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The Mark (Special Edition)

Rated:
Unrated
Format: DVD
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 27 ratings
IMDb7.2/10.0
Additional DVD options Edition Discs
Price
New from Used from
DVD
October 23, 2001
Special Edition
—
—
$49.90 $24.23
DVD —
8
$69.95
$69.95 $29.99
Format Color, Widescreen, Special Edition, NTSC
Contributor Steiger, De Banz, Whitman, Schell
Language English

Product Description

A convicted child molester is sent to prison where a psychiatrist helps him to suppress his urges and helps him to full recovery. Once out of prison he is hired for a prominent position at a firm and eventually works his way up through the ranks. At his new position he meets and becomes engaged to a widow with a ten-year-old daughter. Seemingly he begins to get his life back in order until his face is recognized at the scene of a recent molestation incident. Afterwards his life begins a torrid, downward spiral. Just as he is about to give up, his doctor from the prison forces him to remember all that was taught to him while he was inside. With the support of his fiance he begins to piece his life back together step by step.

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 5.42 x 0.58 inches; 2.93 ounces
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, Widescreen, Special Edition, NTSC
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ October 23, 2001
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Whitman, Schell, Steiger, De Banz
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ VCI Video
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00005NKTG
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
27 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

C. Carrier
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling drama drawn in cinematic elegance
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2013
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If you are lucky enough to acquire this film to watch, then you are indeed lucky. And then watch it at least 3 times: once to engross yourself in the story; a second time to listen director Guy Green's accompanying cinematic comments; and a third time to enjoy Stuart Whitman's conversation about the film and how it impacted his career and his life. This is a compelling drama that impacts the viewer to this day, with a perfect combination of dialogue and tension among the characters, beautifully played by Whitman, Maria Schell and Rod Steiger. Whitman plays it with commanding restraint, allowing us to be fully sympathetic for Jim Fuller as he struggles to re-build his life, cheering him at his little successes, worrying for him at each drawback, and hoping that he will have the strength to make it through. The Whitman-Steiger scenes are excellent and display a wonderful therapist-patient relationship. Steiger's Dr. McNally refuses to have all the answers, encourages and cajoles and chides when he has to. Schell's Ruth Leighton is a woman full of her own hurt and hope, and her sensitively portrayed role is the perfect balance to Whitman's sensitive character. With Cinemascope literally surrounding this story we are treated to black and white elegance in film hardly seen these days. The sets are lovingly created and detailed - check out McNally's crammed yet oh-so-lifelike office. Shadows and light - and rain - are all crisp. Dissolving scenes move us easily from one moment to the other, and allow the 2-hour timeframe to quickly go by. This film is a treasure - no one should miss it. Whitman earned a Best Actor Nomination for his performance, and it is deserved.
7 people found this helpful
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R. L Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars Stuart Whitman's finest hour.
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2017
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This was an elusive film I had been looking for many years, I originally owned it on Goodtimes Video back in the 80s, but could not find a DVD release until just recently. This was a daring film to make, a pedaphilia just released from prison. I was revolted by the subject matter, but Stuart Whitman gave such a nuanced Oscar nominated performance as the luckless Jim, I felt pity toward him. Although I have doubts about his conversion to heterosexual love, if it could actually happen. Rod Steiger added another bravura performance to his resume as his psychiatrist and Maria Schell was lovely. All in all a film that should not be missed but I can see where it would maintain a selective audience. Definitely a controversial film but very worthwhile.
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olderreviewer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent film! Extremely well acted by everyone in the ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2014
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Excellent film! Extremely well acted by everyone in the cast. Rod Steiger gives a jewel of a performance. Stuart Whitman remarkably underplays a psychopath on his way to healing, thus humanizing him. The direction was superb and carefully crafted. I think this is one of the best but least recognized films of all time. As a "social problem" film it doesn't preach but portrays universal traits and struggles honestly and tastefully.
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Myself
1.0 out of 5 stars Frustrated by unknown password!
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2018
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When I tried to play it, the format was coded for a European format as opposed to U.S. To change format, the directions said enter password. Unfortunately password was set by previous owner and unknown to me.
I saw this film many years ago and as a psychologist it holds a particular interest to me.
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Shelly polashak
5.0 out of 5 stars Chuck Missler is a Great teacher on the Lords Word..
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2018
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Dvds in Great shape and enjoy Chuck Missler teachings..
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Niles508
2.0 out of 5 stars Very Dated film
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2015
I watched this film on TCM, never having seen it before. It had a 4 star rating in the capsule description.

This is a very dated film, and I did not find it to be believable at all in today's world. Was it a believable film in 1961? Maybe. But I do not believe it has aged well.

It is chock full of Freudian nonsense (which held some sway in 1961). The "crime" of which the protagonist was convicted was child molestation (or something along those lines). We are not shown the trial, but the flashback to the crime evidences no actual molestation of any sort. It seems to show him taking the 10 yr old girl (who he knows) on a ride in his car without her parents permission, and she wants to go with him at first. Then she cries and wants to go home. He eventually drives her home, and it is night-time. That's it. Seems more like a kidnapping, if anything. So, the film does not present the crime of "child molestation" as we would view it today. Did 1961 society view this as child molestation?

The protagonist gets out of jail after 3 yrs (on parole). He is set up with a nice executive job -- again, not believable at all. Not in today's world, anyway. Flashbacks show him in jail with other prisoners during group therapy sessions. All the prisoners are wearing suits and ties! The therapy sessions are not at all believable (for 1961 or now). After starting work the day after he's out of prison, he befriends the boss's secretary, and she becomes his girlfriend. She knows he was released from prison, yet never do they discuss what his crime was. Never. This is simply not credible. This is what leads to his downfall, in the sense that she has no qualms about him hanging out with her 10 yr old daughter. He goes to a carnival with his girlfriend's young daughter (at the girlfriend's request), while the girlfriend fixes dinner. A newspaperman photographs the two and writes a devastating front-page article about the "child molester" hanging out with another child. (This is at least 3 or 4 yrs after the original "crime".) The idea that this would be a front page article with full-page photo just seems ridiculous today. Was it "true" to 1961 standards? I don't know, but I doubt it. If it correctly reflects the times, then all we can say is, this film reflects the times but is strictly a period piece. How the times have changed! Today's world would bears little resemblance to the world depicted in this film.

The film drags a bit, and it lacks any believability. The actual subject matter is still relevant today ( Can a "child molester" be cured? Can society accept a "cured child molester" back into society?). But, this film is too dated to speak to the subject as it presents itself in today's world.
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Good Memory Gal
5.0 out of 5 stars Fine Movie, little known
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2010
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Stuart Whitman received an Academy Award for his performance as a guilt-ridden child molester. He revealed a sensitivity which was never seen again in his Westerns.
7 people found this helpful
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sofar
2.0 out of 5 stars Offensively Naive
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014
This film about a "cured" sexual predator could not have been made today and it's hard to see how it was made in 1960. Whitman and Schell give fine performances but the premise of a reformed child molester having a relationship with a widow with a young daughter is highly offensive. They present Whitman as "The Mark" being hounded by the press simply because he is a convicted child molester. How or why any one would want to view his character as sympathetic is unfathomable. I can't help but wonder about anyone who would choose to make a film that sees the predator as victim.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Old Film Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars 2001 VCI Entertainment DVD of The Mark (1961) Is an Excellent DVD Product
Reviewed in Canada on June 5, 2022
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This review is for the 2001 VCI Entertainment DVD of The Mark (1961). The UPC on the back of the case is 0-89859-82712-9, and front cover has a yellow band that reads "WIDESCREEN" running across the case. There may be other DVD editions, maybe even other VCI DVD editions, but I bought this one to make sure I got the original widescreen format.

In addition to the film, which runs 128 minutes, the package includes two commentaries on the film, one by the Director, Guy Green, and the other by the star, Stuart Whitman. I have not listened to the Whitman commentary yet but the Guy Green commentary, though sparser than many, is very informative.

Other special features include some mini-biographies (text-only), an original trailer for the film, a number of still behind-scenes photographs of the cast, director, producer, etc., and a 12-minute film of Guy Green receiving the 2000 ASC award, presented by Karl Malden. Green is witty and charming in his acceptance speech.

There is a scene menu of 18 stops. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles. This will be a drawback for the hard of hearing. However, I should add that the dialogue is quite clear, and for those without a hearing problem, the subtitles are not necessary.

The film is shown in the original black-and-white photography, and the aspect ratio is 2.35:1, which leaves black bands of about 2 inches at the top and bottom of my rectangular LCD television screen. There were no serious problems with the print or sound. At one point I thought the disk was flawed, when it froze, but the freeze was only momentary, caused by the "layer change" which generally occurs a little over an hour into a dual-layered DVD. No dialogue or action was lost in the freeze, and it was timed for a good moment in the film, which is not always the case with layer changes.

On the film itself: I had never seen it before, and was not sure what sort of film to expect (I feared that because of the subject it might be a depressing one), but had heard good things about it. Now that I've finally seen it, I can confirm all the good things I heard. This is an excellent film -- the screenplay and acting are exceptional, and the direction and photography are excellent as well. The three leads -- Whitman, Schell and Steiger -- are all superb, and well-established British character actors -- such as Donald Wolfit, Donald Houston, Brenda de Banzie, and Maurice Denham -- complement the leads perfectly.

For a description of the story and discussion by fans, the reader here can consult the reviews on the IMDb. I don't want to spoil the plot for people who haven't seen it, by revealing too much. I'll say only that it is emotionally moving, without being at all cloying, intelligent in its handling of difficult material, and absorbing all through its two-plus hours. The IMDb ranking of only 7.2 out of 10 (based on a relatively small number of voters) is incredibly stingy; this is a film masterpiece. Any ranking lower than 8 out of 10 is ridiculous, and a case could be made for a 9 out of 10.

As a DVD package, this has everything: an excellent print of the film, not one but two commentaries (by people who actually know something about the film, and are not just blathering to fill the time), and some other special features. The only flaw is the lack of subtitles in English or other languages. Still, it gets 4.5 out of 5, which, rounded up, is a 5.
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Lewis O. Harvey, Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Service
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2014
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Item arrived on time in perfect condition. This was on of my favorite movies form the 1960's and I have been distressed that it has not been available in the USA.
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Michael
4.0 out of 5 stars Review of The Mark (1961)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2012
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Stuart Whitman stars as a recently released ex-con attempting to rehabilitate himself into British society. With the help of his psychiatrist and a sympathetic employer he's able to find lodgings and a job. It's clear though that Whitman fears the nature of his crime coming to light, being the attempted molestation of a young girl. He gradually falls for the boss's secretary who, of course, has a young daughter herself.
The Mark is a bravely and intelligently handled film dealing with very tricky and sensitive material. With hindsight it may not be a particularly convincing portrayal of a paedophile; Whitman's urges, we are informed, derive not so much from an attraction to children but rather from psychological issues in forming sexual relationships with women. The film is much more successful in exploring people's reactions to Whitman's crime, particularly the depiction of familiar types such as Donald Houston's dirt digging reporter and Maurice Denham as a sleazy landlord quick to point the moral finger. There is never really a sense that Whitman will re-offend. We more or less take for granted what we learn from Rod Steiger's psychiatrist that Whitman is not a danger. The tension in the film comes from seeing whether Whitman can hold onto his new life and relationship despite the condemnation of society.
There are two stand out performances: Whitman, who was oscar nominated but quickly faded into obscurity after this - he was also great in The Comancheros alongside John Wayne; and Steiger who is remarkably natural and believable as the psychiatrist fighting Whitman's corner.
Well worth watching but perhaps a better film exploring similar territory more convincingly is The Woodsman starring Kevin Bacon.
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kATHLEEN cLEMMENS
2.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad film
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2018
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I received dvd today thank you
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mr john popey
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2016
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excellent dvd
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