The Black Book | Robert Cummings, Richard Hart

The Black Book | Robert Cummings, Richard Hart | Sympathy for John Alton

DVDs:

The Black Book

	The Black Book Robert Cummings, Richard Hart Alpha Video, 2003 average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Crammed full of action!

Once more Anthony Mann revealing before us as a director with multiple concerns ; he was a real prism . In this film he focuses his attention on the French Revolution.
Both forces are after possesion of a secret diary containing valuable information. This will be the sparkly starting point to put on screen a lively and more exciting costume adventures .
A superb cast is the crown of this interesting movie.

Sympathy for John Alton

The plot is fairly interesting. The acting is quite good. It informs you, albeit scantily, of a time in French History that, at least I, had not much knowledge of.

This is a true "B" film and yet, as has been proven time-and-again by Anthony Mann (T-Men, Raw Deal, He Walked By Night, Winchester '73 etc.), he manages to put his stamp on a film and raise it beyond what most directors could.

I feel sorry for, what must be, John Alton's (cinematographer extraordinaire - Painting With Light) deft-touch in lighting. However, you would never be able to tell by this poor, poor quality transfer of both the visual and audio.

Personally, I do not find the film worthy of repeated viewing even IF it was of pristine quality regardless of what Mann & Alton bring to it.

I don't expect the greatest from Alpha-Video (oldies.com) because they transfer whatever they can get their hands on, as is, from Public Domain.
Sometimes, as with "The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers", you get an "A" film with fairly good visual and sound quality overall, and sometimes you get barely acceptable.

If you want to see prime Mann & Alton, I would suggest: T-Men, Raw Deal, He Walked By Night. One of the best Alton photographed films out there is: The Big Combo (directed by Joseph H. Lewis).

Quality of DVD: *1/2 /**** Sound: *1/2 /**** Plot: **/**** Acting: ***/**** Cinematography: ***/**** Direction: ***/****

for more information click here

Great Villains, Bland Hero, Poor DVD Transfer

"We're living in a perpetual state of violence. The people have become a bloodthirsty mob that thrives on human lives. Each day this monster must reach its quota. There is only one man who can control this beast and that man must be dictator Robespierre!" The man speaking is, of course, Maximilien Robespierre (Richard Basehart).

It's Paris, 1794, and for all practical purposes Robespierre rules France. He not only has sent his enemies to the guillotine, he keeps finding new enemies. He has a black book in which he lists his friends and his enemies and what they have done. He has marked those who will kiss the blade, and among them are many who think they are his friends. Then the book goes missing just 24 hours before he expects to be acclaimed dictator of France. He is determined to find the book.

But there are a few brave freedom-fighters struggling to bring Robespierre down. Among them are Charles D'Aubigny (Robert Cummings) and Madelon (Arlene Dahl), a woman who had cast Charles aside but who now must work with him. D'Aubigny takes on the role of Georges Duval, the butcher...the prosecutor...of Strasbourg who Robespierre has named to find the black book within 24 hours. There are many twists and turns before the truth comes out, before Charles and Madelon learn to trust each other again, and before France is saved...well, before France is saved for Napoleon.

Although the DVD picture and audio are in bad shape, even for a movie in the public domain, the film has a lot of visual style. Paris with its cobblestone by-ways, crowded hovels and turnip-strewn streets never looked more picturesque. Director Anthony Mann keeps things moving with a noir approach that features high angle shots, low angle shots, off-kilter close-ups and lots of mysterious shadows. There are plenty of howling mobs and unshaven soldiers.

Robert Cummings and Arlene Dahl make conventional leads. Cummings has little gravitas and Dahl, while gorgeous, was no actress. They are redeemed, however, by three first-rate heavies. Robespierre is a psychopathic, unsmiling politician in a powdered wig. He has no sense of humor. Robespierre's henchman, Louis de Saint-Just played by Jess Barker, is a vicious man who takes delight in the pain of those he dislikes, and he seems to dislike everyone. Best of all is Joseph Fouche, the head of the secret police, a wily, amoral pragmatist with a sly sense of humor. He's played by Arnold Moss, a thin actor with a wonderful voice, baggy eyes and a proud nose. When we last see Fouche he is making the acquaintance of a young soldier from Corsica.

The movie seems to have been released in the U.S. as "Reign of Terror" but took on the name "The Black Book" for its U.K. release. This Alpha Video apparently was made from a U.K. print. As mentioned, the DVD is barely watchable. Still, it's all there is. If the price is right and you enjoy historical adventures with some first-rate villains, why not try it? There are no extras.

for more information click here

Great Story Which Should Be Viewed

Many of the existing reviews critical of the DVD transfer are
so negative that one doesn't want to view this material.Yet
the story is great and the acting good. It is a work of historical
fiction about the French Revolution-comparable in many ways to
A Tale of Two Cities (ignoring the transfer problems).If you like
this period,you should view this DVD.The transfer improves a bit
as you get into the body of the work. I did find the cover art
(picture of Arlene Dahl) a bit disappointing.

reviews: page 1, 2

products you might be interested in

recommendations

Robert Cummings: Hollywood's Forgotten Star
Anthony Mann: film noir on the cheap
Not Enough French Revolution Movies
The Films of Robert Cummings
Anthony Mann