Blu-Ray Review: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn in Criterion Edition of ‘Charade’

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CHICAGO – Stanley Donen’s 1963 caper “Charade” is one of the films I think of first when it comes to classic Hollywood. It features two of the most iconic stars of all time in Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn and perfectly captures what made them household names around the world. The movie has truly held up over the nearly five decades since its release and is now the latest inductee into the Blu-ray catalog of The Criterion Collection.

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

The opening scene of “Charade” perfectly sets the tone for the entire film. A gorgeous Hepburn sits on a terrace of a ski slope as the barrel of a gun comes into frame, pointed at our lovely heroine. As the music builds, water is sprayed across Hepburn’s face and it’s revealed to be a water gun. The blend of mystery and comedy is instantly defined. There will be danger, but it will often end in a punchline.

When “Charade” was released, it was the A-list vehicle of its day. Donen had already directed “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers,” and “Funny Face” and was well-known as a man who could make popcorn entertainment look a lot easier to pull off than it actually is to direct. Hepburn and Grant were household names. Knowing the background of “Charade” makes the film’s incredible fashion, witty repartee, and globe-hopping all the more enjoyable.

Charade was released on Blu-ray on September 21st, 2010
Charade was released on Blu-ray on September 21st, 2010
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection

“Charade” is still a fun, great film but the Criterion Blu-ray release is a bit mediocre. The “Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack” is decent but it doesn’t live up to the very high standards of the HD releases in the collection to date. Should an HD transfer be compared to the rest of the entire market or its peers from the same studio? The mix for “Charade” looks great when compared to all Blu-ray releases but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the transfers from Criterion of films from the same era.

And the special features are as scant as I think have ever been released from The Criterion Collection. “Charade” includes an audio commentary from Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone, the film’s trailer, and a booklet featuring an essay by film historian Bruce Eder. That’s it. It’s a shame there wasn’t more archival footage or even perhaps a modern retrospective on Donen’s career and influence.

“Charade” is one of my favorite films of its era and for that reason I love being able to own it on Blu-ray. Despite my adoration, I think Criterion could have put together a more impressive release for what is now a document of two of our most iconic actors doing exactly what made them iconic in the first place.

“Charade” stars Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn. It was written by Peter Stone and directed by Stanley Donen. It was released on Blu-ray on September 21st, 2010. It is not rated and runs 113 minutes.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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