Jigsaw Blu-ray Review

 

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• Director ‏ : ‎ Val Guest
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Jack Warner, Ronald Lewis, Yolande Donlan
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.39:1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Cohen Film Collection
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ April 5, 2022

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           This 1962 film by Val Guest is often referred to as an example of British film noir, but Jigsaw is a police procedural above all else. Based on Hillary Waugh’s novel Sleep Long, My Love, the story itself was ripped from the headlines, inspired by the Brighton Trunk Murders of the 1930s. As such, there are fewer elements connecting Jigsaw with the film noir genre as there are connecting it with the formula modern audiences are accustomed to seeing implemented in crime TV shows.

   

          After an opening scene showing us the lead up to the murder while cleverly keeping the culprit hidden from the audience’s view, the story shifts to police showing up to investigate the reported break-in of a real estate office. Upon discovering the deed to a seaside beach house has been stolen, Detective Inspector Fred Fellows (Jack Warner) and his partner Detective Sergeant Jim Wilks (Ronald Lewis) discover the setting of the murder from the opening scene. In the basement of the home is a trunk containing the partially dismembered body of a woman, though her identity is something of a mystery. Upon finding suitcases with the initials “J.S.,” the detectives follow a series of leads to find out who the victim is, in hopes it will lead them to the killer.

   

          Jigsaw handles the criminal investigation in a straightforward manner, attempting realism in the laborious steps the detectives must take to uncover evidence. It isn’t flashy, but the intricate details are fascinating nonetheless, leading all the way to an interrogation of the suspect. Some of the procedures followed by the police have changed since the 1960s, but this only adds to the charms of Guest’s film 60 years later.

   

          The Blu-ray release of Jigsaw presents a high-definition version of the film from a new 2K restoration. The picture is far from perfect but is a vast improvement from other copies available. Unfortunately, there are no special features to go with the newly restored print.

   

  Entertainment Value: 7/10

  Quality of Filmmaking: 7.5/10

  Historical Significance:  5/10

  Special Features: 0/10