A Child of the King - BLU-RAY

In Joseph Losey's stirring World War I saga, Dirk Bogarde is Charles Hargreaves, a no-nonsense British captain assigned to defend a fellow soldier (Tom Courtenay), accused of desertion. Initially, Hargreaves thinks his client will get a well-deserved conviction, but the more he uncovers about the case, the more he wants to save him from a firing squad. Leo McKern also stars. 86 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack English DTS Lossless stereo; Subtitles English; audio commentary; interviews; theatrical trailer.

Adapted for the screen from the best-selling novel by Peter Maas, director Frank Pierson weaves a compelling tale of New York's ''gypsies'' and their criminal underworld. Dave (Eric Roberts), the grandson and heir apparent to the dying ''King'' (Sterling Hayden), is torn between his legacy and the outside world, and is soon faced with a decision that will forever alter his life and the lives of those around him. Photographed by famed cinematographer Sven Nykvist, King of the Gypsies is a tale of love, rivalry, jealousy, murder and intrigue, and features first-rate performances by a supporting cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Annie Potts, Annette O'Toole, Brooke Shields, along with Hollywood royalty Shelley Winters and Sterling Hayden.

In the waning days of World War I, Scottish soldier Charles Plumpick (Alan Bates) draws the thankless job of locating and defusing a time bomb left in a small French town by retreating German forces. His mission faces compromise, however, as the village's only remaining occupants-the escaped residents of the insane asylum-want to crown Plumpick as their leader, rather than assist him. Philippe de Broca's beloved farce co-stars Genevieve Bujold, Pierre Brasseur, Adolfo Celi. 101 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack French; Subtitles English. In French with English subtitles.