Hell is a City

Anchor Bay | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

Inspector Harry Martineau (Stanley Baker) is a dedicated veteran, an officer who seen almost everything during his tenure in law enforcement. So when he gets a hunch or instinct, he's often right and over the years, he has learned to listen to those impulses. When a violent jailbreak results in the escape of a vicious thug named Don Starling (John Crawford), Martineau suspects he will return to Manchester. This is because the criminal has ties to the area and even has some spoils to collect from a previous heist, so it all makes sense. Now Martineau simply has to track down Starling and since its evident the crook will head to Manchester, it seems as though finding him won't be the hardest part of the case. And when what was thought to be a simple robbery turns into a brutal murder, Martineau becomes even more entrenched in the situation. He is determined to do whatever it takes to bring Starling to justice, if that means bending the law to suit his own needs. As he continues to track the criminal, his own personal life begins to crumble around him and with no end in sight, he becomes obsessed with Starling's downfall. In this most personal of conflicts, who will survive and in the end, will true justice be served?

This might be part of The Hammer Collection from Anchor Bay, but Hell is a City is not the kind of picture that made Hammer famous. Instead of atmospheric horror, this movie offers tense, realistic crime drama. But this is not the traditional British crime thriller from this time period, as it has an obvious American influence throughout. The movie is more abrasive than most British efforts, as well as a kind of moral grey area, in which even the "good" guys have a bad streak, giving this a definite film noir texture. So we have a darker, more brutal kind of movie and that could divide an audience without much trouble. Those looking for a traditional British style crime caper might be put off by the violence and lack of moral code, while film noir fans should be pleased with Hell is a City, even though they might not expect to be won over. So basically, we have a British film noir and a quite good one that supplies all the needed elements. As directed by Val Guest (Casino Royale, The Quatermass Xperiment), the film moves at a nice pace and has a terrific storyline. I do think it takes some leaps at times, but never stretches too far and remains effective throughout. In the end, this film proves yet again that Hammer could work outside of horror with positive results, so if you're a film noir fan, check out Hell is a City.

I was very impressed with the cast of Hell is a City and across the board, the performances were more than solid. The accents were a little off at times, but even so, the acting is quite good here. The best performance in this picture comes from John Crawford however, who is superb within his role. He has a simpler role than his main costar, as he is more of a straight forward character, but Crawford ensures the part is never one dimensional. He has to be a rather cruel and sadistic style person, which some actors simply cannot do well, but he is on his game here and delivers on all fronts. Crawford not only comes off as the sick criminal he needs to be, but he does in a chilling, realistic fashion. And since this film has to have that believable madman, Crawford's performance often drives the picture. He might not be the main focus here, but he steals many scenes and plays off his costars to near perfection. Other films with Crawford include The Towering Inferno, The 300 Spartans, The Greatest Show on Earth, I Saw What You Did, and The Poseidon Adventure. The cast also includes Stanley Baker (The Guns of Navarone, Zulu), Maxine Audley (The Prince and the Showgirl, Peeping Tom), Donald Pleasance (Halloween, THX 1138), and Billie Whitelaw (Quills, The Omen).

Hell is a City is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a very good visual presentation especially given that the movie is well four decades old, but there are some problems to be seen. The source print is in good condition, a hallmark of Anchor Bay these days, but some scenes display a lot of nicks and wear signs, though I suppose that is to be expected. This is a black & white movie and the contrast seems to be consistent, though some scenes appear overly dark. But this is a dark movie in terms of visuals, so I have to assume this was intentional. All in all, a very nice looking presentation and while it has some flaws, there's nothing to be worried over.

This release uses the original mono track which offers a nice audio experience, since the film doesn't call for much power from the speakers. I was pleased with the overall sound, as the common mono hiss is absent and I never heard any distortion in the track, which is excellent since the film is quite old. The music sounds good and so do the effects, so while there isn't much in terms of high impact audio here, it all comes together well enough. The dialogue is the main focus in this mix and it sounds terrific, no volume or clarity problems emerge at all. A basic, solid audio presentation that seems to have all the bases covered.

The most substantial supplement present is an audio commentary with director Val Guest, who is joined by journalist Ted Newsom. Although he states he hasn't seen the movie in some time, Guest isn't short on memories and shares a lot of insight into this production. This session is loaded with information and whenever Guest gets too silent, Newsom is there to guide him back on track with some great questions. This disc also includes an alternate ending, some talent files, and the film's theatrical trailer.