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1944’s
GASLIGHT ($20) is a thoroughly enjoyable movie thriller from the
golden age of Hollywood. Directed by George Cukor and produced by MGM,
this version of GASLIGHT is a meticulously crafted gem that takes
its time building up the audience’s anticipation, as to what will be
revealed at the film’s climax. Set in Victorian London, GASLIGHT
opens with the murder of a famous opera singer in her home. The singer’s
orphaned niece Paula Alquist (Ingrid Bergman) is traumatized by the crime
and sent off to Italy to live and finish her musical education. While in
Italy, Paula meets and falls in love with her accompanist Gregory Anton
(Charles Boyer), and the two soon marry.
Because
Gregory has always dreamed of living in London, Paula suggests they move
into the home that she inherited from her murdered aunt. Unfortunately,
the moment the newlyweds move into their London home, Paula begins a
downward spiral of memory lapses and hallucinations. Things only become
worse after Gregory confronts Paula about her strange behavior- is she
really losing her mind in the home where her aunt was murdered, or is
something even more sinister afoot? Bergman took home an Academy Award for
her engaging portrayal of a woman who comes to question her own sanity. In
addition to Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, the cast of 1944’s GASLIGHT
also features Joseph Cotton as Scotland Yard detective Brian Cameron, who
wants to reopen the notorious murder case, plus Dame May Whitty as the
nosy next door neighbor, who can never seem to get across the threshold of
the newlyweds’ door, and finally, an eighteen year old Angela Lansbury
in her screen debut.
Warner
Home Video has made 1944’s GASLIGHT available on DVD in a
marvelous looking black and white transfer that frames the film in its
proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. The image appears sharp and very
nicely defined, which brings out the glossy beauty of Joseph Ruttenberg’s
glamorous Oscar nominated cinematography (not to mention the beautiful
period settings and costumes). Blacks are deep and inky, while the whites
are clean and totally stable. Contrast is excellent, as is the film’s
grayscale. The film elements used for the transfer display relatively few
signs of age. There is a noticeable grain structure during much of the
movie, but it is never severe and serves to give the presentation a rather
film-like appearance. Digital compression artifacts are never a cause for
concern. The Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is very good for its age,
with most of the noise and hiss cleaned up in the mastering process.
Dialogue is completely intelligible, while the music is smooth and free
from distortion. A French language track has also provided, in addition to
English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the interactive menus, which allow one access to the standard
scene selection and set up features, as well as the supplemental
materials. The chief supplement on the DVD is the original 1940 British
version of GASLIGHT, which is offered on the opposite side of the
disc. Taken from the same source material, Patrick Hamilton’s play Angel
Street, 1940’s GASLIGHT is a tighter more suspenseful
execution of the same basic story, and its inclusion here is certain to
delight fans of the glamorous Hollywood version. While the presentation of
the British GASLIGHT isn’t quite as clean and free from signs of
age as the later version, it is still in good condition and the transfer
provides very little to complain about. Also included on the DVD is Reflections
On Gaslight, a thirteen-minute program with Bergman's daughter,
Pia Lindstrom and Angela Lansbury, who discuss the film and its legendary
leading lady. Newsreel footage from the 1944 Academy Awards, plus a
theatrical trailer for the 1944 version of the film close out the DVD’s
supplemental materials.
GASLIGHT
is another film classic that has been given a terrific presentation on DVD
by the fine folks at Warner Home Video. Not only does 1944’s GASLIGHT
look terrific, but the DVD also offers the best kind of supplement- the
original 1940 version of the film! If you are a film buff, then GASLIGHT
is a disc you will want to add to your collection. Recommended.
.
Because
Gregory has always dreamed of living in London, Paula suggests they move
into the home that she inherited from her murdered aunt. Unfortunately,
the moment the newlyweds move into their London home, Paula begins a
downward spiral of memory lapses and hallucinations. Things only become
worse after Gregory confronts Paula about her strange behavior- is she
really losing her mind in the home where her aunt was murdered, or is
something even more sinister afoot? Bergman took home an Academy Award for
her engaging portrayal of a woman who comes to question her own sanity. In
addition to Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, the cast of 1944’s GASLIGHT
also features Joseph Cotton as Scotland Yard detective Brian Cameron, who
wants to reopen the notorious murder case, plus Dame May Whitty as the
nosy next door neighbor, who can never seem to get across the threshold of
the newlyweds’ door, and finally, an eighteen year old Angela Lansbury
in her screen debut.
Warner
Home Video has made 1944’s GASLIGHT available on DVD in a
marvelous looking black and white transfer that frames the film in its
proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. The image appears sharp and very
nicely defined, which brings out the glossy beauty of Joseph Ruttenberg’s
glamorous Oscar nominated cinematography (not to mention the beautiful
period settings and costumes). Blacks are deep and inky, while the whites
are clean and totally stable. Contrast is excellent, as is the film’s
grayscale. The film elements used for the transfer display relatively few
signs of age. There is a noticeable grain structure during much of the
movie, but it is never severe and serves to give the presentation a rather
film-like appearance. Digital compression artifacts are never a cause for
concern. The Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is very good for its age,
with most of the noise and hiss cleaned up in the mastering process.
Dialogue is completely intelligible, while the music is smooth and free
from distortion. A French language track has also provided, in addition to
English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the interactive menus, which allow one access to the standard
scene selection and set up features, as well as the supplemental
materials. The chief supplement on the DVD is the original 1940 British
version of GASLIGHT, which is offered on the opposite side of the
disc. Taken from the same source material, Patrick Hamilton’s play Angel
Street, 1940’s GASLIGHT is a tighter more suspenseful
execution of the same basic story, and its inclusion here is certain to
delight fans of the glamorous Hollywood version. While the presentation of
the British GASLIGHT isn’t quite as clean and free from signs of
age as the later version, it is still in good condition and the transfer
provides very little to complain about. Also included on the DVD is Reflections
On Gaslight, a thirteen-minute program with Bergman's daughter,
Pia Lindstrom and Angela Lansbury, who discuss the film and its legendary
leading lady. Newsreel footage from the 1944 Academy Awards, plus a
theatrical trailer for the 1944 version of the film close out the DVD’s
supplemental materials.
GASLIGHT
is another film classic that has been given a terrific presentation on DVD
by the fine folks at Warner Home Video. Not only does 1944’s GASLIGHT
look terrific, but the DVD also offers the best kind of supplement- the
original 1940 version of the film! If you are a film buff, then GASLIGHT
is a disc you will want to add to your collection. Recommended.