Macao Blu-ray Review
“Macao” is a dry film noir.
Penned by Bernard C. Schoenfeld and Stanley Rubin, 1952’s “Macao” is a film noir. The story kicks off with the murder of a NY cop near Hong Kong. The story then switches to the 3 central characters (Nick, Julie, and Lawrence) who are on board a boat bound for Macao (which is located off the south coast of China). These 3 are initially strangers to one another, but they soon meet. Nick is a war vet, Julie is a singer, and Lawrence is a salesman. One of them is hiding a big secret. Upon arriving in Macao, Nick is falsely pegged as an undercover cop looking into the aforementioned murder. A corrupt local Lt. (Sebastian) and a crooked casino owner (Vincent) want Nick out of the way. Elsewhere in the story are subplots about Nick and Julie’s brewing romance, Julie being hired as a singer by Vincent, the real undercover cop, traps, and a necklace.
For a film set in an exotic locale (even though most of it was filmed on sound stages in Hollywood), “Macao” is a strangely dull film noir. This mystery story about murder, secrets, mistaken identity, and two lost souls falling in love lacks spark. The central plot is without ingenuity and the romance is nowhere near as steamy or compelling as it should be. Director Josef von Sternberg had a successful career with films such as “The Blue Angel,” “The Scarlet Empress,” and “Morocco,” but he seems to be going through the motions here. Of course, he doesn’t have much to work with given the script’s limitations.
On the plus side, the film has a wonderful cast featuring Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, Gloria Grahame (in a bit part), and William Bendix. One would think the pairing of Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell would be enough to make “Macao”watchable, but not even they can salvage it. Both actors certainly try their best, but they are so underserviced by the script. The romance needed to be more developed and sexier. William Bendix gives the best performance as the salesman with a secret. It helps that he has the most interesting character too.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? While not as glamorous as say the recent “Crime Wave” restoration, this B&W film still gets a sharp transfer that maintains the print grain.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Adequate, but a little muffled.
Extras include a commentary by Eddie Muller and Stanley Rybin, a theatrical trailer, and Private Screenings With Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, and Robert Osborne (a half-hour TCM special hosted by Osborne in which he interviewed Russell and a very uninterested Mitchum about their careers, collaborations and friendship).
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