The Fallen Idol

Newly restored as part of Studiocanal's Vintage Classics collection, this re-release of what should be considered a British classic shows off Carol Reed's striking visual style to great effect.

Apart from a featurette exploring the film's locations and a before-and-after comparison of the restoration, the extras consist of a series of interviews that could do with some judicious editing. Robert Henrey recollects his experiences on the set (filtered through the benefit of hindsight given that he was only eight years old at the time of making the film) while Guy Hamilton (who was first assistant director on the film) provides some nice anecdotes about Carol Reed's on set working style and reminisces about the making of the film (they had no end of problems with Henrey's attention span, which Hamilton describes as that of "a demented flea").

Richard Ayoade may seem like a random choice as an interviewee but both he and film historian Charles Drazin provide insight into - and context for - the film's production, the careers of Reed and Graham Greene, the performances, and the narrative construction and visual style of the film itself.