You Only Live Once – Imprint Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1937
Director: Fritz Lang
Writers: Gene Towne, Charles Graham Baker
Cast: Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Barton MacLane, Jean Dixon, William Gargan, Jerome Cowan, Chic Sale, Margaret Hamilton, Warren Hymer, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, John Wray

Release Date: July 28th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 56 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: M (Australia)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: AUD$39.95 (Australia)

"After a spell in prison, Eddie vainly attempts to gain acceptance in normal society. Only his wife seems to trust him. Wrongly accused of a crime, he kills a priest while trying to escape from the police. A manhunt begins…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray."

You Only Live Once comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.3 GB

Feature: 22.2 GB

This release uses the same source that ClassixFlix used for their 2017 Blu-ray release. Although some minor source debris remains, the source generally looks excellent. Image clarity is solid, contrast and black levels are strong, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced; that said, range-wise things sound limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a restoration comparison (5 minutes 12 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), You Only Live Once: Film Takes From a Film in the Making (10 minutes 38 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with George M. Wilson (24 minutes 52 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a career-spanning audio interview with Fritz Lang that focuses on his German films, recorded in 1962 at The National Film Theatre (83 minutes 57 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), and a slipcase.

Summary:

Fritz Lang directed You Only Live Once Notable films he directed include Der Müde Tod (Destiny), Metropolis, Spies, M, Scarlet Street, The Woman in the Window, and The Big Heat.

A public defender's secretary falls in love with a career criminal who is one felony away from life in prison. Now free, he tries to fit in, only to have his past derail any progress he’s able to make. Things come to a head when he’s wrongly accused and convicted of a bank robbery where six people were killed. Desperate, now on death row, he makes a daring prison escape, and while it is unfolding, it's revealed that he’s been pardoned. Jaded, he does not trust what he’s hearing; he kills a priest in his escape, starting the cycle all over again.

You Only Live Once is the second of three films Fritz Lang made with Sylvia Sidney. Like their first collaboration, Fury, You Only Live Once has many elements that foreshadow Film noir cinema. You Only Live Once puts an interesting twist on Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘wrong man’ premise; it sows seeds of doubt about his innocence while never fully exonerating him.

At the heart of You Only Live Once is a film about an ex-con struggling to fit into society after paying his debt. Despite his best efforts and the support he receives from a woman that he marries, he’s unable to remove the stigma of his past bad deeds. The opening setup does a superb job showing he’s a changed man who really wants to move on from the past, and it is clear that his love for his wife is what drives him. That said, the way in which Fritz Lang depicts the protagonists in these opening moments not only humanizes them, it also helps blur the line when it comes to their later deeds.

All of the performances are excellent, especially the two leads, Henry Fonda (Once Upon a Time in the West) in the role of an ex-con named Eddie Taylor and Sylvia Sidney (Sabotage) in the role of Joan Graham, the woman who falls in love with Eddie. Their characters have polar opposite outlooks; Eddie distrusts the system, making his outlook on most things negative, while Joan has a positive outlook and tries to find the good in everything. They have a strong onscreen chemistry, which enhances and makes the moments they share the most engaging.

Fritz Lang always delivers when it comes to the visuals; he knows how to deliver tense and visually arresting moments. The most striking moment in You Only Live Once is the armored car robbery sequence. The way he obscures the criminals' identities heightens this sequence. It is clear as this sequence begins that something terrible is about to happen. The criminals use the rain and tear gas to obscure eyesight and neutralize anyone who might impede them. Another sequence of note is Eddie’s escape from prison; this meticulously executed moment is a textbook example of Fritz Lang’s ability to create tense moments that resonate.

Though You Only Live Once is a story about a man burdened by his past, it is also a love story. It does not matter what he does or asks of her; Joan’s loyalty to Eddie is unwavering. Even when Eddie gives her an opportunity to leave, she refuses, wanting to be by his side no matter what dangers are ahead. Ultimately, You Only Live Once is an exemplary crime drama whose bleak finale serves as a perfect coda.

You Only Live Once gets a first release from Imprint Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a pair of insightful extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer