The Movie
Yeah, I know it's a classic and it won Best Picture and all, but I think I might like All About Eve less than any other film school graduate I know. It's considered a great teaching movie for its wickedly clever script, about an aging star of the stage (Bette Davis) and her relationship with young Eve, a backstabbing climber (Anne Baxter) who has almost everyone fooled.
It's a brilliant character piece with some memorably sassy dialogue ("Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night."), but it is also guilty of speechifying, with folks prattling on endlessly about the art, craft and business of drama. That style; combined with the dated, affected acting of Davis and Baxter in particular; and the Broadway-through-the-lens-of-Hollywood subject matter, ultimately make All About Eve a movie that we can put up on a pedestal but not necessarily embrace on its own merits more than 60 years later.
The Picture
A lung-tightening quantity of cigarette smoke wafts naturalistically though the 4:3 frame, which boasts ample levels of detail limited primarily by the filmmakers' choices of focus or their use of filters. The video bitrate hovers reliably around 25-megabit-per-second mark, yielding blacks that can be quite rich and nuanced, and we can make out individual hairs on a fur coat. I did not some strobing in panning shots, otherwise this is a fine if not stunning HD master.
The Sound
Technically, yes, this movie is presented DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, but you might not ever stop and notice it. There are multiple scenes of applause, sometimes loud and from a packed theater, and yet no evidence of it in the rears. Even at an airport, planes on the tarmac, engines roaring: nothing beyond the front-channel basics typical of this track. Even the remixed musical score, presented in isolated 5.1 as a bonus, is extremely front-heavy, and when it extends into the rears, the effect is quite subtle.
The Extras
All About Eve is one of two recent Fox classics debuting on Blu-ray in a premium hardcover book package, with 24 pages of photos and behind-the-scenes info. From here, the disc reproduces some--not all--of the supplements from DVD, all in standard definition. Some are featurettes on writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, others repurpose old promotional materials and other vintage clips.
There are also two audio commentaries, the first from co-star Celeste Holm, Mankiewicz's biographer Ken Geist and son Christopher Mankiewicz, the other from author Sam Staggs. A full listing of extras appears below.
Final Thoughts
I know, my comments will likely seem blasphemous to many: All About Eve copped half a dozen Academy Awards in all, so perhaps it is simply a gem from a very different era. And the fine video master, faithful audio presentation and lovely book help to make it shine anew.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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