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Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Paul Newman and Julie Andrews star in this classic tale of international espionage set behind the Iron Curtain.
For more about Torn Curtain 4K and the Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray release, see Torn Curtain 4K Blu-ray Review published by Justin Dekker on November 17, 2023 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
Universal has released Alfred Hitchcock's 'Torn Curtain' (1948) to the UHD format. It is available individually (this release) or as part of a five film
boxed
set
along with 'The Man Who Knew Too Much', 'Rope', 'Topaz',
and 'Frenzy'. 2160p/HDR video and DTS HD Master Audio is
available for this and all releases in the set, and the legacy special features are brought
forward onto these new discs.
For a review of the film, please refer to the previous release of 'Torn Curtain'.
Perhaps because the previous release of Torn Curtain was a strong one, there is a less dramatic improvement to be found in the 4K
presentation. Detail levels receive a slight uptick and are best observed on closeups of faces and fabrics. Colors are also slightly deeper and are very
pleasing. The image also appears to be very modestly brighter than the prior Blu-ray. As Mr. Brown noted in his review of the 2013 disc, there is a
prevailing softness to Torn Curtain which must have been a choice that Hitchcock made in shooting the film. It's not present in every single
shot, but it recurs often enough to not have been accidental. As with The Man Who Knew Too Much, process shots fare the worst, as is typical,
as the limitations of that material cannot be helped. I did not notice any print damage or other defects. All of this conspires to make for a beautiful and
filmic presentation of of this 1966 Cold War caper that makes sure the viewer can focus on Newman and Andrews instead of other distractions.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
The two-channel DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track is, again, terrific. Dialogue is always on point, nicely centered, clear, and intelligible, even in the
quietest moments. The delightful score, a perfect product of its time and the likes of which we don't often see (hear) anymore has ample opportunity to
shine and it effortlessly adds tension or emotion to every scene. Never overpowering, it compliments rather than dominates, allowing dialogue and
sound effects to sit nicely on top of it.
Despite its two stellar leads, both of whom were parked neatly at the top of Hollywood's "A-List" at the time of production, Torn Curtain doesn't
quite measure up to Hitchcock's best. A bit slow, even by 1960s standards of pacing, it takes some time before confusion and questions give way to
properly escalating tension. Artful directorial touches abound, despite the pacing, providing us with crafty trademark moments, with the pivotal and
revealing conversation between Newman and Andrews among my favorites, as it manages to unleash emotion and explain everything that's come
before without wasting a moment of time or repeating anything. A tighter script could have propelled this one into the stratosphere, to be sure, but
even as it stands, due to it's excellent technical merits, Torn Curtain comes Recommended.
Torn Curtain: Other Editions
Blu-ray
1-disc $12.08
Blu-ray Bundles/Box Sets with Torn Curtain 4K (2 bundles)
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Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will release on 4K Blu-ray The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Vol 3 (1948-1972). The box set is scheduled to arrive on the market on October 31.
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