T-Men Blu-ray Review
Special Edition
Score: 76
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
T-Men's plot may be pedestrian, but its dynamic presentation and ClassicFlix's exceptional Blu-ray transfer elevate it to a highly recommended release.
Disc Release Date
Video: 84
T-Men's Blu-ray, featuring an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1, showcases a remarkable restoration with deep blacks, excellent grayscale, and minimal artifacts. The high contrast cinematography is captured beautifully, offering a clean and pristine viewing experience.
Audio: 74
The LPCM 2.0 mono track on 'T-Men' delivers clear, well-blended dialogue and narration, with minor shortcomings in sound effects and music cues, yet overall offers a crisp, responsive, and artifact-free audio experience.
Extra: 66
The Blu-ray extras of 'T-Men' deliver an engaging exploration of the film with Alan K. Rode's informative commentary, insightful segments on Mann's partnerships and cinematography, personal reflections from Nina Mann, and a comprehensive 24-page booklet featuring an excellent essay by Max Alvarez and rich production stills.
Movie: 76
T-Men impresses with Anthony Mann's tight direction and John Alton's evocative cinematography, blending noir aesthetics with documentary elements, delivering suspense through its meticulous portrayal of undercover treasury agents amidst compelling visual storytelling, despite a somewhat predictable plot and bland protagonists.
Video: 84
The Blu-ray presentation of "T-Men" from ClassicFlix offers an impressive visual experience. The film has been transferred in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio using the AVC codec, ensuring the preservation of its classic look. Derived from the British Film Institute archive, this 1080p transfer is a testament to months of meticulous restoration work. John Alton's high-contrast cinematography is showcased magnificently, with deep, solid blacks and a well-modulated gray scale that adds depth to the visual composition. Despite minor variations in clarity and sharpness, the grain structure remains consistently organic, contributing to an authentic filmic texture.
Notably, the grayscale rendition is extraordinary, providing an exceptional level of detail even in the most shadowed scenes. This is particularly evident in the way facial features and elements emerge dynamically from the shadows. The transfer is virtually free of age-related wear and artifacts, offering a pristine and clean viewing experience. The contrast levels have been handled masterfully, rendering the images with a majestic quality that enhances the overall noir ambiance of the film. The video has been segmented into 27 chapters, facilitating navigation without disrupting the visual flow.
Overall, "T-Men" on Blu-ray is a stellar visual presentation that elevates the viewing experience. ClassicFlix's dedication to high-quality restorations shines through, making this release a must-have for aficionados of classic cinema and noir enthusiasts alike.
Audio: 74
The Blu-ray audio presentation of "T-Men" offers a commendable LPCM 2.0 mono track that effectively highlights Reed Hadley's iconic narration. This track maintains clarity and precision, delivering dialogue without any issues and ensuring enjoyable listening throughout. Although there is a slightly anemic quality to some sound effects such as gunshots, and occasional boxiness in Paul Sawtell's more bombastic musical cues, these minor issues do not detract from the overall sound quality.
The PCM 2.0 mono sound, encoded at 2.3 Mbps, stands out for its remarkable crispness and responsiveness. The track skillfully blends well-recorded dialogue, narration, and background score with atmospheric effects, creating an immersive listening experience. Importantly, the audio is free from any age-related artifacts like hiss, crackle, thumps, or flutter, making this a technically proficient and rich auditory presentation.
Extra: 66
The extras on the Blu-ray release of "T-Men" provide a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the film's background and production details. Highlights include an audio commentary by biographer and film historian Alan K. Rode, who offers deep insights into the film's stars, supporting actors, and crew, despite occasional pronunciation quirks. Additionally, "Into the Darkness: Mann, Alton and T-Men" presents a rich overview of the collaboration between director Anthony Mann and cinematographer John Alton. "A Director's Daughter: Nina Mann Remembers" delivers personal anecdotes and biographical details from Mann's daughter, adding a personal touch to the director's professional story. The release also includes a well-crafted 24-page booklet filled with production stills, promotional material, and an excellent essay by Max Alvarez.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Alan K. Rode delivers detailed background information on the film.
- Into the Darkness: Mann, Alton, and T-Men: Overview highlighting the collaboration and cinematography.
- A Director's Daughter: Nina Mann Remembers: Personal insights into Director Anthony Mann.
- Twenty-Four Page Booklet: Includes an insightful essay by Max Alvarez and numerous stills and posters.
Movie: 76
Anthony Mann’s T-Men is a prime example of early noir cinema seamlessly fused with quasi-documentary elements. Collaborating with cinematographer John Alton, Mann crafts a visually arresting film steeped in chiaroscuro aesthetics that enhances its taut narrative and evocative atmosphere. The narrative revolves around Treasury Agents Dennis O’Brien (Dennis O’Keefe) and Tony Genaro (Alfred Ryder), who go undercover to infiltrate a counterfeiting ring. While the plot may follow a somewhat predictable pathway toward justice, the movie compensates with its exceptional presentational aspects. Opening with a stultifying prologue delivered by real-life Treasury official Elmer Lincoln Irey, the film takes its time to lay out the meticulous undercover operations, augmenting the suspense through a combination of stentorian narration by Reed Hadley and methodical cinematography.
The screenplay by John C. Higgins is competent yet overshadowed by the film’s striking visual style. Alton’s camera placements are continuously inventive, utilizing low angles and deep focus to enhance every scene's tension. Particularly notable are sequences like the steam bath montage, which offer a visceral impact through visual storytelling. The attention to details in sound design, which earned the film an Oscar nomination, further accentuates its gripping narrative.
While the protagonists lean towards the bland side due to their nondescript portrayal, the supporting cast delivers more colorful performances, especially Charles McGraw as the villainous Moxie, who brings a sneering menace to his role. Dennis O’Keefe shines as a tough but thoughtful lead, while Alfred Ryder has a memorable scene confronting his wife on the street. The film also features strong supporting roles from Wallace Ford and Tito Vuolo, adding layers of gritty realism to the underworld setting. Ultimately, T-Men excels as a visually rich exercise in noir filmmaking, where Mann and Alton’s stylistic choices elevate the rather linear narrative to a fascinating cinematic experience.
Total: 76
"T-Men" stands out as a defining noir docudrama from the 1940s, captivating audiences with its intense and meticulous storytelling. While the narrative may at times feel slightly pedestrian, director Anthony Mann and cinematographer John Alton's presentation style elevates the movie to remarkable heights. They utilize dynamic framings and lighting choices, compelling viewers to scrutinize every detail on the screen. The performances are solid across the board, though somewhat conventional on the protagonist side. This contrast serves to highlight the film's visual richness.
The recently released ClassicFlix special edition Blu-ray of "T-Men" brings this cinematic gem into the modern age with outstanding audio and video quality. The transfer is meticulously done, ensuring that even minute details are preserved and enhanced. The supplements included in this edition are both informative and entertaining, such as insightful commentaries and a gorgeously crafted insert booklet that enriches the viewing experience.
In conclusion, ClassicFlix has not only revitalized "T-Men" with exceptional technical enhancements but also curated additional content that adds substantial value to this release. It is a must-have for classic film enthusiasts and a highly recommended addition to any serious Blu-ray collection.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 90
By design there are a number of scenes with relatively little shadow detail, something that makes the sudden emergence of an element like McGraw's face as seen in screenshot 4 more forceful....
Audio: 70
There's a slightly anemic quality to a few sound effects like gunshots, and some of Paul Sawtell's more bombastic cues can sound slightly boxy, but overall this is an enjoyable and problem free track....
Extras: 60
Commentary by biographer and producer Alan K. Rode offers some excellent production and biographical information, though I have to say his pronunciations of a few words occasionally threw me for a momentary...
Movie: 70
Mann and Alton began their collaboration in 1947 with T-Men, a film which has a first rate presentational style bolstering a somewhat lumbering storyline, one that perhaps isn't helped especially by a...
Total: 70
Even supposedly mundane moments like Irey's opening monologue are framed a little unevenly (see screenshot 5), and once the actual story kicks in, Alton and Mann repeatedly choose framings that keep the...
Home Theater Forum review by Matt HoughRead review here
Video: 100
The grayscale is so extraordinary that words can’t really do it justice, but the blacks are really deep, and details in the shadows will test the very best televisions and projectors with reproducing all...
Audio: 100
The PCM 2.0 mono sound (2.3 Mbps) is remarkably crisp and responsive, expertly blending the well-recorded dialogue and narration, the driving Paul Sawtell background score, and the atmospheric effects...
Extras: 80
Audio Commentary: film historian Alan K. Rode provides a very informative and entertaining commentary on the film providing background information on the stars and supporting players and pointing out memorable...
Movie: 90
With a great pair of counterfeit engraving plates, O’Brien finally gets introduced to the counterfeit syndicate through the weasel-like connections of The Schemer (Wallace Ford), but the duo must watch...
Total: 90
The Classic Flix special edition Blu-ray boasts a superlative audio and video transfer of the movie and offers an abundance of bonus material that makes it a highly recommended addition to your video collection....
Director: Anthony Mann
Actors: Dennis O'Keefe, Wallace Ford, Alfred Ryder
PlotTwo Treasury agents, Dennis O'Brien and Tony Genaro, go undercover as members of a counterfeit ring in Detroit. Their objective is to dismantle the network responsible for producing and distributing high-quality counterfeit currency. To succeed, they must gain the trust of an elusive mastermind known only as "The Schemer." They face numerous challenges as they immerse themselves deeper into the criminal underworld. Forced to adopt new identities and navigate their way through dangerous encounters, the agents find themselves grappling with moral compromises and exposed to constant peril.
As the investigation progresses, the duo uncovers intricate connections that lead them from Detroit to Los Angeles. The line between their true selves and their undercover personas begins to blur, putting their lives and the mission at risk. They must outwit a range of sophisticated criminals while maintaining their cover in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. The relentless pursuit tests their ingenuity and courage as they get closer to unravelling the counterfeit operation. Along the way, unexpected twists and turns challenge their resolve and push them to the edge, ensuring an intense and gripping journey.
Writers: John C. Higgins, Virginia Kellogg
Release Date: 01 Feb 1948
Runtime: 92 min
Rating: Approved
Country: United States
Language: English, Italian