Iselin is a political dupe who is easily manipulated by his wife. Henry Silva portrays Chunjin, the interpreter who delivers Raymond and his platoon into the waiting hands of communist forces. The film's tension filled climax is an emotional Rollercoaster ride, certain to leave a lasting impression. However, the black and white image will be acceptable to undiscriminating viewers. The Letterboxed presentation restores most of the film's theatrical framing and is far more satisfying.
Blacks are deep black while the image has superior contrast and fine detail.
MPEG-2 compression artifacts were hardly a problem on either presentation. The Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack has acceptable fidelity and will take a fair amount of amplification. Other soundtrack options include French and Spanish language tracks. Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish. The interactive menus offer access to a number of supplemental features including an audio commentary by director Frankenheimer.