NOTE : The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Criterion bring Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd to a new Blu-ray edition. This restored 4K digital transfer is on a dual-layered Blu-ray in 1080P with a max'ed-out bitrate looks impressive. It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio (where the Warner DVD was 1.78:1). Grain is not abundant in the HD transfer but there is consistent texture and the contrast is pleasing producing a solid representation of the film in-motion..



The Blu-ray audio's transferred via a linear PCM (24-bit). The film is notable for a score written by Tom Glazer and songs performed by Andy Griffith such as Free Man in the Morning, the Vitajex Jingle, Just Plain Folks, Old Fashioned Marriage, Mama Guitar etc. which sound authentically flat but crisp. The audio quality is decent and dialogue is clear and audible. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles on this Region 'A' Blu-ray .



Supplements include a 2005 documentary, Facing the Past, with actors Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, and Anthony Franciosa; screenwriter Budd Schulberg; and film scholars Leo Braudy and Jeff Young discussing A Face in the Crowd for shy of 1/2 hour. Face in the Crowd was Andy Griffith's first film role; he would go on to be most famous for his folksy portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor on television's The Andy Griffith Show. In the included 20-minute interview, shot by the Criterion Collection in 2018, Griffith expert Evan Dalton Smith discusses the actor's difficulties with the role of Lonesome Rhodes, and how it led to his career-defining television show. There is also a new interview with, Ron Briley, author of The Ambivalent Legacy of Elia Kazan: The Politics of the Post-HUAC Films, who discusses the origins of the Lonesome Rhodes character in the biographies of populist celebrities such as Will Rogers and Arthur Godfrey. He also addresses the political implications of A Face in the Crowd within the context of Kazan's career. It runs 20-minutes. There is a trailer froe the film and the package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic April Wolfe, excerpts from director Elia Kazan’s introduction to the film’s published screenplay, and a 1957 New York Times Magazine profile of Griffith.



A Face in the Crowd is a superb film on many fronts. It's funny, probing, well-ahead of it's time, satirical and brilliantly acted and directed. The Blu-ray transfer is at Criterion top-shelf level and, as far as I am concerned - this is a 'must-own'. A superior film and BD effort - buy with extreme confidence!

***

Never being a strong Kazan fan, this film was new to me, but I enjoyed it quite a lot (especially as I have always had a crush on Patricia Neal!). The 30 minute documentary "Facing the Past" is an adequate replacement for a commentary with quite a few talking heads and clips from the film. The image quality of the feature is very strong with piercing blacks and good detail.

NOTE: This Disc is only encoded for Region 1 and there is only the original English soundtrack.