21 May 2008

The names of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger are revered here at Outsider (check out Camus's coverage of the Powell & Pressburger Collection and Peeping Tom), and their 1949 film The Small Back Room is a personal favourite.

After the lavish Technicolor spectacle of The Red Shoes, Powell and Pressburger retreated into the inward, shadowy recesses of this moody, crackling character study. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nigel Balchin, The Small Back Room details the professional and personal travails of troubled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert Sammy Rice (David Farrar), who, while struggling with a complex relationship with secretary-girlfriend Susan (Kathleen Byron), is hired by the government to advise on a dangerous new German weapon. Frank and intimate, deftly mixing suspense and romance, The Small Back Room is an atmospheric, post–World War II gem.

Once available on a basic DVD from Warner, The Small Back Room has been given a makeover and announced for an August US release by Criterion with the following features:

• New, restored high-definition digital transfer;
• Audio commentary featuring film scholar Charles Barr;
• New video interview with cinematographer Chris Challis;
• Excerpts from Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography;
• A new essay by film scholar Nick James.

The Small Back Room will be released on US DVD in August by Criterion at the SRP of $39.95.