Anna Christie appears in an aspect ratio of 1.20:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Given the film’s advanced age, it came with anomalies, but it largely satisfied.
Sharpness usually fared well. A few shots came across as a little ill-defined, and I can’t claim the movie exhibits especially precise delineation much of the time.
Nonetheless, the image stayed reasonably distinctive and concise. I saw no problems with jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes remained absent.
While I suspect the movie experienced some “noise management”, it maintained a decent layer of grain and showed no distractions in that regard. The film lacked obvious print flaws.
Blacks seemed deep and dense, and low-light scenes demonstrated positive clarity. A few shots looked a bit too bright, but those occurred infrequently. Overall, the image held up well over the years.
As for the DTS-HD monaural soundtrack of Christie, it never stood out as great, but it seemed more than acceptable when I considered its age.
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Speech worked best. The lines were surprisingly natural and not as tinny or rough as I anticipated. No edginess marred the dialogue, though the pieces were moderately thin and reedy.
Effects sounded meek and feeble but remained well within the realm of acceptability for their age. Little music appeared, and those components lacked much dynamic range, but they seemed perfectly fine when I factored in their age.
Some light background noise appeared sporadically through the flick, though not enough to create distractions. “Talkies” were in their infancy when they made Christie, so its soundtrack seemed pretty good in the context of its era.
When we move to the disc’s extras, the primary attraction comes from a German-Language Alternate Version of Anna Christie. Shot at the same time as the English production and with Garbo as Anna, this edition uses a different director and supporting cast.
The German-language Christie runs 85 minutes, 53 seconds. Don’t expect the same presentation quality as the English edition, for the German one shows many more visual and auditory flaws.
Which feels like a shame because the German Christie works substantially better than the English one. It comes across as darker and more honest.
The German version also boasts substantially better acting, as the supporting performers all fare better. Apparently more comfortable with German than with English, Garbo herself also seems significantly more natural and at ease.
Because I simply don’t love the core story, I can’t claim the German edition turns into a great film. Nonetheless, it easily betters the limp English version.
Next comes a 1956 episode of a TV series called The MGM Parade. Hosted by Walter Pidgeon, it runs 29 minutes, 22 seconds and also involves a chat with filmmaker George Cukor.
The program gives us an overview of Garbo’s career. Cukor’s remarks add some value to what otherwise mainly acts as a collection of movie clips.
Aired February 7, 1938, a Lux Radio Theater broadcast of Anna Christie lasts 54 minutes, 52 seconds. Joan Crawford plays Anna and Spencer Tracy portrays Matt, while George Marion reprises his role as Chris.
Despite the star power of the two leads, the radio version of Christie seems no more interesting than the dull movie. Tracy delivers an on-and-off stab at an Irish accent and nothing really meshes. This radio production fails to work for me, but it offers an interesting historical curiosity.
Finally, a 1930 Looney Tunes animated short called The Booze Hangs High goes for six minutes, 11 seconds. A spot for Mickey Mouse ripoff Bosko, most of the short shows that character as he romps on a farm.
So what about the booze in the title? Some piglets get soused and then so does Bosko. Expect a short heavy on cutesy and light on laughs.
As the first talkie to feature Greta Garbo, Anna Christie created a sensation in 1930. In 2024, however, it feels melodramatic and dull. The Blu-ray offers solid picture and audio along with a set of supplements boosted by the inclusion of an alternate version of the movie. The film offers intrigue due to its place in history but it doesn’t entertain.