DVD Corner

The Lady From Shanghai 4K UHD Review

“The Lady From Shanghai” is a strange film noir.

Based on the novel “If I Die Before I Wake” by Raymond Sherwood King, 1947’s “The Lady From Shanghai” revolves around an irish sailor (Michael) in NY who is immediately smitten by a woman (Else) he sees on a carriage in New York. He later sees her down the road being accosted by a trio of criminals and saves her. The two hit it off, but Michael is dismayed to find that Else is already married to a rich disabled lawyer (Arthur). Despite all of that, Michael agrees to help out on Arthur’s yacht that is bound for Mexico and eventually San Francisco just so he can be close to Elsa. 

While on the yacht, Michael is confronted by Arthur’s lawyer partner George who wants Michael to kill him for 5 grand so he can fake his own death. Michael reluctantly agrees hoping that he can get enough money to run off with Elsa. Alas, the plan blows up in his face as George shoots a private eye while George ends up dead for real with Michael being jailed for the crime despite being innocent. Can Michael get out of this predicament? Who really killed George?

Written and directed by Orson Welles (other writers are uncredited on the project), “The Lady From Shanghai” is a peculiar film noir about forbidden romance, obsession, jealousy, death and new beginnings. In many ways it’s the epitome of a femme fatale tale without delving into spoilers too much. On one hand, ‘Lady’ really stands out among other entries in the genre with its unique plot and globe-trotting adventures in New York, Mexico, San Francisco (including Chinatown and an amusement park). On the other hand, the story suffers from shuffling around a bit too much. It’s always on the move with little breathing room for characters. The excess of storylines and mysteries also clog up the proceedings. Sure, Welles keeps the story flowing with his masterful skill in visual storytelling (the iconic mirror maze scene and the aquarium scene are especially noteworthy), but you’re left wanting a bit more from the wandering narrative as a whole.

Another drawback here is the overabundance of rear-projection screen scenes. Considering how much location shooting there was in San Francisco and Mexico, it’s deeply distracting to see this technique used so frequently. 

‘Lady’ is perhaps most well known for seeing real-life married couple Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth starring together. Orson is a great actor to be sure, but his Irish accent is tough to swallow here. Rita Hayworth gives one of the best performances of her career as the duplicitous Elsa. Everett Sloane and Glenn Anders also turn in respectable performances as Arthur and George respectively. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 2160p. How does it look? The B&W classic has been given a beautiful 4K restoration.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The Mono track fares well in all departments. 

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Theatrical trailer
* Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich.
* “A Conversation With Peter Bogdanovich”- A 21 minute interview with the filmmaker/film historian who talks about Orson’s life and career, his unofficial blacklist, how he became attached to ‘Lady,’ the behind-the-scenes history of the film, and more.

August 15, 2024 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Film Noir, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, The Lady From Shanghai 4K UHD Review