Isle of the Dead

Summary

“You think I’m a cold man. Cold and brutal.”

Warner Bros. Archive Collection over the course of the last half decade has done an admirable job at preserving and releasing some notable films from the RKO Picture library. Of those pictures, some of the best loved by cinephiles are the films produced by Val Lewton. Lewton’s film career was brief but his legacy was cemented by how unique the moody black and white films that he produced were for their time. Cat People, The Leopard Man, The Body Snatchers, Isle of the Dead, Curse of the Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and Bedlam were all produced by Lewton in a short span of only ten years. He died at the relatively young age of forty six. His films are notable due to their ability to inspire the imagination of the viewers and due to Lewton’s ability to craft great films out of what would have just been low budget B-movies in less skilled hands. He worked with some of the most talented directors and editors of his time. Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise, and Mark Robson all worked underneath him. When I saw that Warner Archive was going to release the film Isle of the Dead – produced by Lewton and starring the inimitable Boris Karloff – I was excited to check it out as soon as possible.

Isle of the Dead begins in the year 1912 during the Balkan wars. General Pherides (Boris Karloff) is in his tent with his friend and companion Oliver Davis (Mark Cramer.) One of his platoon leaders enters the tent. He had failed in his goals. General Pherides hands the man a pistol to kill himself. The man exits the tent and a gunshot is heard. Davis is a reporter from America and he accuses the General – who everyone calls the “watchdog” – of being extremely cold. The General explains that he is not as cold as one might think and that he had a family once. While the General’s men are burying their dead from the conflict, the General invites the reporter to join him on a trip to an island where his wife is buried so he may lay some flowers on her resting place. The reporter agrees. They arrive at the island, but upon inspection, her crypt has been despoiled. When they hear a woman singing, they follow the voice and come upon a house. Inside the house are: Swiss archeologist Dr. Aubrecht (Jason Robards, Sr.,) and his Greek housekeeper Madame Kyra (Helene Thimig,) British diplomat Mr. Saint Aubyn (Alan Napier) and his sickly wife Mary (Katherine Emery,) her Greek caretaker Thea (Ellen Drew,) Dr. Drossos, and Englishman Andrew Robbins. As they all join each other for dinner, the superstitious Madame Kyra whispers that a vorvolaka is with them in the house in the form of Thea. A vorvolaka is a spiritual presence that drains the life essence of those around it. Robbins excuses himself from the dinner table as feeling unwell, and everyone believes he has taken too much drink. The next morning, they find that Robbins has died. The houseguests realize that the house may be under attack of a dreaded plague passed by fleas. They decide they must quarantine there until they are sure of their health. At the same time, they also fear that possibly Kyra could be right about her superstitions. This fear impacts the General more than he would care to admit, as he holds on to his hope that he can defeat the death spell that has fallen upon the house.

Like other Val Lewton films, the picture is much better than the title of the film would lead someone to believe. In this case, the idea for the setting and title of the film was spawned by a painting by Arnold Bocklin. The settings drew heavily on the influence of the actual painting in their design. The film is well paced and, like other Lewton productions, it has a very well developed atmosphere. The imminent threat of the plague for the quarantined guests is a feeling that all of us know a little too well, but the feeling of dread is brought about effectively by the picture. The film’s script by Ardel Wray has a few moments of the melodramatic, but for the most part gives plenty for the viewer to ponder. I love the way that the film intentionally tries to place superstition and science at odds while also reminding the viewers that there will always be circumstances beyond our control. The final sequences of the film even have a couple cleverly achieved jumpscares. I also enjoyed the Gothic themes of the film which involved catalepsy (in Edgar Allan Poe fashion) and the ways in which the film explored the myth of the vorvolaka.

Director Mark Hobson had worked with Lewton first as an editor on Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and The Leopard Man, before his turn in the director’s chair on the films The Ghost Ship, The Seventh Victim, and Youths Run Wild. Isle of the Dead was his fourth directorial effort for Lewton. The film is directed with confidence and the cinematography by Jack MacKenzie is well done. I have a penchant for well-shot black and white films, and Isle of the Dead scratched the itch. While the imagery is not as incredible as some of Lewton’s other films (which leaned on cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca,) the film still has enough melancholy to set itself apart from the standard films at the time.

Boris Karloff is the best actor in the cast, but his role is designed to allow him to support a well-cast ensemble. I enjoyed the performances of Mark Cramer, Helene Thimig, and Alan Napier. The more memorable performances in the film belong to Ellen Drew (as Thea,) Katherine Emery (as Mary St. Aubyn,) Jason Robards Sr. (as Albrecht,) and Ernst Deutsch (as Dr. Drossos.) There is not a bad member in the cast and they all do very well in their roles with Karloff holding the film together through his commanding presence. Karloff fans will be very pleased with his role as the Watchdog General Pherides.

Overall – Isle of the Dead is another enjoyable and unique film from producer Val Lewton. I am thankful that Warner Archive has given the film a chance to be seen on Blu-ray!

Video

Warner Bros. did a fantastic job on the transfer of the film using an MPEG 4 AVC codec of a new 4K restoration in gorgeous Black and White. It is absolutely crystal clear. While Jack MacKenzie is not quite as evocative as Lewton’s main cinematographer Nicholas Musuruka, there is plenty that MacKenzie gets right. The opening sequence which scrolls through a battlefield of soldiers burying their dead is particularly evocative. I also really like the way they incorporated ideas from the painting into the set design and lighting. Fans of the film should be very pleased with the meticulous attention to detail that this transfer has been given. Clarity and fine detail are perfect. This is yet another great example of the solid job that Warner Bros. are doing on their archival releases. I would say that this video transfer is deserving of the highest marks and is essentially a perfect presentation of the film.

Audio

Warner Bros. have provided a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that sounds good. As a mono mix front speakers are used for the entire mix. Clarity is solid. I did not detect any dropouts or overbearing hiss. This is not the most robust mix imaginable, but the score does benefit from the mix. I really thought the work that Warner put in on this track was pretty remarkable overall.

Supplements:

Commentary by Dr. Steve Haberman – this is an absolutely fantastic commentary track. Haberman has obviously done his homework and he discusses everything from early script drafts of the film to the painting which inspired the film. Fans of the film owe it to themselves to listen to this incredibly informative track.

Overall Scores:

Video – 5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 3/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Fans of Val Lewton’s filmography will certainly rejoice when they see the love and care that has gone into the beautiful new transfer of Isle of the Dead provided by Warner Archive. Isle of the Dead is an interesting film that blends elements of the supernatural with another threat that inspires fear and dread – pestilence. The performances in the film are all strong but Boris Karloff and Jason Robards Sr. in particular are enjoyable to watch onscreen. The Warner Archive release only features a theatrical trailer and a commentary track, but the commentary track is one of the best that I have listened to this year. Haberman is extremely informative and draws conclusions that all make good sense. Fans of Val Lewton will certainly want to add this release to their collection. Highly recommended.