The Big Heat – Indicator Series (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1953
Director: Fritz Lang
Writer: Sydney Boehm
Cast: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby, Lee Marvin, Jeanette Nolan, Carolyn Jones

Release Date: May 25th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £8.99 (UK)

"Fritz Lang’s iconic film noir masterpiece is an uncompromising exploration of corruption and violence at the dark heart of small-town America. Glenn Ford is the good cop in a bad town, who single-handedly takes on local mobsters headed by Alexander Scourby and his psychotic right-hand man Lee Marvin." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition remaster."

The Big Heat comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.8 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

The source looks excellent; this is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong throughout, compression is solid, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (38 images - stills/posters), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 43 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an option to listen to an isolated score track, an archival extra titled Michael Mann on The Big Heat (10 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival extra titled Martin Scorsese on The Big Heat (5 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an appreciation film historian Tony Rayns who discusses Fritz Lang and The Big Heat (33 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman.

Summary:

Fritz Lang directed The Big Heat, known for his other films: Der Müde Tod (Destiny), Metropolis, Spies, M, Scarlet Street, and The Woman in the Window.

A homicide detective decides to investigate a cop's suicide as a murder. And when he refuses to let the case die, he receives death threats. His life's turned upside down when he gets too close to the truth; his wife is murdered in a car bomb that was meant for him. The detective turns in his badge when it becomes clear someone powerful is standing in his way. Now more determined, he turns to vigilante justice in his quest for the truth.

Throughout his career, Fritz Lang was a filmmaker who was ahead of his time. His films consistently challenged the boundaries of on-screen content. Though there are bleak moments in Fritz Lang’s other Film noir’s, one would be hard pressed to name a more in your face than the opening of The Big Heat. A man sits at his desk with a gun. He places it against his head and pulls the trigger as the camera pulls away. In films made in the 1950s, this opening sequence ventures to a dark place where few films from that era dared to go.

Film noir, like all genres, has its tropes and set of scenarios, which most of its films draw from. Despite having the core elements that are essential to Film noir cinema, what makes The Big Heat stand out is its scenario. Though things start off as a police procedural, it eventually transforms into a story about a vigilante cop, with the protagonist's wife’s death being the driving force in his quest for vengeance.

Something that you can always count on when it comes to Film noir cinema are their solid casts. The Big Heat has a phenomenal cast who are all excellent in the roles, especially Glenn Ford’s (Gilda) portrayal of Dave Bannion, a former detective turned vigilante. He delivers a pitch-perfect performance of a man pushed to the edge. Other notable performances are Lee Marvin's (The Killers - 1964) portrayal of Vince Stone, a crime boss's right-hand man, and Gloria Grahame’s (Human Desire) portrayal of Vince’s girlfriend.

Besides the aforementioned opening sequence, there are a few memorable moments. One moment that stands out is a jarring car bomb sequence. When this scene begins, a father is calmly talking to his daughter, then the room shakes. There are also a few scenes that showcase Vince’s temper; in one of these he handles a woman at a bar, and in the other he throws hot coffee in his girlfriend's face, permanently scaring her.

From a production standpoint, The Big Heat is a film where Fritz Lang is at the top of his game; his direction is flawless. The narrative paces itself perfectly, builds momentum effectively, and is filled with tension. The Film noir visuals are striking and overflowing with atmosphere. Ultimately, for a filmmaker who made several undeniable film noir classics, The Big Heat is arguably Fritz Lang’s definitive contribution to the genre.

The Big Heat gets an excellent release from Powerhouse Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer