Dvd Torn Curtain

Late Hitchcock spy thriller that is nowhere near as bad as its reputation as “one of Hitchcock’s worst” would lead you to believe. Although Hitchcock would have been better served to discontinue use of rear projection shots (they are distracting and, quite frankly, silly and cheap looking,) Torn Curtain does contain a few wonderful scenes. Look out for the show stealing performance by Wolfgang Kieling as Gromek, Newman’s designated body guard in East Germany. Aside from inherent elements of the film such as the aforementioned rear projection shots and Hitchcock's use of soft focus, this blu-ray disc earns passing marks for its video and audio. While not among the highlights of a glorious career, Torn Curtain is recommended.

Newman did his best despite a contentious relationship with Hitchcock, and Torn Curtain 's second act is a solid film in its own right. It's what comes before and after -- a dull, rote spy thriller -- that spoils things. Universal's Blu-ray edition is far more satisfying at least. It offers one of the more refined AV presentations in the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection box set (thanks to an excellent video transfer and impressive DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track) and it has a small but respectable supplemental package to boot. Ultimately, Torn Curtain will mainly be remembered for its Armstrong-v-Gromek pursuit and showdown. The rest of the movie underwhelms.