub, Jim is rendered incredulous upon hearing that his girl wants out of the life, but they barely have time to reconcile what this means before the police raid the club and Jim makes a speedy exit. Some time later, Ritzy takes up residence with Mrs. Moran (Eugenie Besserer), who just so happens to have a son, Bob (Richard Arlen), who works as a bank clerk and is quite smitten with the young lady. Knowing how jealous Jim can be, Ritzy organizes for the police to apprehend her wanted ex to maintain the safety of those around her.
The main thrust of the film concerns Jim in jail on Death Row only concerned with finding a way to frame dear Bob for a major crime of his own. The fact that he is able to pull those strings and get Bob in the jail cell beside him is kind of ridiculous, but it is par for the course in these classic tales that rely on convenience. The plot is completely wacky, but the performances from the duo of Bancroft and Wray do a good deal to elevate this otherwise unremarkable tale. Bancroft showcases some nice range when he realizes that Ritzy does actually love Bob after agreeing to marry the innocent man even after he is on Death Row. The same cannot always be said for the ensemble, such as the outlandish prison warden who ruins some of the more dramatic scenes with his atypical behavior. von Sternberg not only makes a nice step forward with the sound recording, but he shows a command of visuals in the way he manipulates shadows to convey symbolism within the narrative. Even with a relatively unremarkable plot, Thunderbolt offers quite a bit to admire for cinephiles who want to see an early example of film noir.
Video Quality
Thunderbolt makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a decent transfer from an unknown source. For a film that is over 90 years old, this is a truly pleasing presentation that showcases the feature well. The gorgeous black-and-white photography shines in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a fair amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels present with some depth with no overwhelming occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is mostly well defined, but the transfer experiences a noticeable amount of flicker and specks of damage to the print. There is also a segment of the film that appears with pretty thick vertical black lines for what amounts to probably a reel. It is only for about ten minutes from 29:20 to 39:25, but it cannot be missed. Kino Classics has done as well as could be expected given the quality of the source material. It feels like a minor miracle this film is available in HD at all.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a pretty solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie as well as can be considering its place in early sound recording. Dialogue and background noises are mostly represented in pleasing harmony, but there are a few instances such as upon entering the club where the music overtakes the dialogue. This track presents with a decent amount of age related wear and tear including some hissing and crackles that likely date back to the source elements. The music can occasionally present as a bit hollow sounding, as well. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film. The good folks at Kino Classics have done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Critic Nick Pinkerton provides a very informative and entertaining commentary track in which he discusses the place of this film in the careers of the key figures, the transition from silent film to talkies, the depiction of African Americans within the film, the themes of the film and much more. Pinkerton rarely lets up for a second which gives the viewer a lot to comb through.
- Trailers: There are trailers provided for Blackmail, Murder, Supernatural, The Lodger, The Undying Monster, and The Spiral Staircase.
Final Thoughts
Thunderbolt lacks a top-tier plot to make it a shining star in the history of cinema, but there is enough intrigue and impressive filmmaking on display to make it worthy of a look. George Bancroft and Fay Wray work together fabulously to bring an added layer of substance to the picture that keeps you glued to the screen. While many filmmakers around this time were afraid of what sound would do to film, von Sternberg saw the countless possibilities that could come from embracing the future. Kino Classics has provided this important piece of film history on Blu-Ray with a pleasing A/V presentation when you stop to consider the condition of the source elements. The disc also comes with a very worthwhile audio commentary that really ties the presentation together. If you are interested in the work of Josef von Sternberg, you should feel safe adding this to your collection. Recommended
Thunderbolt will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on July 20, 2021.
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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
