A few words about…™ Behold a Pale Horse – in Blu-ray

Behold a Pale Horse has always seemed to be a bit of an oddity to me.

Directed by Fred Zinnemann, one of the three that David Lean used to refer to lovingly as “the three foreigners,” in a style so tepid to be almost without style, and with a minimal tale to tell.

Partly having the appearance of neo-realism, and part studio, it never found its mark for me.

One look at the cast, and the astute cinephile will know the heritage of the production, as linking with Columbia and Sam Spiegel, as part of the Lawrence deal. Some were placed in motion during Lawrence’s writing hiatus, while others were part of the actors deals. A reason why Albert Finney said “no.”

Here you’ll find Zia Mohyeddin, Omar Sharif, Maurice Jarre and Anthony Quinn.

Also think Night of the Generals, among others.

All this from one of the true great filmmakers.

Twilight Time’s new Blu-ray seems to accurately represent the black & white source, and the source, from an interesting segue from documentary footage at the opening to presumably dupey looking shots just thereafter, should not deter the modern viewer. Studio shots can be gorgeous, if dark.

Image – 4.25

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – Yes

RAH

Robert Harris

Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.

His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.