Four of the definitive masterworks of the genre, plus the feature-length documentary Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light (2006) from director and film historian Gary Leva. Includes commentary on all four films — featuring directors Robert Wise and Martin Scorsese on The Set-Up — and more! MURDER, MY SWEET: Full of wit, bravado and style! The blueprint that all others followed. As RAYMOND CHANDLER’s sleuth Philip Marlowe, DICK POWELL sets out to find a missing moll named Velma. OUT OF THE PAST: A troubled P.I. (ROBERT MITCHUM), a drop-dead beauty (JANE GREER) and a moneyed mobster (KIRK DOUGLAS) are caught up in a twisted triangle in one of the greatest film noirs of all time. THE SET-UP: A world-weary fighter who feels he’s just one punch away from bigger paydays is told to take a dive. Noir icons ROBERT RYAN and AUDREY TOTTER take a 10-count to the crooked world of boxing. GUN CRAZY: A searing forerunner to Bonnie and Clyde: PEGGY CUMMINS and JOHN DALL are fatalistic lovers who go on a crime spree to fund their murderous lifestyle.

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Video Quality

The films the 4-Film Collection: Film Noir come to Blu-Ray courtesy of Warner Archive in very comparable quality. Murder, My Sweet; Out Of The Past; The Set-Up; and Gun Crazy were all handled by Warner Archive proper with 2K scans of a mixture of the Original Camera Negative and Fine Grain Master Positives. These releases represent a good cross-section of the label as the titles were released individually from 2014 to 2019. While the label has finessed its process and switched nearly exclusively to 4K scans in recent years, these earlier efforts represent the high level of quality we have always expected from their releases. While it would be easy to break down these four titles individually, the quality is uniformly excellent across the board and there would be a lot of repeating thoughts.

The preservation efforts that Warner Archive undertakes with their films are practically unparalleled and allow these classics to be appreciated to their fullest extent. The contrast is precisely defined, and there is virtually no print damage to be found during any of these classics. The sumptuous black-and-white photography shines in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a significant amount of detail present with welcome texture on the costumes and in the production design. Black levels are deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The quality of these transfers is simply marvelous to behold. With such atmospheric films, you want a presentation that captures the right mood, and Warner Archive has nailed it across the board.

Audio Quality

All four Blu-Ray discs come with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio tracks that are in really good shape. There is very little discernable age-related wear and tear to the tracks such as hissing or popping. Dialogue and background noises are represented very well along with evocative scores from the likes of Rob Webb and Victor Young. There are fleeting instances when these works register as a bit weak, but this is not a consistent issue.

No elements ever overpower the stylized dialogue that is of the utmost importance to the films. While mostly dialogue-driven throughout, the more active moments are handled with ease and give the tracks a bit of excitement. Warner Archive has provided the most consistent audio tracks possible given the age and source elements. There are optional English SDH included for the feature films.

Special Features

Murder, My Sweet

Audio Commentary: Author Alain Silver provides a sturdy commentary track in which he discusses where this film falls within the genre, the themes of the picture, the career of Jacques Tourneur, the performances, and more.

Trailer: A two-minute trailer is provided here.

Out Of The Past

Audio Commentary: Film Historian James Ursini provides a thorough commentary track in which he discusses where this film falls within the genre, the themes of the picture, the career of Jacques Tourneur, the performances, and more.

The Set-Up

Audio Commentary: Director Robert Wise and filmmaker Martin Scorsese provide an archival commentary track in which the pair separately provide great insights from both a personal perspective and an analytical lens that never fails to entertain and enlighten.

Gun Crazy

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Glenn Erickson provides a thorough commentary track in which he discusses where this film falls within the genre, the themes of the picture, the framing, the performances, the differences from the source material, and more.

Film Noir – Bringing Darkness To Light: A terrific 68-minute documentary that explores the history and facets of film noir through interviews with creatives such as James Ellroy, Christopher McQuarrie, Frank Miller, Newton Thomas Sige, Janusz Kaminski, Carol Littleton, Kim Newman, Glenn Erickson, and more.

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

Final Thoughts

4-Film Collection: Film Noir is an essential assemblage of films for cinephiles and a fantastic starter pack for those looking to delve more into the genre. These films tackle similar elements and themes, but there is enough unique material to keep you from feeling like you are watching carbon copies of the previous film. Beyond the narrative, the performances are fantastic with the likes of Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan commanding the screen. This Blu-Ray collection collects the four previous individual releases into one lower-priced set in a nice space-saving package. These discs offer a terrific A/V presentation and some noteworthy extras. This is a set that no film fan should be without. Essential

4-Film Collection: Film Noir 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: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.