Peeping Tom (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Jul 24, 2024
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Michael Powell

Release Date(s)

1960 (May 14, 2024)

Studio(s)

Michael Powell (Theatre) (The Criterion Collection – Spine #58)

Film/Program Grade: A
Video Grade: A+
Audio Grade: A
Extras Grade: A-

Review

For filmmakers, it must be difficult to imagine helming a piece of work that doesn’t just simply create controversy, but destroys their careers entirely in their home country. Such was the case for Michael Powell. He and Emeric Pressburger, known collectively as “The Archers,” had made names for themselves in the United Kingdom with films like The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, The Red Shoes, and Black Narcisuss—later considered by many to be among the UK’s greatest and most respected filmmakers. Over time, their paths diverged as the rate and success of their collaborative efforts was not what it once was. Powell continued to direct, but none of his works were considered more contentious than 1960’s Peeping Tom. The film’s subject matter and its execution received an appallingly vitriolic reaction from British film critics, eventually forcing Powell to leave Britain in order to continue working, though never fully recovering from it.

In the film, Mark (Karlheinz Böhm) is a shy and private cameraman who hopes to become a filmmaker one day, while also photographing softcore pin-up models on the side. Unbeknownst to everyone, he’s obsessed with capturing the look of fear on women’s faces at the moment of their deaths, something he achieves with the leg of his tripod acting as a knife as he approaches them with his camera. He hopes to take all of the footage and someday make what he believes will be an important documentary. His next-door neighbor Helen (Anna Massey) takes a sudden academic and romantic interest in him, but as the police begin to question everyone involved with the various murders he’s committed, keeping his collection private and carrying on with his work becomes an uncertainty.

Essentially a British Psycho (released the same year), Peeping Tom explores the idea of not only seeing things from a killer’s point of view, but also getting to know and understand him in a way that potentially makes you feel uncomfortable; which is what drove critics away from the film in droves, by not wanting to identify with such a terrible and complicated person. According to what we learn about Mark in the film, he’s going through motions that were taught to him by his obsessive psychiatrist father, who wished to document everything about him; but more importantly, to analyze his emotions, especially his fears. This seemed to have an adverse effect on Mark, who would grow up to do similar things, but with deadlier results. The psychology of this was most definitely overlooked at the time of the film’s release, with most viewing the subject matter as nothing more than lurid trash. Even the actor himself was on the receiving end of this criticism, which broke his heart.

Yet as always, when a masterpiece like this is misunderstood straight away upon arrival, it’s always heralded later in its life. In this case, it was championed by the likes of Martin Scorsese. British film critics eventually changed their tune and realized what a darkly disturbing and dryly humorous film it was, thoroughly well-made with specific intentions, not necessarily to titillate. As such, Peeping Tom is now considered one of Britain’s greatest films, but sadly, Michael Powell didn’t live long enough to see it full come into its fully-respected fruition. Thankfully, he was approached by Scorsese and others before he left us, who let him know what a fine piece of work it truly was.

Controversies aside, Peeping Tom’s complexities and thematics enhance what is an otherwise straightforward look at a disturbed person in a world full of hypocritical monotony and ugliness. Performances are terrific all around, especially from Karlheinz Böhm, as well as Anna Massey.

Peeping Tom was shot by cinematographer Otto Heller on 35 mm film with Mitchell and Arriflex cameras and spherical lenses, and finished photochemically using the Eastmancolor process in the aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The Criterion Collection brings the film to 4K Ultra HD in the US for the first time, utilizing StudioCanal’s 4K restoration of a 6K scan of the original camera negative (performed with the participation of Thelma Schoonmaker), graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a BD-100 triple-layered disc. It’s an absolutely gorgeous picture, even with the minor opticals that are obviously softer than the vast majority of the presentation. Everything is otherwise sharp with great clarity and detail, with a bitrate hovering mostly between 80 and 90Mbps at any given moment. The HDR grades thoroughly deepen black levels and soak up the nuances within the saturation, whether it’s the bright streets of Soho, or the darkened interiors of Mark’s flat. Contrast is perfect and the picture is clean and stable throughout, leaving no room for complaint. It’s virtually perfect.

Audio is presented in English mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. This uncompressed source is far cleaner than before, but still carries a mild hiss. Dialogue exchanges are clear and discernible, while the score and sound effects have an appropriate amount of push. It may be a narrow track by nature, but it offers plenty of fidelity when needed.

Peeping Tom on 4K Ultra HD sits in a clear Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray featuring the film and additional extras. Also included is a fold-out insert featuring cast and crew information, the essay He Has His Father’s Eyes by Megan Abbott, restoration details, and production credits. The following extras are included on each disc.

DISC ONE (UHD)

Audio Commentary with Ian Christie
Audio Commentary with Laura Mulvey

DISC TWO (BD)

Audio Commentary with Ian Christie
Audio Commentary with Laura Mulvey
Introduction by Martin Scorsese (Upscaled SD – 2:10)
Thelma Schoonmaker (Upscaled SD – 10:24)
The Eye of the Beholder (Upscaled SD – 18:48)
A Very British Psycho (SD – 50:40)
Restoring Peeping Tom (HD – 14:55)
Trailer (Upscaled SD – 2:27)

The first audio commentary with film scholar Ian Christie was recorded in 2007, though it didn’t seem to be used until the 2010 Region B Blu-ray release from Optimum Releasing. The second with film theorist Laura Mulvey was recorded in 1994 for Criterion’s LaserDisc release, and later included on their DVD release. Christie is partly screen-specific, mostly delving into the history of the production, as well as information about its cast and crew. Meanwhile, Mulvey is almost entirely screen-specific, highlighting many of the film’s visuals and thematics as we go along. Since the latter is a much more vintage commentary, it’s also more sporadic in terms of silent passages. Regardless, both commentaries offer a wealth of information. In the Introduction by Martin Scorsese and the interview with Thelma Schoonmaker, both express their admiration for Powell, discussing the negative reaction to Peeping Tom and how it affected the long-respected filmmaker, whom Schoomaker was married to briefly. The Eye of the Beholder is a 2005 featurette about the film, containing interviews with Ian Christie, Martin Scorsese, Karlheinz Böhm, Thelma Schoonmaker, Laura Mulvey, and Michael Powell’s son, Columba Powell. A Very British Psycho is a 1997 documentary by Christopher Rodley about the life of screenwriter Leo Marks, featuring interviews with its subject, director Michael Powell, actors Karlheinz Böhm, Pamela Green, and Anna Massey, as well as a swath of critics and those closest to Marks. Restoring Peeping Tom speaks to the film’s restoration team, discussing the challenges of scanning and restoring the film 4K. Last is the film’s trailer.

There’s also some bonus material from previous releases that hasn’t been included. The 1999 Criterion DVD features a Stills Gallery, the 2010 Optimum Releasing Region B Blu-ray includes the featurette The Strange Gaze of Mark Lewis, and the StudioCanal 4K UHD release from earlier in 2024 features the Visions of Voyeurism interview with Sir Christopher Frayling and Take Me to Your Cinema: The Legacy of Peeping Tom interview with Rhianna Dhillon and Anna Bogustskaya, as well as a Restoration Trailer.

For a number of years, Peeping Tom was out of print in the United States due to Criterion and StudioCanal (who owns the rights to the film) parting ways for some time. Along with other films in that catalog, Peeping Tom is not only available once again, but in a beautiful new 4K presentation. Horror fans who prefer their films to be more complex that have yet to see this film owe it to themselves to seek it out immediately. The disc itself is a must-own. Highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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