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Ministry of Fear (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Ray Milland (Actor), Marjorie Reynolds (Actor), Fritz Lang (Director) Rated:
NR
Format: Blu-ray
4.5 out of 5 stars 363 ratings
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March 12, 2013
Criterion Collection
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Genre Mystery & Suspense/Film Noir, Mystery & Suspense
Format Blu-ray
Contributor Ray Milland, Percy Waram, Marjorie Reynolds, Fritz Lang, Carl Esmond, Hillary Brooke
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 27 minutes
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Product Description

Product Description

Suffused with dread and paranoia, this Fritz Lang (M) adaptation of a novel by Graham Greene (The Third Man) is a plunge into the eerie shadows of a world turned upside down by war. En route to London after being released from a mental institution, Stephen Neale (The Lost Weekend’s Ray Milland) stops at a seemingly innocent village fair, after which he finds himself caught in the web of a sinister underworld with possible Nazi connections. Lang was among the most illustrious of the European émigré filmmakers working in Hollywood during World War II, and Ministry of Fear is one of his finest American productions, an unpredictable thriller with style to spare.

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Though not as well known or praised as some of director Fritz Lang's other film noir efforts like The Big Heat (1953) or The Woman in the Window (1944), his 1944 thriller Ministry of Fear remains a visually striking and frequently taut blend of noir tropes and wartime espionage drama. Based on the novel by Graham Greene, the picture stars Ray Milland as a man, newly released from an asylum, who becomes embroiled in a plot by Nazi agents in England to deliver Allied military plans into the hands of the enemy. He soon finds himself the quarry of both the Axis and British police, with only comely Austrian refugee Marjorie Reynolds (Holiday Inn) to help him. Aided immeasurably by Henry Sharp's cinematography, which steeps the action in an almost supernatural layer of white fog, and Victor Young's suspenseful score, Ministry of Fear works best at depicting the mounting layers of threats, all seemingly unrelated, that weave around Milland, underscoring his questionable mental state and Lang's ability to tap into the psychological elements of noir. Once the disparate threads come together, the film becomes a bit more standard-issue thriller material, due in part to associate producer Seton I. Miller's script, which sands down the emotional complexities of Greene's source material (much to the dismay of the author, who disavowed the final product). But Lang completists and noir aficionados should appreciate this lesser effort from the director, especially with so much to recommend it, from Milland, one year away from his Oscar win for The Lost Weekend, and Dan Duryea's alarming turn as a duplicitous tailor with a pair of lethal shears, to Criterion's crisp 2K digital restoration. The Criterion Blu-ray and DVD are supplemented by a 17-minute interview with Lang scholar Joe McElhaney, who discusses the film's production, its relation to other works by the director, and its comparison to Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers, among other topics. An original theatrical trailer and liner notes by Glenn Kenney round out the extras. --Paul Gaita

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.37:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 3.2 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ CRRN2236BR
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Fritz Lang
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 27 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ March 12, 2013
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Ray Milland, Marjorie Reynolds, Carl Esmond, Hillary Brooke, Percy Waram
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Criterion Collection
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AQ6J536
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 363 ratings

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4.5 out of 5 stars
363 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • pizzaparlor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Far superior and well packaged
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Lang's frame composition makes virtually every shot a special treat. The plot advances smoothly and rapidly, the actors are fine (Hillary Brook was never vampier), and this presage to Le Carre & Fleming is not only adult but also provides London in wartime well. An impressive oral essay on the film's design plus an enclosed hardcopy essay make this even more special (replete with augmentations streaming can't provide), and the trailer is of interest to see which plot details it stresses and which major ones (such as the Nazi focus) it omits. Not minor Lang at all!
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  • Delant
    5.0 out of 5 stars great service
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2024
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    product as described, thank you
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great classic
    Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023
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    Great classic movie. Complying story. Good twist and turns.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best anti-Nazi films from director Fritz Lang
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Based upon a Graham Greene novel, MINISTRY OF FEAR has Ray Milland starring as a released inmate from a remote state asylum for supposedly murdering his wife, Milland totally walks into a local fair, buys a cake meant for Dan Duryea (which contains some piece of microfilm useful to Nazi infiltrators in London,) attends a seance run by Hilary Brooke (who looks fantastically beautiful), bolts from the seance when Duryea is killed and is chased throughout the film by Nazi sympathizers. He manages to find love with Marjorie Reynolds, a blonde beauty with a terrible Austrian accent but I won't reveal the ending. Clocks, circles, doors play a central role in the mise-en-scene. There is some clever camera work throughout this b&w film beautifully mounted by Paramount Pictures in 1943. The conclusion is a stunner. But the truly great Lang films, M and DR. MABUSE show off Lang's pictorial style better than some of his later sound work. I would recommend also seeing SCARLET STREET, WOMAN IN THE WINDOW and YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE as 5 star American films made by Lang and all available at amazon.
    31 people found this helpful
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  • Bruce Eder
    5.0 out of 5 stars Criterion-lite -- but Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The Criterion Collection has licensed Fritz Lang's MINISTRY OF FEAR from Universal, and while they haven't given this picture first-cabin treatment -- there's no wall-to-wall commentary, and the only video supplements are a talk by a Lang biographer and the movie trailer -- it is well put together, and the picture looks and sounds great; I saw this in a theater just a couple of years ago, and the DVD compares well to the 35mm print shown at New York's Film Forum. The menu is easy to use, and the discussion about Lang and the movie is informative, especially in resolving differences between the movie and Graham Greene's original novel (Greene didn't like the movie adaptation). As for the film, it's a keeper -- perhaps not the best of Lang's wartime output (Scarlet Street, Man Hunt), but just below those in quality, and certainly superior to some of his other thrillers of his era (Cloak And Dagger).
    61 people found this helpful
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  • M. Kenny
    3.0 out of 5 stars Criterion Blu-ray editon looks great.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    In my opinion this is a lesser Fritz Lang film but the Criterion BD gives a beautiful picture and good sound.
    Reading the Amazon reviews of this film is very enjoyable, one saying that Ray Milland puts him to sleep and another saying the only good thing about the film is Ray Milland's acting.
    The plot is convoluted, a bomb exploding in an apartment is one of the worst effects ever done in Hollywood and the contrived romance between the two leads is far fetched even by Hollywood standards. The only suspense is the lead character trying to convince the police that what he says is true.
    So what is good about this film? The acting is good (unless you hate Ray Milland) even though the plot can confuse the hell out of you with all the loose ends, but if you just let the film unwind and you go with the flow, it becomes an enjoyable spy picture.
    It seems that this picture was NOT a "Fritz Lang picture" in that he did not have complete control, others controlled the script, but even with that he did a good job of setting up the scenes and the lighting and photography are really good. If you are looking for a really great spy thriller, this ain't it. It is an enjoyable spy picture as long as you don't analyze it too much.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Robert E. Rodden II
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Spy Era Movie
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is the second time I've seen this movie, but it's the first time I saw the Criterion Collection version. The film looked beautiful; good levels of black and white, barely any speckles (if any - the picture quality was so good I was more interested in the story than any imperfections), and the sound is solid. Criterion always puts out the best quality they can. Recommended.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • halh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ministry of Fear
    Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Good ole B&W Mystery turn off the phone turn off the lights and get into the story. This movie has a STORY. not a script or a screen writers adaptation, nor an Actor or Director's view. Well actually it is all of them but it is seemless. Why can't they make movies today like they did back then? Three men that could lower the temperature in a movie, as clod blooded murders, Richard Widmark giggle pushing an old lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs, Jack Plance's stare in anything! and Dan Duryea's smile. Dan Duryea is a pussy cat in this one, and the other two aren't in this one.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • ADALBERTO DE LA FUENTE CHÁVEZ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pelĺcula
    Reviewed in Mexico on August 17, 2024
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    Muy buena
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  • Mayor Maynot
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Film! It stands the test of time.
    Reviewed in Canada on May 28, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This film was my first introduction to Lang and I am very happy that I chose this film. The contrast of the simplicity of the characters contrasted by the complexity and ambiguity of the plot makes for a very entertaining and even tense film.
    There is a brilliant use of lighting and subversion. You are never sure until the end who is whom. You are never sure until the end what part each person plays and even at the end there is still a tiny bit of doubt. I very much enjoy films that do that and they are RARE.
    This film gets a place in my top shelf films. I have heard that this is a "minor" Lang production. I can't wait to see his majors!
    I highly recommend it to any and every film buff!
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  • Jordanship
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blu ray Edition of Ministry of Fear
    Reviewed in Italy on January 13, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I did’t know this film. This is a Great one and a great blu ray edition at special price. Thank you Criterion!
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  • Gabor Lux
    5.0 out of 5 stars A bit shy of being a classic, but good in its own right
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    If there ever was a man in movie history to make spy movies, Fritz Lang was that man. He was among the first to lay down the tropes of the genre in Dr. Mabuse and later Spione (which still echoes in James Bond and modern technotrillers), and he could also give it his own paranoid spin, pitting his heroes against all-powerful conspiracies and systems of oppression. Lang's movies are full of people being followed, ransacked offices, webs of deception and characters assuming false appearances and personas. Ministry of Fear is one of the best of those movies.

    Set in wartime London, the movie stars Stephen Neale, a man released from an insane asylum, who accidentally finds himself in the middle of a Nazi espionage plot. An innocent fairground prize becomes a deadly lure; people get killed in disquieting ways and shadowy characters begin stalking our hero, who falls for a pretty Austrian refugee while on the run.

    The action takes place in a claustrophobic world alternating between shadowy staircases, streets under blackout and dilapidated apartments, intercut with scenes in bright salons and perfectly wholesome offices, which contain a different, more subtle form of menace. It is to the credit of Ray Milland, the actor playing Neale, that he is perfect as the man being followed: he is full of nervous tension as he moves from shadow to shadow, always only a step ahead of his pursuers; it is his eyes, looking out for unseen enemies, that tell us he is being hunted. Marjorie Reynolds is good enough as the beautiful Carla, but credit must especially go to the unctuous Dan Duryea and the menacing Percy Waram, who play some of the movie's opponents with a threatening air.

    There is very little in Ministry of Fear someone with a knowledge of the spy genre, thrillers and film noir wouldn't find familiar. It is a formulaic film - but we must not forget that it was made by one of the people who created that formula. It brings an excellent combination of set design (obviously not the real London, but acceptable as its Nazi-haunted counterpart), performance and camera work. The action is tense and packed, and every few minutes, there is some piece of iconic imagery I couldn't help but marvel at. Also, while it may not be chock full of them, this movie gets "Nazis" perfectly as villains: they are out there in the shadows, they move in them with a careless, elegant ease, and they are out to get you. Ministry of Fear is not the best or most important Lang movie, and it is reputedly marred by studio interference. Nevertheless, it is still one of the greats - perhaps not a classic, but close enough, and a perfect introduction to Lang's mid-career work.
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  • pablo villapol
    4.0 out of 5 stars Una pequeña genialidad
    Reviewed in Spain on May 23, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Sin estar entre lo mejor de Fritz Lang, la película es una obra de orfebrería y Ray Milland está excelente.
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