DVD Corner

Act Of Violence Blu-ray Review

“Act Of Violence” is a layered film noir. 

Best known for helming “From Here To Eternity” and “High Noon,” director Fred Zinnemann explored the film noir genre with 1949’s “Act of Violence.” The Robert L. Richards scripted story revolves around two WWII veterans named Frank and Joe (who were once friends). Frank is a respected businessman, father, and husband who lives comfortably in suburbia. Joe is a mentally and physically scarred man who has struggled to move on in life. Joe also has a vendetta against Frank and seeks him out in Santa Lisa, California. Joe wants to kill Frank, but it initially remains unclear as to why. When Frank learns that Joe is looking for him, he becomes spooked and ends up retreating into Skid Row where he encounters a woman at a bar (Pat) who leads him to a low-level hitman named Johnny that is looking for a payday. Elsewhere in the story are subplots involving Joe’s wife Edith who learns the dark truth about her husband and Frank’s girlfriend Ann who is trying to stop Frank from killing Joe.

Although billed as a film noir, “Act of Violence” is much more than just that. It’s also a thriller, a psychological post-war drama, and a deep character study. It’s a post-war story in which the war really never ended for Frank and Joe. Frank can’t escape his trauma and blames Joe for his issues (justifiably so in many cases). Joe, meanwhile, is haunted by his past and tries to run from it. He has skeletons in his closet and attempts to live a normal life with his family. It’s a tragic story that certainly doesn’t have a happy ending, but it feels appropriate for the story being told (without getting into spoiler territory).

If there was any knock on the film, it would be the Skid Row portion. Although it is integral to the ending, it does feel like the story takes a detour that pulls away from Frank, Edith and Anne’s story. The character of Pat (the bar woman) also feels like little more than a plot device to lead to the criminal underworld that Joe finds himself in. It’s a small complaint, but it does interrupt the flow of the story.

Performance wise, Robert Ryan, Ven Heflin and Janet Leigh all deliver outstanding work. Ryan is both creepy, disturbing but ultimately heartbreaking. There’s a lot going on with his character Frank. He seems like a villain at first, but the story switches his character up. Van Heflin brings great depth to the character of Joe while Janet Leigh shines as Joe’s wife Edith whose life is turned upside down.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? Viewers can expect another crisp remaster courtesy of Warner Archive.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? A clean 2.0 track through and through.

Extras:
* Original theatrical trailer
* Commentary by film historian Dr. Drew Casper.
* 2 cartoons titled “Goggle Fishing Bear” and “The Shell-Shocked Egg.”
* “Act of Violence: Dealing With The Devil”- A 5 minute archival featurette on the film with interviews and discussions about the story and themes. 

July 4, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Act Of Violence Blu-ray Review, Film Noir, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Van Heflin, Warner Archive