MovieFreak.com - Wait Until Dark DVD Review

Susy Hendrix (Audrey Hepburn), recently blinded from an accident, lives safely within the confines of a New York apartment. When her husband Sam (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) leaves for a photo shoot, a charming man (Richard Crenna) claiming to be Sam’s best friend from the army enters her apartment. A friendly and harmless encounter builds a sense of trust, but when a strange man (Alan Arkin) and a police sergeant (Jack Weston) become involved, Susy begins to suspect something, and her life might be in danger.

Wait Until Dark is set entirely in and around a New York apartment. A film with only one location is sometimes prone to be boring, although this is not the case here, not at all. Directed by Terence Young (the 007 films Dr. No and From Russian with Love), the film carries intrigue and suspense, creating a thriller that is both clever and acted to perfection. Wait Until Dark comes from a play by Frederick Knott (also “Dial M for Murder”), and therefore much of the film is set inside Susy’s apartment. However, what makes the film so engaging and involving is the dialogue. The dialogue is just clever and very important to the story. Basically every line counts and the actors deliver them with great articulation. Screenwriters Robert & Jane-Howard Carrington also incorporate a few Hitchcock-like moments of suspense, which works very well, such as Audrey Hepburn’s entrance, among others.

Much of the suspense of Wait Until Dark builds to a thrilling climax. Without giving much away, it involves Hepburn in a last stand. It takes place predominantly in darkness, and is probably reproduced directly from Knott’s play, but the style in which it is presented is very effective. Making the climax so thrilling is careful set-up of the characters and the story. Since the film takes place in one location, as does the play, the story needs to be interesting and compelling. Here the story revolves around a play doll, a simple little thing, yet so valuable. The ones who desperately want it back devise a complex, yet clever plan to coerce the new owner into giving it up. It’s hard to describe the plot of the film, not to mention the play, without giving away certain plot points and twists. Well, I’m not going to do it here, but I can tell you the set-up and the plot itself is really quite clever.

On the other hand, while Wait Until Dark is very engaging, it is also slow-moving. However, the pace is never really too slow and hardly affects the enjoyment of the film. Also, Young’s direction is somewhat less visually inspiring, but this is really only due to the restrictions of space. Working in restricted space limits a certain visual style, although Young captures every scene in the best way possible. His style varies from using wide shots and close-ups interchangeably, and the camera moves swiftly when certain scenes require it to do so. With great source material, a tight screenplay, and swift direction by Terence Young, Wait Until Dark succeeds as a fine thriller.

Aside from the goods about the script and creative execution of the film, the acting is what makes this film stand out. Audrey Hepburn plays the blind Susy with an innocent look, but her performance is also very genuine and inspired. In fact, she really shines in the moments of her character’s realization, though I won’t give anything away. Alan Arkin is very creepy as the evil Mr. Roat, but essentially effective and disturbing at the same time. The late Richard Crenna gives a stellar performance as Mike Talman. Even though his character is playing a part, Crenna makes it all the more believable. Also starring is Jack Weston, as Mike’s partner, and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., as Susy’s caring and loving husband. A surprise is child actor Julie Herrod who plays Gloria, the girl who lives in the apartment above Susy. Her role requires some strength and depth, and Herrod handles it very well.

In conclusion, Wait Until Dark is a clever thriller with a memorable climax. Performances are strong across the board, and Audrey Hepburn is terrific playing a recently blinded woman. A somewhat slow pace exists, but the engaging story makes up for it. Darkness might never be the same after you watch this film. How about that?!

Warner Bros. presents Wait Until Dark in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The film’s color palette is fine, including a few bright colors. However, color detail is not that good. The print image suffers from old age as specks, grain, and mosquito noise are all present. Compression artifacts do not occur, although there are noticeable scratches. The transfer here is not as good when compared to the releases of classic Warner Bros. titles such as Giant and Once Upon a Time in America. Granted, the transfer for those titles is not perfect, but looks cleaner and brighter. Wait Until Dark suffers from major grain appearing in dark scenes, and therefore dark tones and black levels are very inconsistent. On the whole the video presentation is average, but nevertheless provides a clear enough picture that doesn’t distract from experiencing the film.

Warner Bros. presents Wait Until Dark in English Dolby Digital Mono. Well, there’s not much to say here other than every sound comes through the front speakers. Still, dialog is clear and easy to understand, though at times English subtitles come in handy. Making a fairly good impression is the handling of Henry Mancini’s effective score, which sounds off well enough at the right volume. You can also choose to view the film in French Dolby Digital Mono.

A Look in the Dark (~8 mins) – This featurette offers all-new interviews with Alan Arkin and Producer Mel Ferrer. Both reminisce about the making of the film and their co-stars (especially Audrey Hepburn). Arkin reflects on his role as the villain, and remembers that such a villainous character was really unusual back in those days. It’s sad not to be able to see Richard Crenna here; he passed away in the middle of January earlier this year. This featurette makes for a very decent look back at the film, and it’s great to see Mr. Arkin and Mr. Ferrer alive to talk about their experience.

Rounding out the extras is a text-based feature called “Stage Frantics,” which is an essay covering the property’s stage-to-screen evolution. Also included is the film’s Theatrical Trailer and a Cautionary Teaser (including a somewhat funny warning regarding the film’s last 10 minutes), plus a generic cast & crew listing.

You can select to view the film with optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The DVD’s menus are interactive, but not animated. The 108-minute feature is organized into twenty-eight chapters.

Wait Until Dark is clever, engaging, and suspenseful. The video/audio transfer shows its age, and the quality is average; for all I know it could be worse. The only extra here is an interview featurette, and it’s great to have. Wait Until Dark might not make a good purchase, but definitely a great rental. Seek it out at night.

THE MOVIE	8
THE VIDEO	5
THE AUDIO	4
THE EXTRAS	4
OVERALL (not an average)	6