Plot: What’s it about?
Since this movie uses a series of flashbacks (and even flashbacks inside flashbacks) to tell the story, I find myself stuck as to how I will describe the plotline. So if my synopsis seems lame, trust me when I say the movie isn’t. The film takes root in one event, then spiderwebs into many other elements which creates a complex system of subplots. Joe Adams (Henry Fonda) has just killed a man inside his third-floor apartment and it seems as though he is stuck there. His victim is the well dressed Maximilian (Vincent Price), who is as mysterious as the circumstances around his murder. Joe soon begins to drift into memories and recalls some details that perhaps can shed some light on how he arrived at this point in his life. As Joe remembers several aspects of his life, we meet his loves and enemies as well as seeing some twists and turns that led right to his apartment on this night. Out of all the memories and such, just what pulled Joe into this extreme situation where he would murder another man?
If you’re in the mood for an atmospheric film noir, you’re going to be hard pressed to find one better than The Long Night. This one sports an impressive cast (which I will of course discuss more later on), an excellent storyline, and an intense and effective visual atmosphere. When you take all these elements and mix them together, you’ve got a movie that no film noir fan can afford to miss, whether they’re die-hard or casual followers of the genre. This film seems to have been lost for some time, but Kino has reissued it now as part of their noir collection which genre fans will certainly appreciate. The elements used for this release are very good, but suffer from some problems which Kino offers a disclaimer for. It is clear Kino has done the best they could with the materials, which is more than enough to make me happy. As for the film itself I think fans of mysteries and noirs will find a lot to like and I love the flashback style of storytelling used here. I recommend this release to all fans of thriller/mystery/noir and with an overall solid disc, you’re safe whether you choose to purchase or rent.
This film was directed by Anatole Litvak, who has directed several solid movies in his career though none as impressive as this one. Litvak was by no means a noir director by fashion, so his success here is due to many other factors also. But he does manage to pull some tremendous performances from his cast, including an amazing turn from Henry Fonda. While others involved also contributed much to this film, it is Litvak who was able to string it all together into this classic example of outstanding film noir. If you want to see more of Litvak’s films I recommend Anastasia (1956), Sorry Wrong Number, The Journey, and The Deep Blue Sea. The visuals in this movie are cramped and claustrophobic, which is exactly how they should be. This is thanks to director of photography Sol Polito, who conjures up the perfect atmosphere for the characters and events of this film. The lead in this film is Henry Fonda, who turns in one of the most impressive performances of his career. Fonda (The Longest Day, 12 Angry Men) had many wonderful turns over his career, but this one stands as one of my favorites due to the subtle and powerful nature of the character. The rest of the cast includes Vincent Price (Edward Scissorhands, The Raven), Ann Dvorak (The Gangs Of New York), Moroni Olsen (The Fountainhead), and Barbara Bel Geddes (Vertigo).
Video: How does it look?
The Long Night is presented in a full frame transfer, which retains the original aspect ratio of the film. This visual presentation looks terrific and I was surprised with how good the source print looks after all these years. Some flecks and nicks emerge, but nothing extreme or distracting. This is a black & white film, so contrast is the main element in making or breaking the transfer. This transfer handles it well, but some scenes look a mite dark though this could be intentional. I couldn’t find much to complain about here, given that the movie is well over fifty years old.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release contains the original mono track and while some problems emerge, the audio still comes through in fine form. Due to the condition of the existing materials, some inconsistencies emerge but Kino has placed a warning sticker on the package to forewarn buyers. The problems seemed minimal to me, but perhaps some of you will find more distracting than I did. The music sounds rich and doesn’t show much distortion, while sound effects come across loud and clear also. The dialogue also sound wonderful and never displays volume or separation issues.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes a terrific essay on the film, which includes informative text as well as stills and clips from the film to help put the words into perspective. A nice gallery of still photos is also included, which contains some interesting promotional materials also. Two clips from Le Jour Se Leve, the French film on which this movie was based are also jammed onto this disc.
