I’m taking a look at a film noir crime classic The Big Heat from director Fritz Lang. It stars Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. This one came out on Blu-ray/DVD back in 2017 by Powerhouse Films and is currently only available via their own site at the time of writing. Is it worth a purchase if you can locate a copy? Let’s take a look, so without further ado here’s my The Big Heat blu-ray review.
- The Big Heat (1953)
- Genre: Film Noir / Crime Thriller
- Directed by Fritz Lang
- UK Rating 15
- Discs: 2 (Bluray & DVD)
- Released By Powerhouse Films aka Indicator
- Blu-ray Released: 27 March 2017
Plot
Homicide detective Sergeant Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) is called in to investigate the suicide of officer, Tom Duncan. As he delves deeper into the case he discovers a trail of corruption.
Style / Direction
The films directed by Fritz Lang with the cinematography coming from Charles Lang. Lang produces a extemely stylish looking film which is made black and white.
Acting / Characters
Glenn Ford plays the straight no-nonsense cop that is only interested in uncovering the truth even if that puts his own family in the firing line. He does this well enough as we see his world falls apart around him.
Meanwhile Gloria Grahame takes on the role of Debby Marsh, a woman that mixes with wrong sort of guys. In fact that man is Vince Stone played by the excellent Lee Marvin. This isn’t Gloria Grahame’s best role but she certainly does a good job with character she’s given.
Cast
- Glenn Ford as Dave Bannion
- Gloria Grahame as Debby Marsh
- Jocelyn Brando as Katie Bannion
- Alexander Scourby as Mike Lagana
- Lee Marvin as Vince Stone
- Jeanette Nolan as Bertha Duncan
- Peter Whitney as Tierney
- Willis Bouchey as Lt. Ted Wilks
- Robert Burton as Gus Burke
- Adam Williams as Larry Gordon
- Howard Wendell as Commissioner Higgins
Conclusion: The Big Heat (1953) Film Review
There’s little doubt in my mind The Big Heat is indeed a classic film and one you ensure you watch at some point. Put simply it has a compelling story, excellent cast and director that really know how to tell a good crime thriller story.
If you enjoyed my The Big Heat blu-ray review so far you may want to check out the following films:
Conclusion: The Big Heat Blu-ray Review
This older Powerhouse Films / Indicator release comes with both Bluray and DVD included. The picture quality is excellent with no marks anywhere to be found. Overall the image is clean and sharp making watching this classic an absolute pleasure.
Just take a look at the extras listed below and you will realise they are well worth a watch. I found all of them to be thoroughly interesting.
If you can locate a copy of this release I’d grab it while you can.
Extras
- Audio Commentary by film historians Lemb Dobbs, Julie Kirgo & Nick Redman
- Tony Rayns on Fritz Lang & The Big Heat (34 mins)
- Martin Scorsese on The Big Heat (6 mins)
- Michael Mann on The Big Heat (11 mins)
- Isolated Score
- Image Gallery
- Original Theatrical Trailer
Popcorn Cinema Rating: The Big Heat (1953)
MOVIE RATING: MUST SEE
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
Amazon UK Links
The Big Heat (1953) blu-ray is out now.
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The Big Heat (1953) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my The Big Heat blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review more classic film noir movies soon. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: The Big Heat (1953) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Big Heat (1953)
Duration: 90 mins
Director(s): Fritz Lang
Actor(s): Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin, Jocelyn Brando
Genre: Thriller
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A classic Fritz Lang film that now has perfect picture quality making it a pleasure to experience on blu-ray
