Blu-ray Film Review | StudioCanal

The Rebel (1961) • Blu-ray [StudioCanal, Vintage Classics] — classic British comedy with Tony Hancock at his best

A man gives up his day job to become an artist and, despite his lack of skill, becomes the toast of Paris.

There’s no doubt that The Rebel is the funniest film ever made about modern art, and it remains a shining example of classic British comedy writing. It’s essential viewing for all art enthusiasts, especially those with an irreverent sense of humour who will enjoy quoting its wickedly astute dialogue during gallery visits. So, it’s welcome news that The Rebel, retitled Call Me Genius in the US, is being presented uncut and in its original aspect ratio on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK by StudioCanal. Remastered at 2K from the original film elements, it has never looked or sounded better, although it’s delightfully dated and of its time.

In the late-1950s, Tony Hancock was the highest paid and most recognisable television personality in the UK. He was known as “the comedian who cleared the streets,” for…