World Noir Volume 3: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: France, 1947 (Not Guilty), West Germany, 1951 (The Lost One), Sweden, 1950 (Girl with Hyacinths)
Directors: Henri Decoin (Not Guilty), Peter Lorre (The Lost One), Hasse Ekman (Girl with Hyacinths)
Cast: Michel Simon, Jany Holt, Jean Wall, Georges Bréhat, Jean Debucourt, Henri Charrett, Robert Dalban (Not Guilty), Peter Lorre, Karl John, Helmuth Rudolph, Johanna Hofer, Renate Mannhardt, Eva Ingeborg Scholz, Lotte Rausch, Gisela Trowe (The Lost One), Eva Henning, Ulf Palme, Birgit Tengroth, Anders Ek, Gösta Cederlund, Karl-Arne Holmsten, Keve Hjelm, Marianne Löfgren, Björn Berglund, Anne-Marie Brunius, Gösta Gustafson, Sven-Eric Gamble, Sigbrit Molin, Gudrun Brost (Girl with Hyacinths)

Release Date: June 30th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 98 Minutes 51 Seconds (Not Guilty), 98 Minutes 51 Seconds (The Lost One), 89 Minutes 48 Seconds (Girl with Hyacinths)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Not Guilty, The Lost One, Girl with Hyacinths)
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono French (Not Guilty), LPCM Mono German (The Lost One), LPCM Mono Swedish (Girl with Hyacinths)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £37.49 (UK)

Not Guilty: "One night, in a drunken stupor, doctor Michel Ancelin (Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning, L’Atalante) causes a tragic road accident in a small countryside town. Thanks to his brilliant mind and medical know-how, he expertly covers his tracks. Relishing in his newfound self-confidence, Michel continues to weave a complex web of lies and cause havoc in the local community." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Lost One: "Working under an alias as a doctor for displaced persons, Dr. Karl Rothe (Peter Lorre, M, Casablanca) bumps into his former colleague Nowak (Karl John, The Devil's General); both are keeping a low profile, having worked on secret scientific research for the then-Nazi government. Nowak is curious about what happened to Rothe in the intervening years and, that night, Rothe recounts how his fiancée Inge Hermann (Renate Mannhardt, The Great Temptation) sold secrets to the Allies." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Girl with Hyacinths: "As a wild party rages on, loner Dagmar Brink (Eva Henning) plays the piano. A reveller requests a specific song. She stops abruptly. The next morning, the housekeeper finds Dagmar’s body hanging from the ceiling. Hearing what has happened, a curious neighbour - writer Anders Wikner (Ulf Palme) - gets to work investigating what led to such an event." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Not Guilty), 3.5/5 (The Lost One), 4.5/5 (Girl with Hyacinths)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Not Guilty was restored in 4K by TF1 with the participation of Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC). The Lost One was transferred in High-Definition by Filmjuwelen and Beta Film. Girl with Hyacinths was restored in 2K by the Swedish Film Institute. All three films were provided to Radiance Films as high-definition files and are presented with their original uncompresses PCM mono soundtracks."

Not Guilty comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.5 GB

Feature: 26.2 GB

The Lost One comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.3 GB

Feature: 27.1 GB

Girl with Hyacinths comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.7 GB

Feature: 26.3 GB

Not Guilty and The Lost One have some minor debris; the best-looking source is Girl with Hyacinths, while The Lost One is the worst-looking. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong; there are no issues with compression, and all of the transfers look organic.

Audio: 4.25/5 (Not Guilty, Girl with Hyacinths), 3.5/5 (Girl with Hyacinths)

Not Guilty comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles.

The Lost One comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in German with removable English subtitles.

Girl with Hyacinths comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Swedish with removable English subtitles.

The Lost One has some sibilance issues; the other two films are in better shape and do not have this issue. The audio tracks have clear dialogue, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for Not Guilty include reversible cover art, a poster gallery (4 images), an alternate ending (3 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival behind-the-scenes radio documentary, featuring comments by director Henri Decoin and actor Jany Holt (8 minutes 27 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an archival radio interview with actor Michel Simon titled An Actor, An Artist, A Man, Michel Simon (13 minutes 1 second, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), and a video essay by film critic Imogen Sara Smith titled The Perfect Crime: Henri Decoin and Not Guilty (25 minutes 25 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras for The Lost One include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 24 seconds, LPCM mono German with removable English subtitles), an interview with programmer and film historian Margaret Deriaz on German noir, its influence on and the legacy of The Lost One (18 minutes 44 seconds, LPCM stereo German with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic and historian Pamela Hutchinson on Peter Lorre and The Lost One (23 minutes 41 seconds, LPCM stereo German with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with film critic and programmer Tony Rayns.

Extras for The Lost One include reversible cover art, an archival TV documentary with filmmaker and actor Hasse Ekman, who discusses his career, titled Meeting with Hasse (63 minutes 47 seconds, LPCM stereo Swedish with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Julia Armfield titled Golden Streaks in My Blood: Seeing and Not Seeing in Girl with Hyacinths (11 minutes 28 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Peter Jilmstad.

Other extras include a removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 80-page perfect-bound booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Second Nature: Michel Simon, Actor written by Elena Lazic, an essay titled Hippocratic Hypocrites: Film Noir’s Love of Bad Doctors written by Martyn Waites, an essay titled Public Fascism and Private Bloodlust: Peter Lorre and The Lost One written by Farran Smith Nehme, an archival essay titled “A Nihilistic Fog’: Germany Reacts to The Lost One written by Stephen D. Youngkin, an essay titled The Necessity of Loneliness in Girl with Hyacinths written by Jourdain Searles, an archival essay titled Consumed by the World: Hasse Ekman’s Girl with Hyacinths written by Fredrik Gustafsson, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Not Guilty: When an alcoholic doctor accidentally kills a man, he alters the crime scene to throw the police in another direction. Feeling emboldened, he kills others, manipulating each crime scene and staying one step ahead of the law.

Henri Decoin directed Not Guilty. He’s known for Strangers in the House, Devil’s Daughter, Between Eleven and Midnight, and The Truth About Bebe Donge.

Not Guilty is a morality tale about taking accountability for one's actions. The culprit refuses to take responsibility for what he has done. Instead, he becomes reinvigorated by what he has done. He was lost and depressed before the event, which gave him purpose and a new outlook on life. He views himself as a god and sees murder as an art form, not a crime.

The opening setup does a phenomenal job laying the foundation for the events that follow. Though the narrative has all of the elements of a whodunit, the result is a much deeper film about human nature and self-preservation. That said, uncovering the killer and his crimes is not as important as understanding why the protagonist made the choices he did.

Though no performance is lacking, they all pale in comparison to Michel Simon's (Port of Shadows) portrayal of Michel Ancelin, an alcoholic doctor. He delivers an exceptional performance that perfectly captures his character's megalomania. Another performance of note is Jany Holt’s (Docteur Laennec) portrayal of Madeleine Bodin, Michel’s girlfriend. There is an intensity to her performance that perfectly complements Michel Simon's performance.

The area where No Guilty most excels is the kills and their cover-ups. Although the initial kill is more of an accident than premeditated, that does not lessen its impact. The subsequent kills are personal; they are people who have done the protagonist wrong.

The narrative is flawlessly constructed; it does a superb job building tension, and an exemplary finale provides one last twist. The visuals are filled with atmosphere, which reinforces the mood. That said, the tone of Not Guilty is bleak, and none of the characters are sympathetic. Ultimately, Not Guilty is an extraordinary film that quickly draws you in and will leave you speechless after its final image fades off screen.

The Lost One: A German scientist who killed his fiancée during World War II now lives under a new identity. He is currently working as a doctor, but his past resurfaces when a new colleague turns out to be one of his former associates.

The Lost One is the only film that Peter Lorre directed. Most known for portraying the protagonist in Fritz Lang’s M, he was an in-demand character actor in 1930s and 40s Hollywood. Notable films he appeared in as an actor are The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 version), Mad Love, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and Arsenic and Old Lace.

The Lost One is a film that draws from Germany’s recent past; as a German who fled after Hitler’s rise to power, it is easy to see why Peter Lorre would be interested in its making. The narrative explores Germany’s sins via the protagonist, a Nazi loyalist who used the chaos at the end of World War II to flee and assume a new identity. Although he shows signs of guilt for his past actions, his outward appearance has changed; however, his inner self remains unchanged.

Peter Lorre, like so many great actors, was a victim of his most notable role, and after portraying the protagonist in M, he would spend his career trying to expand beyond that type of character. He had a distinctive look because of his eyes, which play a significant role in The Lost One. There is a moment where a woman who survived an attack described the look in his eyes as the bringer of death. Peter Lorre's portrayal of Dr. Karl Neumeister, also known as Dr. Karl Rothe, is arguably one of his finest performances. When it comes to the rest of the performances, he is supported by a strong cast, all of whom excel in their respective roles.

The Lost One, tonewise and visually, fits firmly into film noir. It is unfortunate that Peter Lorre did not direct more films, as his direction is impressive, and he creates numerous visually striking moments. The most notable of these moments is when the protagonist murders his girlfriend; though it is mostly offscreen, he creates a perfectly crafted moment that’s overflowing with tension. Another strength of his direction is how he lets the characters be the focal point.

Despite its lack of box office success, The Lost One is a well-crafted film where everything falls into place seamlessly. The premise is executed effectively, and the narrative builds momentum beautifully toward an impressive finale. Another strength of the narrative is how effectively it uses flashbacks to flesh out the protagonist's backstory. Ultimately, The Lost One is an extraordinary film that exceeds the sum of its parts, and it has languished in obscurity for far too long.

Girl with Hyacinths: After a young woman takes her life, the couple next door, to whom she bequeathed her possessions, embarks on a journey to retrace her final moments and engage with those who knew her.

The opening setup, which builds to the shocking reveal of the protagonist's suicide, is a perfectly executed moment. Although there is no backstory provided, the protagonist's body language and a few brief dialogue exchanges clearly indicate that she is an unhappy person. That said, despite the foreshadowing, none of these elements diminish the impact of the revelation of her body hanging in her apartment.

The narrative uses a framing technique similar to that of Citizen Kane, where the protagonist's story is revealed through the memories of other characters. When the narrative shifts away from relying on characters’ memories, a neighbor character becomes interested in the deceased woman’s past, and these interactions occur in the present. What ultimately drives the narrative is the reason why she killed herself.

All around, the entire cast are excellent, and yet they are all overshadowed by Eva Henning’s (Thirst) portrayal of the protagonist, a woman named Dagmar Brink. Although Dagmar Brink is mainly portrayed through flashbacks, her character remains important, and her backstory is always captivating. Another noteworthy performance comes from Ulf Palme (Barabbas), who plays Anders Wikner, the neighbor intent on discovering the reasons behind Dagmar's suicide.

The narrative does an exemplary job laying out all of the essential details and building momentum to a finale that provides all of the answers. Another strength is the visuals; though they let the performances take center stage, there are several arresting moments, notably the protagonist's hanging corpse. Ultimately, Girl with Hyacinths is an extraordinary exploration of a lonely character who let her desperation consume her.

World Noir Volume 3 is an exceptional release from Radiance Films; all three films have never looked or sounded better, and there is a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Note: World Noir Volume 3 is limited to 3000 copies.

Written by Michael Den Boer