Shock Corridor: Criterion Collection – Blu-ray Review

The Film:

Only Sam Fuller could make a character like Trent, a well-rounded black man that fully believes he is a white supremacist and a KKK member. In a scene that packs a visceral cultural shock now days, sees Trent viciously chasing another black man to hurt him. I don’t know how audiences then felt, as the film gained popularity throughout the years, but as Criterion releases this in the final year of the Obama administration, Trent represents a powerful token of how far we came, yet how close it still all is. Sam Fuller has made a career in social and political subtext within his films, as the character of Trent would be envisioned again in his most racially charged film, the criminally under seen White Dog.

Even at that, it still isn’t what Shock Corridor is about. Sam Fuller made great stories first and foremost, crediting getting a good story first, then the filming. “What makes a good story? ” an interviewer once asked Fuller. his response: “A good story.” While Fuller’s career and identity as a writer/director would be defined by his social commentary, and remember this is 1963 during the Civil Rights Movement, Fuller’s films would never be defined by the technical aspects, but by his fusion of these ideas within a pulp novel framework.

It’s pulp fiction, mostly. Shock Corridor follows a journalist who must solve a murder by committing himself to a mental institute to discover the killer. By cracking the case, he’d receive the Pulitzer Prize. But not long after his entry into the institute, he cracks and loses himself within the madness. Like Pagliacci tells our journalist, “And, when we’re asleep, nobody can tell a sane man from an insane man, huh?”

One man’s dream leads even his lover, a stripper named Cathy, into madness with him. Shock Corridor is a reference map of characterizations, something that feels like a breakdown of society. Again, with his pulp stories, comes these wonderful and poignant tales of who we are and maybe always will be. One can see how Shock Corridor has influenced films like The Breakfast Club and Scorsese’s Shutter Island. They don’t make films like this anymore and they don’t make writer/directors like Sam Fuller anymore either.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Released in 1998 on DVD from Criterion, this is a massive upgrade. As it should, since technology has evolved. Outside of the color stock footage used in two short dream sequences, there’s no damage on the print. The black-and-white picture is really good, given the source. Not Criterion’s best black-and-white HD image, but it’s still damn good. The mono track gets a new mix, and it’s devoid of the typical hisses and pops. Good stuff and worth the upgrade to 1080p.

An interview with actress Constance Towers: Running in under 30 minutes and in HD, this piece covers the actress who played Cathy and her work with Fuller and his methods. It’s a bit more informative than you’d think and is a wonderful look back.

The Typewriter, the Rifle and the Movie Camera: This wonderful hour-long documentary features interviews with Fuller, but also Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Tim Robbins, and Jim Jarmusch. It’s a look back at the career, the man, and the films, making for a great companion piece to the other Fuller Criterion films (like White Dog, The First Films of Sam Fuller, and Naked Kiss).

Besides the original Trailer, Criterion also included their usual great essay book, and cool cover art by Ghost World artist Daniel Clowe.

The Film: Rating:

The Blu-ray: Rating:

Jon Peters

I love film. That is all.

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