Released by: Troma/Roan
Relesaed on: 9/28/2004
Director: Vincent Sherman
Cast: Jeffrey Lynn, Philip Dorn, Kaaren Verne, Mona Maris
Year: 1941
The Move:
Vincent Sherman (at the time of this writing still going strong at 98 years old!) began his career on stage but soon made the transition to film actor, and then later served as a director, doing most of his work for Warner Brothers Studios. He was also quite renowned for rewriting much of the material he was given to work on. Underground is one of his earlier directorial efforts and as such it doesn't have an instantly recognizable cast but it proves to be a more than capable war drama/thriller in its own right.
Erik Franken (Philip Dorn) is the leader of an underground resistance movement set to stand up and fight back against the rise of fascism in Germany during the Second World War. He and some companions run an underground radio station that broadcasts the truth about the Nazi atrocities and ambitions to the people of Germany in the hopes that it will sway their seemingly blind obedience to Der Fuhrer. Trouble arises when Erik's brother Kurt (Jeffrey Lynn) loses an arm while serving in the German army and is sent back home where he and Erik definitely do not see eye to eye on the current political climate.
Kurt starts whistling a different tune however as soon the Gestapo have got his girlfriend Sylvia (Kaaren Verne) in on charges of treason when they suspect her of having ties to the radio station - a station that they are all too eager to squash for obvious reasons. Kurt agrees to tail his girlfriend and report her actions to the powers that be in hopes of proving her innocence, but soon he finds out that she really is involved with the radio station and he is forced to choose between his love for his country and his love for his girlfriend.
Highlighted by Martin Kosleck's portrayal of a Gestapo boss (he just exudes a sinister presence), Underground is a well-executed thriller filmed by American's before they were involved in the actual war against which the film is set against. While the film does touch on some of the atrocities we now know that the German army was responsible for while under Hitler's control, it all really plays second fiddle to the main storyline involving the bizarre love triangle of Kurt, Sylvia and the nation of Germany.
The stark black and white contrast and bold use of shadows give the movie a nice, almost nourish look that suits the atmosphere and storyline of secret operations and government police very well. The film benefits from the gritty and tense atmosphere that Sherman and company are able to create, as well as solid performances from pretty much all involved.
Video/Audio/Extras:
For a movie that is over sixty years old, Underground looks very good presented here on DVD in its original fullframe aspect ratio. The black and white picture suffers only mild print damage in the form of the occasional speck or dot on screen and the image is clean throughout. Some of the darker scenes don't look as sharp as they could but other than that, there's not a whole lot to complain about on this transfer.
Underground is presented in a Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono mix that accurately reflects the age of the film without sounding bad - by that I mean there's not much in the way of range in the mix but the dialogue is clear and easy to follow. There's some hiss present but it's very faint in the mix and almost inaudible unless you turn the volume up and while some of the louder scenes belie some distortion in the lower end, it's minor and only happens in a couple of spots. For the most part, this audio mix sounds fine.
As far as supplements go, Lloyd Kaufman rambles on for a few minutes leading into an interview with Vincent Sherman who goes into some detail regarding his blacklisting in the 1950s and how he feels about it in hindsight compared to how he felt when it was happening. A second interview with Sherman details his career as it changed from working as an actor to working as a director and how that changed things for him. Aside from the Sherman interview, there's a Troma Radiation March spot that feels sorely out of place, a brief text piece that documents some background information on Underground, and a trailer for Shark, starring my friend and yours, Burt Reynolds.
The Final Word:
Underground is a nice blend of intrigue and suspense set against a World War II backdrop. Some of it may seem dated but time hasn't diminished the overall look and feel that Sherman was able to create with a small cast and a small budget. The Troma/Roan DVD looks and sounds just fine and contains a couple of decent interviews with the director. Definitely worth seeing.
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