Cloak and Dagger [Blu-ray]

"Cloak and Dagger" is Fritz Lang’s suspenseful spy thriller blended with romance in WW II. The scientist and university professor Gary Cooper is missioned to save another scientist Vladimir Sokoloff who is enforced to work for the Nazis in Italy. As the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agent, Cooper flies alone to Italy and work together with the Italian partisans led by Robert Alda and Lili Palmer, where Cooper falls in love with Palmer.This plot reminds me of “For Whom the Bell Tolls” that has something in common with this film in many ways. For one thing, Alvah Jesper (Cooper) fights for freedom like Robert Jordan does, whereas Alvah ends up with separating from Gina (Palmer). Although the film per se seems rather outdated, the thrilling story still has moments of tension. Particularly, the action scene that Cooper struggles against the Nazis agent Marc Lawrence in an apartment is very impressive due to the sweet canzone a band singer is singing outside. Manly and quiet Cooper goes well together with stronghearted beauty Palmer. The ending scene of parting is memorable as well.I have so far seen this film repeatedly through VHS and DVD. This OliveFilm blu ray is excellent and far more beautiful than any others.

If you like director Fritz Lang's 'Cloak and Dagger' (Warner Bros., 1946) and are wondering whether Olive Films/Paramount's 2013 release is an upgrade from Artisan/Republic's 2003 disc, the answer is, in a word, yes. While not pristine (some scratches and other artifacts are still present), Olive's image is sharper and steadier than Artisan's, which has a tendency to flicker and bounce to a mildly annoying extent throughout. Contrast problems are corrected, as well. Neither version offers any bonus features. Personally I think the movie's merits are neglected-- although its storyline is somewhat boilerplate among Nazi/spy romance/adventures, it's also beautifully shot, well written and acted, and tightly constructed (Lang pulls off more than one Hitchcock-caliber scene), with a rousing score by Max Steiner. 4-minus stars for the film, 3 1/2 for presentation (versus 2 1/2 for Artisan's).

Disappointing movie long drawn out scenes

It has some silly romance in it, but it does make for an okay adventure film. Was kind of hoping for more espionage. Not much of that going on in here.

Very Good.

It's a Fritz Lang directed spy movie set during WW2 starring Gary Cooper. That should tell you all you need to know, you will not be disappointed with this movie.

Beyond the captivating, engrossing plot this story has truly clever writing/dialogue, lighting/cinematography , and several scenes which offer subtle life lessons. The cat scene is one of the best examples. Cloak and Dagger is one of a select group of those studio era movies that contains art for arts sake and weaves an exciting story as well.

Gary Cooper as a scientist and spy. Very well done.

This is a review of the 2020 Region B2 Dual Format in Eureka!’s ‘Masters of Cinema’ range. The HD digital 1080p transfer with mono audio provides an excellent viewing experience: the picture is beautifully clear, and brightly black and white.Undoubtedly, not even their biggest fans would suggest that this is either actor Gary Cooper OR director Fritz Lang’s best film. Cooper, one of the greatest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age, shone in Westerns ~ ‘High Noon’(1952); Romantic Comedies ~ ‘Mr Deeds Goes to Town’(1936); War films ~ ‘Private York’(1941). He won the OSCAR twice and was nominated three further times. Lang, an Austrian, was one of the most brilliant practitioners of Germany’s early ‘Expressionist’ cinema, with iconic works such as ‘Metropolis’ (1927) and ‘M’(1931). Half-Jewish, he emigrated to Paris in 1933 and to Hollywood in 1936, where his successes included ‘Fury’(1936) and ‘The Big Heat’(1953).This film is no match for any of those listed. There is even a question mark as to why ‘Eureka!’, one of a small but distinguished list of labels keeping the great titles of world cinema alive and available, should bother with it! We watched it, and my husband’s rejoinder at the end was ‘Poor’. Personally, I think this is harsh, but I also think this film is worthy of study for reasons other than just it’s immediate artistic merit.Artistically, this is a bleak, sober and evocative story, and it is nicely and authentically shot. I think it captures well the sense of unending deprivation, gloom and toil, and the soul-destroying lack of hope, experienced by those suffering under the yoke of Nazi occupation and Fascist dictatorship. It also demonstrates nicely the distasteful feeling that in occupied countries, even in those bordering them, nothing was what it seemed, no-one could be taken at face value. There is also a sense (unusual in post-War American films) that it wasn’t JUST the Americans who won it! There are a number of references to, and accurate inclusions of, the British.Lilli Palmer, also a German-Jewish emigré, stars here in her first American film. She was 32, but, as Italian partisan Gina, looks far younger. She conveys well the fear, frustration and bitter, bitter anger consuming her. ‘Coop’, as physicist Professor Jesper, is solid, but has been better. That said, he is involved in one of the most brutal, viscerally uncompromising fights you will ever witness on film. But the real significance of this film is its unwavering political stance. From early on, the position taken is that nuclear power, in ANY form, is a threat to humanity. For America, post-Hiroshima, this was tantamount to heresy. Several of those involved in the script were later blacklisted as Communists. The ending devised by Lang, was ditched by the studio.So, an eviscerated, flawed masterpiece? Hardly! But a piece of fascinating movie history? Certainly! Watch and consider.

Fritz Lang was the giant of German expressionist cinema who inspired a young English graphic designer to choose film as his new career. His name was Alfred Hitchcock. With the masterful Dr Mabuse, the science-fiction epic Metropolis and cinema’s first-ever serial-killer police procedural, M, under his belt, Lang was offered the chance to run the German Cinema Institute by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. It was 1933. Austrian-born Lang was no fan of the Third Reich. He scarpered to the United States. Once WWII was underway, Lang resisted no opportunity to make anti-Nazi movies: the Hitler-baiting Man Hunt (1941) and Hangmen Also Die! (1943) were followed by the espionage pictures Ministry of Fear (1944), from Graham Greene’s story, and Cloak and Dagger, in which American physicist Gary Cooper is asked by the OSS to discover how close the Germans are to devising an atomic bomb. Hitchcock might have made slightly more of the suspense, but this is an emotional and gripping adventure. Warner Bros placed up front a big ‘Introducing’ credit for Lilli Palmer even though she’d been making films in Europe for a decade, including Hitchcock’s Secret Agent (1936). Cooper signed on for Lang’s movie after belatedly realising he’d made a mistake in turning down the lead in Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent (1940). It worked both ways: Hitchcock borrowed a key scene from Cloak and Dagger when he came to make Torn Curtain some 20 years later.

I only got this Combo because I love (most of) the film and my old copy from Palladium Entertainment doesn't have subtitles. The BLU RAY is excellent. Crystal clear picture on what looks like and enlarged 4.3 ratio, with good Subtitles. There is a booklet, but not, in my opinion a very good one for once. No cast./credits and the essay didn't work for me. Extras include an amazing collection of the Radio episodes from the late 40's. I must add that the BLU RAY FROZE half way through, so i just put on the DVD to finish the film and whilst it is perfectly watchable there is quite a difference in the picture even to my untrained eye. Love the film as I do, I don't find it without it's faults. The middle section tended to drag for me, and Cooper's mannerisms did get on my nerves. Crinkling his face/eyes just made him look odd, and, in truth, I think he was miscast. Still a great wartime Spy/thriller, and well worth a go.

Photography and sound well presented. Great Max Steiner score. Gary Cooper and Lillie Palmer pleasantly surprise as leading couple, and Fritz Lang's direction marks the quality necessary for this film.

Gary Cooper, spies and more.