I'm half sure I reviewed it but, of course, can't find it with the search.
[NOTE: I should point out that I saw the movie on a screwed-up stream with terrible picture quality. I later realized that there was something wrong with the stream. The bad picture quality that I saw could not have helped my opinion of the movie. But, no matter the picture quality, this is a terrible movie]
I actually think this would make a huge difference. John Alton's work deserves a good quality image and is the film's biggest selling point for me.
Lewis loved to talk about the time Wilde (who also served as the film's associate producer) attempt to have him fired from the film. Speaking at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1998, Lewis noted that Wilde was furious over a scene in which Conte kisses Jean Wallace (Wilde's wife at the time) and then disappears down below camera range, resulting in Wallace looking especially aroused. In the end, Lewis kept his job on the film — but one can't help but think that he included this bit of implied oral sex for no other reason than to infuriate his uptight star.
Watched the UK blu-ray of 'The Big Combo' last night (I imagine the US blu-ray from Olive has the same scan)... It's been a few years since I last watched this one, but what the blu-ray makes crystal clear is that it's not without reason that John Alton got his own title card in this movie. His work here is impeccable, gorgeous cinematography. Worth watching just for his ability to make shadows come alive. But I think this movie is a topshelf noir from start to finish.I agree with CJ, this movie has it all. It's dark, it's kinky, it's sadistic, it's pure noir. To me this movie is a throwback to the stylized, ambiguous noirs of the 40s, instead of the more 'realistic' and procedural-oriented noirs of the 50s.If there's a negative, it's Jean Wallace, both the actress and her character don't really fit the movie. She's not the greatest actress ever and one wonders what the suave and confident Mr. Brown (Richard Conte at his best) ever saw in her character in the first place, let alone keep her by his side for 4 years. Or why Wilde would obsess over her while keeping the way sexier, and more sympathetic, burlesque dancer Helene Stanton at bay (but close enough for some hanky panky when needed)...Im looking forward to diving into the commentary track and other extra's soon...In regards to it kinkiness, Wilde certainly thought it was too sexually charged (from http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,59141,00.html):
The cinematography was just ok to me.