Roy Earle (Humphrey Bogart) has just been released from prison. He decides to do one last job. His plan with his former associates is to hit a California Resort. He runs into trouble, that trouble is love. After meeting a family from Ohio, Roy falls Velma (Joan Leslie). She needs a procedure to fix her leg, Roy agrees to pay for it.

While on lookout for the robbery, Roy meets Marie (Ida Lupino) and they also start to fall for each other. The plan goes sideways and Roy tells Marie to go to Las Vegas, where he will meet her there.

High Sierra is one heck of a film. Often times referred to as one of the best Film Noirs it also made Bogart a leading man, after years of being a supporting player. In fact, the script written by John Huston would be a springboard for Huston and his relationship with Bogart. They would make The Maltese Falcon later in the same year, Huston’s first directing job.

High Sierra is plan cool. Bogart is the perfect man to lead this film. He embodies the darkness and the forgiveness you need for a “criminal with a heart”. Ida Lupino is spellbinding as Marie. The direction by Raoul Walsh is top notch from the getting the most out of the locations to directing one heck of a car chase.

Grade: A+

High Sierra Video Quality

I am going to say something shocking, Criterion did a masterful job restoring High Sierra. I know your shocked as I am. Seriously the 4K restoration is outstanding. Black and white photography looks so great when it is restored. The blacks, the grays, the shadows and the textures all look amazing.

Also included in this release is Walsh’s Colorado Territory which is a loose remake of High Sierra, but a western. That too has been given a facelift and looks just as good.

Grade: A+

High Sierra Audio Quality

The gunshots sound clear and the dialogue crackles in High Sierra. There is some minor hissing happening here and there but this film is 80 years old and it sounds pretty great. The hissing is never distracting and it isn’t throughout the film so you most likely won’t notice it.

Grade: A

High Sierra Bonus Features

Spread across two discs, High Sierra is packed with bonus content.

Disc 1

W.R. Burnett: A look at the author of the book which the film is based on.

Bogart: Here’s Looking at You, Kid: An older but awesome documentary about Bogart.

Curtains for Roy Earle: A look at some gangster films.

Willie Best: Miriam J. Petty in on hand to talk about the actor in a new interview.

The Screen Guild Theater: A radio adaptation starring Bogart and Lupino.

Disc 2

Colorado Territory: Made by Walsh in 1949, this film is a western that has some ties to High Sierra, as the author of the book W.R. Burnett is citied as the inspiration behind the film. It is a really good film too and a treat that it is included here. I would’ve blind bought this film if it was released separately and nit have been disappointed.

The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh: A feature length documentary about the famed director is great.

Dave Kerr and Farran Smith Nehme: A new interview discussing Walsh.

Grade: A+

High Sierra is a great film that gets an equally great release from Criterion. The bonus features are incredible and even include a second film by Walsh, Colorado Territory. This is an easy buy.

Overall: A+