DVDs in Review

The Paul Newman Collection: Volume 2

Title: The Paul Newman Collection: Volume 2

Release date: September 21 2009

Certificate: 12

Format: DVD

DVD RRP: £22.99

Rating: 4/5

While the first collection of Paul Newman's Warner Brothers years contained some respected classics, this sequel of sorts is more of a mismatched affair, simply plugging the gaps of the late, great film icon's career. However, it does yield some intriguing, overlooked surprises - all of which haven't been on DVD before.

For one, there's his first ever film. Newman takes the lead role in 'The Silver Chalice' (1954) in which he plays a Greek sculptor commissioned to recreate the chalice that Jesus Christ drank out of during the Last Supper.

As a film, it's a hammed up, under-par drama with not much going for it. In fact, Newman famously dismissed his own performance, taking out a full page ad in Variety magazine stating his embarrassment of the role - an incredibly risky thing for an actor at the start of his career to do.

A few years later, his career had thankfully taken off (thanks to the triumphant 'Somebody Up There Likes Me'), and he starred in 'The Helen Morgan Story' (1957) - another somewhat forgettable little film, averagely directed by Michael Curtiz ('Casablanca'). It's a pretty standard biopic of the popular 1920s/30s singer in which Newman gets to play somewhat of a badboy.

Next in the set, is 'The Outrage' from 1964 - an intriguing take of Akira Kurosawa's classic 'Rashomon'. Taking form as a western, Newman plays a bandit accused of raping the wife of a man who just lets it happen, setting up the stage for a variety of different viewpoints on the crime.

Truth is examined as the "facts" become muddled and distorted. It was never going to top 'Rashomon' but it's a highly watchable take on the classic story, boasting some equally overlooked performances from Laurence Harvey, Claire Bloom and the always dependable Edward G Robinson.

By far the most interesting film in this collection has to be 1968's searing psychological drama 'Rachel, Rachel', which also marked Newman's assured directorial debut. He doesn't appear but behind the scenes, he guides his wife Joanne Woodward through one of her greatest roles as a confused schoolteacher who could be schizophrenic (resulting in a much deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination).

Haunted by memories of her past and disturbed by brief glimpses of what she wants her future to be, the buttoned down spinster uncoils as her lonely existence implodes. 'Rachel, Rachel' controversially covers such issues as lesbianism, pre-marital sex and abortion.

It's easy to see why it landed Newman an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, although somewhat shockingly no nod for Best Director. Easily the best film in this set, 'Rachel, Rachel' is the work of a master director who just happens to be a spellbinding actor in his own right.

Last in the set is a bad, cheesy disaster thriller from 1980 - 'When Time Ran Out'. Newman teams up with his co-star from 'The Towering Inferno' once again, William Holden (alongside many more respected actors) to flee from an erupting volcano on a small island.

The 1970s saw a wave of solid disaster flicks, but by the 80s the limited genre had dissolved. This is one of its victims, but 'When Time Ran Out' is very watchable and fun. Take it for what it's worth and it certainly won't offend.

Warner Brothers have done a great job bringing these neglected films back into public consciousness. The prints are fine, even if the discs do lack any real extra features. Naturally, Paul Newman fans will have already set their sights on this.