World Noir Volume 3 Limited Edition Blu-Ray

The conclusion of World War Two saw film noir become firmly established as one of the defining Hollywood film genres, with studios almost unable to keep up with audience demand for more violent and bleak stories of murder, greed and betrayal. 

But outside of the USA, a number of European film-makers, many of whom were still reeling from the destruction levied by years of war on their respective countries, were creating works that were every bit the equal of their contemporaneous American counterparts, while often applying uniquely European sensibilities to the recently established noir framework.

This set features three such classic examples of European noir from the post-war period, with all three presented on Blu-ray with English subtitles for the very first time.

NOT GUILTY

One night, in a drunken stupor, doctor Michel Ancelin (Michel Simon, Boudu Saved From Drowning, L’Atalante) causes a tragic road accident in a small countryside town. Thanks to his brilliant mind and medical know-how, he expertly covers his tracks. Relishing in his newfound self-confidence, Michel continues to weave a complex web of lies and cause havoc in the local community. A wickedly enjoyable noir from prolific French genre director (and national swimming champion) Henri Decoin, Not Guilty is presented here for the first time with both the original and recently rediscovered alternate ending.

THE LOST ONE

Working under an alias as a doctor for displaced persons, Dr. Karl Rothe (Peter Lorre, M, Casablanca) bumps into his former colleague Nowak (Karl John, The Devil's General); both are keeping a low profile, having worked on secret scientific research for the then-Nazi government. Nowak is curious about what happened to Rothe in the intervening years and, that night, Rothe recounts how his fiancée Inge Hermann (Renate Mannhardt, The Great Temptation) sold secrets to the Allies. Inspired by a true story, Peter Lorre’s atmospheric noir - his only film as director or writer - was unpopular with audiences at the time but has since been revaluated as one of the finest examples of post-World War II German cinema.

GIRL WITH HYACINTHS

As a wild party rages on, loner Dagmar Brink (Eva Henning) plays the piano. A reveller requests a specific song. She stops abruptly. The next morning, the housekeeper finds Dagmar’s body hanging from the ceiling. Hearing what has happened, a curious neighbour - writer Anders Wikner (Ulf Palme) - gets to work investigating what led to such an event. With pitch-perfect pacing, sharp dialogue and atmospheric cinematography, Hasse Ekman’s masterful mystery was described by Ingmar Bergman as one of the greatest Swedish films of all time.

BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES:

• 4K restoration of Not Guilty by Tf1 presented on Blu-ray for the first time with English subtitles

• High-Definition digital transfer of The Lost One, presented on Blu-ray for the first time with English subtitles

• 2K restoration of Girl with Hyacinths, presented on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Sweden

• Original uncompressed mono PCM audio for all films

• Newly improved optional English subtitles for all films

• Newly designed artwork based on original posters

• Limited edition 80-page perfect bound book featuring archival pieces and new writing by critics and experts including Farran Nehme, Martyn Waites, Elena Lazic, Jourdain Searles, and more

• Limited Edition of 3,000 copies presented in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
  

NOT GUILTY

• 4K restoration of Not Guilty by Tf1 presented on Blu-ray for the first time with English subtitles
• Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
• The Perfect Crime: Henri Decoin and Not Guilty - A new visual essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith (2025, 25 mins)
• Archival radio interview with actor Michel Simon (1947, 13 mins)
• Archival behind-the-scenes radio documentary (1947, 8 mins)
• Alternate ending
• Newly translated optional English subtitles
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
  

THE LOST ONE

• High-Definition digital transfer of The Lost One, presented on Blu-ray for the first time with English subtitles
• Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Commentary by critic and programmer Tony Rayns (2025)
• Interview with critic and historian Pamela Hutchinson on Peter Lorre and The Lost One (2025, 24 mins)
• Interview with programmer and historian Margaret Deriaz on German noir, its influence on and the legacy of The Lost One (2025, 19 mins)
• Trailer
• Newly improved optional English subtitles
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
  

GIRL WITH HYACINTHS

• 2K restoration of Girl with Hyacinths, presented on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Sweden
• Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Audio commentary by Peter Jilmstad (2025)
• Meeting with Hasse - in this TV documentary filmmaker and actor Hasse Ekman discusses his career (1993, 63 mins)
• Golden Streaks in My Blood: Seeing and Not Seeing in Girl with Hyacinths - a new visual essay by Julia Armfield (2025, 11 mins)
• Newly improved optional English subtitles
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
  

Add all our June releases (Palindromes, The Tale of Oiwa's Ghost, World Noir 3 and La terra trema) to cart to receive 10% off. Discount automatically applied at cart. Ends April 9th.

Year: 1947 / 1951 / 1950 
Cert: TBC
Format: Blu-ray
Region: ABC
RAD100BDLE
EAN: 5060974681921
Release date: 23/06/25