Beyond A Reasonable Doubt Blu-ray Review
“Beyond A Reasonable Doubt” is an absurd thriller.
Directed by the legendary Fritz Lang, 1956’s “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt” tells the story of a novelist (Tom) and a newspaper publisher named Austin (who happens to be his soon to be wife Susan’s father) who concoct a scheme against a DA, the justice system and capital punishment. The plan? To have Tom get caught for the wrongful murder of a dancer only to later expose the truth about the ordeal. Only Tom and Austin would know the truth initially. What could possibly go wrong?
Even on paper “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt” seems far fetched and it is. The film is filled with preachy moments, a ridiculous elaborate plot that feels like the story of a cheap paperback novel, dull and inaccurate courtroom drama, and strangely bland direction by Fritz Lang. Even the central performances by the usually reliable Dana Andrews and Joan Fontaine are just average. The best performance of the film actually comes from Sidney Blackmer (Austin) who is the only actor that seems dedicated to the role and premise.
Perhaps the most perplexing element of ‘Beyond’ is that it’s billed as a “thriller.” I say thriller in quotes because there’s nothing intense about this movie. The movie feels like it’s on auto-pilot until the twist ending pops up. Even though the ending feels like another over-the-top piece of drama, it does at least stop it from being entirely predictable.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.0:1 1080p. How does it look? The B&W film is a bit fuzzy in spots, but it’s a solid transfer nonetheless.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? This is a clean 2.0 track. No complaints.
The lone extra is a trailer for “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt.”
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