Nightmare Alley (DVD)

...Masters of Cinema DVD of Nightmare Alley. Masters of Cinema specialises in releasing premium quality editions of films which are among the best, although sometimes not the most appreciated or widely seen, in the world. Nightmare Alley was made in 1947 and hasn't been seen much since then, having never been released in a home format as far as I can tell. Now at last the film is available on DVD for everyone to enjoy.

'''The Film'''
...to think that people watching Nightmare Alley might be a little surprised and impressed by the film's dark tone, seedy setting and less sympathetic characters. There are still the tell-tale signs of restraint that were common at the time: the "hero" isn't allowed to profit overall from his actions, sex is implied rather than shown and the violence isn't emphasised. There is also a slightly upbeat ending that I'm not sure was originally ... more

Introduction

This review is of the Masters of Cinema DVD of Nightmare Alley. Masters of Cinema specialises in releasing premium quality editions of films which are among the best, although sometimes not the most appreciated or widely seen, in the world. Nightmare Alley was made in 1947 and hasn't been seen much since then, having never been released in a home format as far as I can tell. Now at last the film is available on DVD for everyone to enjoy.

The Film

Tyrone Power plays Stanton Carlisle a ruthless and ambitious carnival worker who learns that two of his colleagues, Pete and Zeena - a husband and wife team, were once famous for a mind-reading act based on a complex code known only to themselves. As Pete is now an alcoholic they no longer perform the act and are keeping the code secret in the hope of selling it sometime in the future (Zeena hopes to use the proceeds to have her husband treated). Stanton however tries to persuade Zeena to teach him the code in order that they can earn a continual wage from the act (although as always in the film he really only seems to be looking out for himself). Although Zeena decides at first not to teach Stanton the code she changes her mind after Pete dies. Stanton learns the code and hones his performing skills on the carnival crowds, taking the name "The Great Stanton". Shortly afterwards Stanton is forced to marry Molly, another carnival worker, in a shotgun wedding. He and Molly leave the carnival and take the act upmarket, performing in nightclubs and in front of more discerning crowds.

When Stanton hooks up with a crooked psychiatrist he talks her into revealing her patients' secrets in order to add more authenticity to his act, pretending that he can actually contact the dead. Stanton attempts to use this information to swindle an old man who is sceptical but desperately wants to believe that his lost love can make contact with him. Eventually greed gets the better of Stanton and he finds out that the psychiatrist might be more than a match for him. As more and more goes wrong for Stanton it's not clear how far he can fall and if anyone will be there to catch him!

If the story sounds a bit complicated, it probably is! But it's always interesting, not hard to follow, and is a common feature of film noir (which the film most resembles). The film itself is great and it's a real shame that it hasn't been seen more since it was made. The acting is great throughout, with Tyrone Power's central performance being especially good. Power takes to the role of the disreputable Stanton with obvious relish in an era where movie studios normally ensured that their stars were only seen in the most flattering light. The other actors are also good with Helen Walker standing out in particular as the sly, vamp-ish psychiatrist. Smaller roles are also well acted with the actor playing Pete excelling in what was a short but important role.

The darker tone of the film also helps keep the film feeling fresh to today's film fans. It's not something I agree with but many modern viewers reject older (in particular black and white) films as being more sentimental, slow, old-fashioned or boring. I'd like to think that people watching Nightmare Alley might be a little surprised and impressed by the film's dark tone, seedy setting and less sympathetic characters. There are still the tell-tale signs of restraint that were common at the time: the "hero" isn't allowed to profit overall from his actions, sex is implied rather than shown and the violence isn't emphasised. There is also a slightly upbeat ending that I'm not sure was originally intended. But none of these things detract much from the film, and the fact remains that the film was bolder than most at the time.

The DVD

Masters of Cinema are rightly praised for the quality of their DVDs, with every release aiming to feature the best transfers and restorations and widest selection of extras available to make their editions as definitive as possible. Nightmare Alley is no exception with a superb quality presentation of the film and a host of extras for film fans to delve deeper into the film's content and history.

Firstly the film looks and sounds amazing with an excellent high-definition transfer. I'm not the most savvy audio/video enthusiast but the quality was certainly noticeable, and welcome. There is a commentary available for people that enjoy them which is actually quite interesting. There is an introduction to the film by a film noir historian who also has a longer piece available where he goes into more detail. As usual the theatrical trailer is also present and English subtitles are available.

Finally Masters of Cinema include a booklet with every DVD they release. Sometimes they are small, sometimes large but they are almost always interesting. The Nightmare Alley book is not one of the longest at 24 pages but it contains an interesting essay on the film and some production stills. This printed material is further enhanced by the inclusion of the continuity and production scripts and music cue sheet all bing on the DVD in PDF format.

Conclusion

Overall if you're a fan of black-and-white films or film noir then Nightmare Alley shouldn't disappoint, and chances are you won't have seen it before (this DVD's been out a few years now but before that wasn't seen much at all). Even if you're not a fan of these types of film there's a good chance that you might be pleasantly surprised by Nightmare Alley. Either way it's a film (and DVD) that I'd recommend to anyone. 

...less