So Dark the Night

Summary

I have recently been working my way through the recent Blu-ray releases of director Joseph H. Lewis’s films. I started with the incredible Gun Crazy. Then I watched I am Julia Ross with plans to follow it up with So Dark the Night. So Dark the Night is a really interesting film and very different from the other two films in tone. It demonstrates the range that Joseph H. Lewis was capable of displaying, even in a single film! Without further ado – let’s talk about it. 

A famous Parisian detective, Henri Cassin (Steven Geray,) takes a vacation to the quaint French countryside town of St. Margot. Arriving at the inn, his stature precedes his arrival. He becomes the talk of the local inn and meets the innkeepers Pierre and Mama. Their daughter Nanette (Micheline Cheirel) delivers a bottle of wine to his room and they become smitten with one another. Despite the obvious age difference, her being a girl and him much older, they fall for one another and he plans to take her to Paris. There is a conflict of interest because Nanette is engaged to the dark and brooding local boy Leon Achard. When Nanette’s parents and the maid see her kissing Henri outside the window of the inn, a series of events unfolds. Her father tells Henri he believes him to be too old to marry. Leon warns that wherever the couple goes he will follow them and win her back – make love to her whenever possible. Nanette runs off to speak to Leon and does not return that night. For the next week nobody hears from Leon or Nanette. A hunchback (Brother Theodore) delivers the news to Henri that Nanette’s body was found near the bridge. The detective takes on the case, vowing to bring justice to the man who killed her.

So Dark the Night is the third film by Joseph H. Lewis to be released by Arrow Films. While I don’t like it quite as well as Gun Crazy, I enjoyed it just slightly more than My Name is Julia Ross. The film has a tonal change in the second half that makes the film. The first half of the film is lighthearted and the second half of the film becomes darker and darker until the climax. For this reason, the movie becomes a memorable experience for the audience. Unlike My Name is Julia Ross, this film is not in a feminine voice. It is also not like the gleeful crime yarn Gun Crazy, although it does have some noir elements. It shows how varied the output of Joseph H. Lewis was and despite my initial hesitations I had about the film’s cheerful first half, the second half won me over.

I don’t want to spoil anything for you but this movie is slightly ahead of its time in some of its ideas. When you watch the film it will be obvious what films used a similar premise later down the road. This film has a decidedly non-traditional take on noir due to the rural location that works well and helps to differentiate the film from the other film noir movies of the time.

Overall, So Dark the Night has a slow beginning but the latter half of the film is memorable and enjoyable. Recommended.

Video

The transfer provided to Arrow Video by Sony looks great. Here is what the booklet details:

“So Dark the Night is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1 [sic] with mono audio. The film was transferred in High Definition and supplied to Arrow Films by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.“

With the transfer appearing in 1.34.1, there will be some bars on both sides of the screen on most televisions. The video transfer comes from a 2K scan done by Sony and similar to their work on My Name is Julia Ross it looks great. Sony is amazing at film restoration and is notorious for their diligence in quality control. Fine detail is very good. Gray and black levels are pleasing. Fans will be pleased to know that this is undoubtedly the best the film has ever looked.

Audio

The LPCM 2.0 mono track that Sony provided to Arrow sounds pretty good. Dialogue is clear and though there is some hiss it was not distracting or pervasive. This track will not blow anybody away, but I think that fans will be pleased with the results overall. 

Supplements:

• Commentary – Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme discuss the film at length. While interesting, this commentary felt a little bit droll at times. There is a big difference in voice between the two commentators that may have made me feel this way. 
• A Dark Place: Joseph H. Lewis – Imogen Sara Smith, author of In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, discusses the differences between So Dark the Night and traditional noir films. I really enjoyed this piece.
• Theatrical Trailer  

Overall scores

Video – 4.5/5 

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 3.5/5

Overall – 4/5

So Dark the Night is an interesting film. It has some noir motifs but is distinctly its own film. The sunny beginnings lead to darker ends and make the film memorable and worth checking out. While this film is not quite up to the level of Gun Crazy, there is still a lot to enjoy. Joseph H. Lewis fans will want to pick up a copy and newcomers will find a lot to enjoy. Arrow have provided two interesting supplements (even though the commentary is a little dry for my taste) and the transfer by Sony is of very high quality. Recommended.

This review originally appeared on Blu-ray Authority.