The Lady from Shanghai – Sony Pictures (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1947
Director: Orson Welles
Writer: Orson Welles
Cast: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders

Release Date: July 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono French, DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.49

"Hired to work on a yacht owned by the husband of femme fatale Elsa Bannister (Rita Hayworth), Michael O'Hara (Welles) is an innocent man drawn into a dangerous web of intrigue." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

The Lady from Shanghai comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 52.4 GB

Feature: 47.6 GB

The source is in excellent shape; this is easily the best this film has ever looked on home media. Image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in French and a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish. For this review, I only listened to the English language track. The audio is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range is very good. Included are removable French subtitles, removable Spanish subtitles and removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich titled A Conversation with Peter Bogdanovich (20 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Peter Bogdanovich, and a slipcover.

Summary:

Orson Welles' post-Citizen Kane Hollywood output is a collection of missed opportunities. Starting with The Magnificent Ambersons and followed by The Lady from Shanghai and Touch of Evil, these three films were greatly altered from Orson Welles' intended vision. Only The Stranger came out unscathed, since it was the only time Orson Welles played by the rules. Reportedly, The Lady from Shanghai's theatrical release version removes over one hour of footage; Orson Welles original rough cut clocks in at 155 minutes.

Against his better judgment, a man named Michael O'Hara reluctantly takes a job as a crew member on a wealthy lawyers' yacht. The lawyer's wife befriends O'Hara after a chance encounter, and they form a close bond from then on. What starts off as an idyllic trip at sea takes a sinister detour when O’Hara becomes entangled in a murder plot. Who chose him? Who set him up? Will he clear his name?

Even in its current version, The Lady from Shanghai is a thrilling cinematic experience that has several flourishes that are undeniably Orson Welles. And from its opening moments, The Lady from Shanghai does a phenomenal job pulling you into the web of deceit that's unfolding. The narrative's precise pacing does a superb job building towards a sensational finale. Another strength of the narrative is how well-defined the characters are.

Despite Orson Welles numerous clashes with Hollywood executives, he’s a filmmaker that actors were drawn to. That said, he never had an issue getting big Hollywood names to appear in his film. For his leading lady, he cast Rita Hayworth (Gilda), who was one of the biggest stars of 1940s Hollywood; she was also married to him at that time. And though Rita Hayworth delivers what is arguably her best performance, one cannot overlook how Orson Welles completely changed her iconic look. Besides cutting her hair, he had her dye it blonde, the color associated with the femme fatale.

Though there are a few secondary characters who play an integral role in the story that unfolds, there really are only four performances to speak of; besides Rita Hayworth, there is Orson Welles in the role of Michael O'Hara, Everett Sloane in the role of a lawyer named Arthur Bannister, and Glenn Anders in the role of Bannister’s business partner. Of these three performances, Glenn Anders shines brightest in his portrayal of a character who got a few screws loose.

Despite Orson Welles' knack for drawing out impressive performances, one cannot overlook his contributions to cinema when it comes to visuals. That said, The Lady from Shanghai, even in its current form, is overflowing with visually arresting moments. One moment that stands out takes place at an aquarium, and another of note is the Hall of Mirrors finale sequence. Another strength of the visuals is how Orson Welles uses extreme closeups to heighten the tension. Ultimately, The Lady from Shanghai is an extraordinary film about blackmail, betrayal, and deceit that is a must-see for fans of film Noir cinema.

The Lady from Shanghai makes its way to 4K UHD via an exceptional release from Sony; highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer