It's no small feat to his performance that when his character pays the price for his folly, I certainly felt his loss. While the characters may be basic, it is to Leder's credit that the science is not so completely implausible as to send intelligent people laughing out of the theater. While I don't think anyone today would try to dynamite the control room of an atomic reactor, almost everything sounds like it could make sense. Simply put, it is a beautiful transfer. While the movie shows some wear and tear at the very beginning, it quickly levels out to one of the best black and white movies I have watched in some time.
Blacks are deep and solid, while shadow detail is very strong.
The source material from which this transfer was struck was restored by Criterion and, with the noted exception of some nicks and scratches at the very beginning, looks quite stunning. These people know how to make a movie look great and most other studios could learn a thing or two from them. Sound is of the Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono variety and it's effective in what it needs to do. Dialogue is clearly recorded and the movie's unique sound effects are easily heard. It should also be noted that the track is also free of most background distortions like pops and tape hiss.