Odd Man Out |  | Director: Carol Reed
Actors: James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, Kathleen Ryan, F.J. McCormick
Studio: Image Entertainment
Category: DVD
Buy Used: $59.99
as of 11/24/2009 14:26 CST details
New (1) Used (10) Collectible (1) from $59.99
Seller: jlsteuer
Rating:  25 reviews
Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 0
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 6305186693
UPC: 014381453928
EAN: 9786305186694
Theatrical Release Date: April 23, 1947
Release Date: January 12, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
Film noir is a term usually associated with American films of the 1940s and 1950s, but this British classic from 1947 fits the definition in almost every respect. It's one of the milestone films of its era, highlighted by what is arguably the best performance in the illustrious career of James Mason, here playing the leader of an underground Irish rebel organization who is seriously wounded when a payroll heist goes sour. Left for dead by his accomplices on the streets of Belfast, he's forced to hide wherever he can find shelter and refuge, and as his gunshot wound gradually drains his life away, his lover (Kathleen Ryan) struggles to locate him before it's too late. Although the IRA and Belfast are never mentioned by name, this film was a daring and morally complex examination of Northern Ireland's "troubles," and its compelling tragedy hasn't lost any of its impact. A study of conscience in crisis and the bitter aftermath of terrorism, this was one of the first films to address IRA activities on intimately human terms. Political potency is there for those who seek it, but the film is equally invigorating as a riveting story of a tragic figure on the run from the law, forced to confront the wrath of his own beliefs in the last hours of his life. It was this brilliant, unforgettable film that established the directorial prowess of Carol Reed, whose next two films (The Fallen Idol and The Third Man) were equally extraordinary. --Jeff Shannon
Description
Hailed for its sensitive treatment of a difficult subject, "Odd Man Out" is a tale of ordinary people trapped in the web of Northern Ireland's troubles. Irish rebel Johnny McQueen (James Mason), maimed and bleeding, weaves an escape route through Belfast's seedy underground while each of his comrades falls prey to bounty hunters and police in director Carol Reed's (The Third Man) classic film noir.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 25
 Criterion release December 18, 2008
bdlion (Charter Oak, Covina, CA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Don't spend your money on an overpriced used copy of this masterpiece film. Sources say that the Criterion Collection will be releasing this film in the near future, to be announced. It will be worth the wait.
 Great looking film starts of well but goes astray about half way through October 13, 2008
Peter Hoogenboom (New Zealand)
Beautifully photographed and strikingly directed film about an IRA robbery gone wrong starts well. About halfway through, however, the wounded protagonist meets a priest, a crazy old man, and a mad artist and the whole thing goes awry. The scene with the priest is long and boring and the film grows more and more pretentious before building to the predictable conclusion. James Mason has little to do as the rebel other than stumbling around and he just seems a little too urbane to play a tough guy anyway.
One of the great classics of film May 28, 2008
William Linsley (Shelton CT USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is one of the finest films of its period and, in fact, in the whole history of film. Carol Reed is best known for The Third Man, but in my view this is his masterpiece. It is a moving tale of an IRA leader who is badly wounded in a holdup, during which he kills a man who tries to stop him, and falls from the escape car. Falling in and out of consciousness, and able to move only with difficulty, he is sought by his friends and also the object of a manhunt by the police. The film focuses on the love of a young woman for him and her attempt to rescue him. Meanwhile, he is bounced from stranger to stranger, each of whom sees him through the prism of self-interest. A fine musical score, great cinemetography and acting make this film outstanding. Unfortunately it is no longer in print and very hard to find. There are two region 1 versions floating around. One is by Image Entertainment and is excellent. The other is from Korea; it is licensed and is acceptable, about the same as the first. I had a problem with sound synchronization on my copy, but it might have been my player.
A great lost classic February 13, 2008
A. Kass (Staten Island, NY United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
For years, this tale of a wounded Irish revolutionary's clandestine journey through Belfast has haunted me. This Carol Reed film comes from his great era of THE THIRD MAN, without that estimable film's kitsch -- this is a tragedy infused with well drawn lives. Don't mind the Korean on the cover or the default Korean subtitles of this edition (which can be easily turned off); praise instead the Korean film buffs who have preserved and brought back this lost classic.
Withstands the Test of Time! January 9, 2007
F. S. L'hoir (Irvine, CA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Recalling my fondness for James Mason as an actor, I recently bought a DVD of "The Desert Fox." Although Mason is as usual excellent in the title role, the film itself seems so dreadfully dated! I then realized that my continued regard for Mason as an actor actually stems from his performance as Johnny McQueen, in Carol Reed's "Odd Man Out," which I first saw as a child (Mason's luminous interpretation of the dying McQueen has cast a glow on my memory of all his performances, including a hypothetical reading of the telephone book!). I can never forget the scene in the artist's garret when, in a moment of recognition, McQueen "speaks with the tongues of men and of angels."
"Odd Man Out" does not disappoint, even after sixty years. It still brings fresh tears to my eyes. How can the film miss with the nuanced direction of Carol Reed, the haunting music of William Alwyn, and the splendid cinematography of Robert Krasker--to say nothing of the actors? Every character--from the urchins on the street to the anonymous passers-by--some who help; others who hinder--is perfect. Kathleen Ryan gives a beautifully understated performance as the woman who will die for McQueen, and Robert Newton is brilliant in the role of Lukey, an artist, whom starvation has driven beyond the point of madness. The actors, who play Lukey's companions-in-misery--Shell, a down-and-outer looking for rewards, and Tober, a ruined medical student, whose Eton accent speaks of better times--are splendid.
As for Mason, "Odd Man Out" brought him fame as well as the attention of Hollywood, and a subsequent series of mediocre--albeit entertaining--potboilers, in which his gifted performances simply do not compare to his timeless interpretation of the Irish militant, Johnny McQueen. Jamie, we hardly knew you!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 25
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