Many old films get lauded as "great" largely because of their age. But, when viewed in modern terms and on technical merit, they often fall short. I think this is such a film, though it's still entertaining.
A big flaw was the use of dramatic license to blow up a photograph and send it over the wire as critical just-in-time evidence. It wasn't a detailed film negative, rather a finished print which could have been examined under a magnifier or microscope for the same result. Why bother with all the photo processing if he was in such a hurry?
Either way, the result was unlikely at the stated magnification unless the print was uncannily sharp. Also, the exact date they were after could have been reasonably determined by the pattern of photos and paragraphs visible at lower magnification. It seemed contrived, and it didn't happen in the real-life incident.
There are algorithms for analyzing similar video frames and combining the sum of their data into one clearer frame, but film & TV producers tend to treat enlarging as a supernatural process that derives something from nothing. Does the public really buy it?
"Northside" has the classic Jimmy Stewart earnestness ("couldja just give me a little more time?!") and nostalgic black & white imagery, but I wouldn't call it one of the best films of that era.
A big flaw was the use of dramatic license to blow up a photograph and send it over the wire as critical just-in-time evidence. It wasn't a detailed film negative, rather a finished print which could have been examined under a magnifier or microscope for the same result. Why bother with all the photo processing if he was in such a hurry?
Either way, the result was unlikely at the stated magnification unless the print was uncannily sharp. Also, the exact date they were after could have been reasonably determined by the pattern of photos and paragraphs visible at lower magnification. It seemed contrived, and it didn't happen in the real-life incident.
There are algorithms for analyzing similar video frames and combining the sum of their data into one clearer frame, but film & TV producers tend to treat enlarging as a supernatural process that derives something from nothing. Does the public really buy it?
"Northside" has the classic Jimmy Stewart earnestness ("couldja just give me a little more time?!") and nostalgic black & white imagery, but I wouldn't call it one of the best films of that era.