Whilst it might be a slightly tender subject, when a man reaches a certain age he often yearns for his more youthful and carefree years. A midlife crisis can take many shapes and forms but it usually involves one or all of dressing stupidly, chasing ‘girls’ young enough to be your daughter, taking up an extreme sport of buying an unsuitable car. In Fritz Lang’s The Woman in the Window, one bad choice leads to a world of regret.
Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson), an eminent psychology professor, meets up with two old friends for a drink; one of whom (Raymond Massey) is a district attorney. He admires a portrait of a beautiful woman in a window and when he’s alone later, the subject Alice Reed (Joan Bennett) miraculously appears and persuades him to join her for a drink. They go back to her flat but her lover appears (Arthur Loft) and after a scuffle Richard kills him.
Whilst The Woman in the Window is not one of Lang’s crowning achievements it still stands up as a clever and compelling film noir. Edward G. Robinson plays his part perfectly, a mix of bumbling fool and amateur sleuth. Bennett performance is also a skilful mix of shrewd operator and damsel in distress. The story itself is smartly done; mixing realism and intrigue to produce an entertaining crime drama.
Special Features:
- 1080p presentation on Blu-ray
- LPCM audio (original mono presentation)
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new and exclusive video essay by critic David Cairns
- Feature Length Audio Commentary by Film Historian Imogen Sara Smith, author of In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City
- Original theatrical trailer
- A Collector’s booklet featuring new essays by film journalist and writer Amy Simmons; and film writer Samm Deighan; alongside rare archival imagery
The Woman in the Window is released on Blu-ray by Eureka Entertainment as part of their Masters of Cinema collection on 20 May.
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