the prisoner phantom lady

As a rule of thumb, anything starring Alec Guinness is usually worth a watch; even a film as obscure as 1955's The Prisoner, an unapologetically stagey and political drama that features its fair share of scenery chewing. Based on the notorious show trial of a church official accused of treason by the Hungarian government, director Peter Glenville's production obscures the setting but keeps all the anti-Communist agenda intact. So much so that the film was banned from the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals to prevent any political turmoil.

A hero of the resistance and face of the church, The Cardinal (Guinness) is arrested mid-sermon and hauled before an interrogator (Jack Hawkins) whose psychological techniques have previously proven successful in forcing false "confessions" by those who challenge the authority of the State. As the two match wits, the power struggle causes an unexpected transference of sympathies, leaving both men in a compromised situation with consequences both personal and political.

The Prisoner serves as an ironic precursor to The Bridge on the River Kwai - also starring Guinness and Hawkins - but is singularly insular in approach. Based on a play by Bridget Boland, there are a few cringe worthy moments where each actor plays to the cheap seats, milking the melodrama with more effort than cinematic audiences require. But few men besides Guinness could have pulled off The Cardinal's cold, arrogant dignity and remain sympathetic. Even if the film's ripped-from-the-headlines subject matter has faded into quiet obscurity, there remains an urgent honesty to its performances that hasn't suffered one bit.

Arrow Academy's Blu-Ray presentation is more than visually up to snuff and includes a video appreciation by Neil Sinyard, select scene commentary by Philip Kemp, collector's booklet and gorgeous new cover art.

Following up his rather uneventful entry in the Universal horror series - Son of Dracula - director Robert Siodmack would slip back into the noir thriller genre he was best known for with The Phantom Lady (1944), based on a novel by acclaimed crime writer Cornell Woolrich. With tag team protagonists and a psychologically complex plot, there's much more going on here than in your average B-movie potboiler.

After spending the night on the town with a mysterious woman, Scott Henderson (Alan Curtis) returns to find his wife has been murdered with one of his own neckties. Quick to point out his alibi, Henderson is shocked when none of the witnesses can recall seeing a woman with him at all...sending him on the fast track to death row! His only defender is employee Carol Richman (Ella Raines) who, together with Henderson's longtime friend (top-billed Franchot Tone), sets out to see just how deep the conspiracy goes.

The Phantom Lady has it all: a great concept, stylish execution and slippery plot twists that keep you guessing. The performances are muted and naturalistic without any of the hand wringing that usually betrays a rushed production. The film gives equal weight to Raines role as a female amateur sleuth, dodging any damsel in distress clichés, even though the script makes mental illness a convenient scapegoat. But it's Siodmack's clever direction - often leaning towards the downright experimental - that makes the biggest impression, dripping with expressionistic lighting and creative camera angles and disconcerting edits. Carol's undercover investigation that ends up in a smoky backroom jazz club is as visually ingenious as anything in Orson Welles' oeuvre. While the film's happy ending tries to reassure us that all is once again right in the world, the first 85 minutes suggest otherwise.

Arrow Academy's Blu-ray presentation is an absolutely glorious in black-and-white transfer, with a few instances of film damage popping up here and there; clarity overall however is honestly just stunning. Extras include a Film Noir documentary, hour-long radio dramatization, stills and promotional material and collector's booklet with new writing on the film.