Deathtrap

Released by: Warner Archive
Released on: November 20, 2012.
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon
Year: 1982

The Movie:

The first of two inaugural Blu-ray releases from Warner Archive (the other being Gypsy), 1982's Deathtrap, directed by Sidney Lumet and based on the play by Ira Levin, the film begins when the latest Broadway play from scribe Sidney Bruhl (Michael Caine) turns out to be a flop. Sidney is understandably upset about this and is starting to wonder if he's lost his touch. When a manuscript from a former student of his named Clifford Anderson (Christopher Reeve) shows up with a note enclosed asking for input, Sidney sees the potential in the other writer's work and with the smell of money in the air, he starts trying to figure out how he can basically steal the work and claim it as his own - the obvious solution there is to murder the writer.

Sidney can't do this alone however; he's going to need some help. As such, he enlists the aid of his lovely wife, Myra (Dyan Cannon), who reluctantly agrees. The couple invite Anderson out to their rural home in Long Island for a visit where they learn that nobody else knows he's written this play - this seems almost too perfect. Of course, this isn't going to be easy and there is going to be twists and turns aplenty, particularly once Bruhl's odd German neighbor, Helga ten Dorp (Irene Worth), starts snooping around.

Is Deathtrap a perfect film? No, it's a little bit long for what it is and Irene Worth's character's merits aren't resolved until it's too late for her to matter much but it is a very entertaining film thanks to some sly direction and a very strong cast. The plot twists are clever without ever feeling like a work of novelty and the movie has enough style that, as stagey as it often is, it generally looks quite good. There are very clever framing devices used for certain characters throughout the movie worth paying attention to which go a long way towards making the finale more interesting than it would be otherwise.

Michael Caine is as charismatic and sly here as he's ever been, and it's hard to imagine anyone else doing a better job in a role like this than he. His back and forth with Cannon's unusually excitable (and noticeably younger) Myra is interesting while the relationship that exists on screen between he and Reeve's character is basically the backbone of the story. Reeve is just as slick as Caine is here, and while he's always be Superman to a lot of us, he's got the right mix of looks and charm to pull this off and make it look easy.

Offering up the right mix of suspense and dark comedy, the movie makes for a breezy, fun and enjoyable watch. It has a few pacing problems here and there but it works its way to a very satisfying conclusion.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Warner Archive presents Deathtrap on a pressed 25GB Blu-ray disc (not a burned on demand disc) framed at 1.78.1 widescreen and in full AVC encoded 1080p high definition. The film starts off with an intentionally cold look to it but once it heads out of the city it starts to warm up and the color reproduction reflects this shift in style quite nicely. Some minor print damage shows up here and there but fine grain is present throughout. Whatever clean up has been done here doesn't seem to have really harmed the film like texture most fans usually want to see on Blu-ray. Detail is nice in the close up shots and remains strong in medium and long distance shots as well. Black levels are pretty solid and there are no compression artifacts or obvious edge enhancement issues of note. All in all, the movie looks quite good here. Here's hoping the WAC program can keep up this level of quality.

The English language DTS-HD 2.0 Mono track is clean, clear and well balanced. There are some spots where it sounds a little flat by modern standards but you never get the impression that this is less than an accurate representation of how the movie is supposed to sound. The score sounds good, the dialogue is crisp and clear and easy to follow and there are no problems with any hiss or distortion to note. Optional English closed captioning is provided.

Outside of a static menu and chapter stops, the only extra on the disc is the film's theatrical trailer but that is at least presented in high definition, which is a nice touch.

The Final Word:

Deathtrap is a lot of fun, a good mix of some dark comedy and more traditional thriller elements performed by a strong cast and shot with just enough style to make you take notice. Warner Archive's Blu-ray release is light on extras but offers up the film in excellent shape and with good quality audio as well. All in all, a pretty strong release.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!