Brighton Rock

[ravenus]

My opinion of the film and blu-ray:

Based on a novel by Graham Greene (that I haven't read), Brighton Rock deals with the attempts of a small time gangster Pinkie (a brilliant edgy performance from Richard Attenborough, looking nothing like the man later known for his syrupy biopics and his Santa Claus type roles) to cover up his murder of a stoolie, while a bigger mafioso is tightening his screws and a suspicious old woman is investigating the circumstances of the dead man's "accident". As a friend who was watching the movie with me remarked, the depiction of the psychotic Pinkie is more effective than the jibber-jabber psycho stereotype popularized by Joe Pesci. The movie is briskly paced, with some excellent visual compositions and well-acted by the major players.

The blu-ray is presentation is solid if not in the same league as top-tier presentations from Criterion / Eureka. Print damage is more frequent and detail could be better but it is quite acceptable. Sound (LPCM mono 2.0) is fine, considering the age and limitations of the source. Extras include a couple of interviews