Out of the Past: The Film Noir Classic Celebrates Nearly 80 Years with a 4K Upgrade (4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

When Jacques Tourneur's "Out of the Past" was first released in 1947, it received respectable reviews and even turned a fine profit for RKO Pictures, though it was also dismissed by many as being just another standard detective melodrama, one that was overly-violent and had a confusing, convoluted plot. However, decades later, the film was reappraised as the film noir genre became more established, leading to it being declared one of the very best examples of its type. Nowadays, it's hailed as a masterpiece by many, and was even inducted into the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1991 as a significant American motion picture.

As the film quickly approaches its 80th anniversary next year, Warner Bros. is celebrating by giving the film a marvelous 4K upgrade that has it looking the best it ever has, so now it's time for us to revisit this highly-acclaimed noir outing to see how well it holds up eight decades later. Is it truly deserving of the title "masterpiece," or have critics perhaps gone just a little overboard with their praise for this classic melodrama?

The film starts with Joe Stefanos (Paul Valentine) tracking down gas station owner Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) so that he can settle some unfinished business with gambler Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas). Jeff's girlfriend Ann (Virginia Huston) comes along with him for the ride, during which he tells her all about his past (including the fact that his real last name is Markham). We learn that he used to be a private eye in New York City and was partners with a man named Jack Fisher (Steve Brodie). Whit had hired Jeff to track down his girlfriend, Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), who had shot him and stole $40,000. However, when Jeff finds her in Acapulco, they start up a romantic relationship, leading him to lie about his progress to Whit. As careful as they are, Jeff's partner Joe is eventually able to track them to a mountain cabin, where Kathie shoots him and flees the scene.

Picking up in present day, Jeff arrives at Whit's home, where he runs into Kathie, who has returned as Whit's lover, having told him about their time together, but not about Fisher's murder. He then meets with Whit, who forces him into a job involving the recovery of some incriminating papers that prove Whit's guilt in tax evasion. It seems like a simple enough job to recover the papers, but soon he finds himself involved with more murder, double-crosses, and a situation that's far more complicated than he initially thought.

It's been nearly 20 years since the first and only time I've seen Tourneur's film noir classic, and my vague recollection is that it was a fine example of its genre, but nothing that truly bowled me over. It was twisty, had some good performances, but in the end, I had basically felt like most of the critics who saw it back in 1947. Watching it again nearly two decades later, I find that my initial impression hasn't changed all that much. The film's story is interesting enough, though perhaps a little too twisted for its own good. Indeed, there are certain characters within that flip-flop so much, you end up being surprised that they don't make themselves dizzy as they try to decide what side they ultimately want to be on.

The twists & turns of its mildly convoluted plot do keep it moving along well enough as you wait to see who is going to going to come out on top in the end, but as mentioned earlier, the film is not just a detective noir, but also a melodrama, an aspect that they certainly lay on thick at times. It's an element that typically doesn't help a whole lot in regards to strengthening a film's emotional stakes, in fact, it usually does quite the opposite, making the romantic entanglements a little weaker than they should be. That said, Robert Mitchum & Jane Greer are able to play through the cheesier material to deliver some pretty strong performances, in turn making up for the melodramatic shortcomings of the screenplay (which was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring from his own novel "Build My Gallows High").

On the topic of performances, you also have to hand it to the great Kirk Douglas. This was a very early performance of his, well before such greats as "Ace in the Hole," "Paths of Glory," and "Spartacus," but even so, he shows his remarkable talent playing a pretty smooth gangster of sorts. There are those who say that his big breakout role was "Midge Kelly" just two years later, but there's little doubt that playing Whit Sterling helped bring him to the attention of many folks in the business, as well as in the audience.

By the time all the double-crossing is done, and the bodies are added up, the aforementioned impression pretty much stands unchanged. It's a fine example of the film noir genre, giving you a suitably dark, compelling, romantic tale, but there are a few things holding it back from being as captivating as it could be. However, some excellent performances help offset most of those weaknesses, overall balancing it out to a decent detective story that keeps you holding on for its rather brief 90-ish minute runtime. It may not be a "masterpiece" exactly, but there's more than enough here to recommend giving it a spin as it sits on the cusp of celebrating 80 years.

Video/Audio:

"Out of the Past" comes to 4K in a 1.37:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of outstanding quality, featuring a beautifully restored image from the original camera negative that perfectly highlights its gorgeous noir imagery. Likewise, the 2.0 Mono DTS-HD Master Audio track is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue & music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's new upgrade.

Special Features:

Commentary with Film Noir Author/Specialist James Ursini

Introduction by Turner Classic Movies Noir Alley Host Eddie Muller (5 Minutes)

Radio Shows Featuring Robert Mitchum:

We Were Expecting You at Dakar (30 Minutes)

Death at Live Oak (30 Minutes)

The Story of Markham's Death (30 Minutes)

Community Property (30 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Jacques Tourneur's "Out of the Past" features a suitably dark, compelling, and romantic tale, one that may be a little too twisted for its own good and be a bit over-melodramatic, but with strong performances that help offset these weaknesses and a fine detective story that keeps you hanging on, it ultimately makes for a fine film noir that's worth revisiting or checking out for the first time as it celebrates nearly 80 years with its 4K debut.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on 4K/Blu-ray starting today.

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