3 Clint Eastwood Classics Ride Triumphantly Onto 4K UHD
Warner Bros. may be a misguided place at the studio level when it comes to their recent handling of theatrical titles, but their home video division is doing fantastic work across the board. The label's most recent triumph comes with the release of three Clint Eastwood classics to 4K UHD for the first time.
The Outlaw Josey Wales wastes no time in setting up its premise. We see Josey (Eastwood) enjoying a quiet farm life with his wife and child only to be interrupted by the arrival of some rogue Union soldiers who leave all of them for dead. Josey survives, obviously, and some years later he's a man on a mission. He's a shell of a man, and all he wants is vengeance, but the friends he makes along the way have other ideas.
Eastwood's fifth film as director, his second Western behind the camera, feels like a reaction of sorts to High Plains Drifter from three years prior. While that film is a masterful tale of revenge absolutely soaked in darkness, blood, and cruelty, The Outlaw Josey Wales treads a lighter path. It starts with violence and features several shootouts, but the message about the power of companionship is unavoidably clear.
Josey meets several people on his journey, from Native Americans to travelers in distress, and as much as he'd prefer to be alone, they're drawn to him all the same. Eastwood never goes overboard in driving the theme home, and instead, it's allowed to simply exist alongside the beautiful vistas and brutal shootouts.
WB's new 4K UHD is a stunner on the visual front with a picture that looks richer and brighter than previous releases. We also get an improvement on the audio side as the original 2.0 theatrical sound mix is included alongside the new Dolby Atmos mix. Both are strong tracks, and it's great to have the option. The extras are a mix of the new and old as seen here:
- Commentary by Richard Schickel
- *NEW* An Outlaw and Antihero [7:22] - A new featurette featuring clips from the film and talking heads discussing the marriage of antiheroes and outlaws. Most of the speakers are film studies professors and the like, so the segments are more educational than charismatic or entertaining.
- *NEW* The Cinematography of an Outlaw: Crafting Josey Wales [7:55] - Some of the same talking heads discuss the visual style of Eastwood's westerns and the work of cinematographer Bruce Surtees.
- Clint Eastwood's West [29:03] - A retrospective about Eastwood's affection for westerns, how he took the best of John Ford and John Wayne into his own work, and more. Clips from films and talking heads chart Eastwood's journey from television westerns to spaghetti westerns to the westerns that he himself directed. Kevin Costner, James Mangold, Frank Darabont, and John Lee Hancock are among the filmmakers sharing their thoughts.
- Eastwood in Action [7:54] - A featurette produced at the time of the film's release.
- Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales [29:14] - A previously produced featurette on the film's production.
- Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy - Reinventing Westerns [17:36] - Producers, writers, and more discuss Eastwood's attraction to westerns. There's a lot of overlap with extras above, not just in content but in literal talking head segments, but what's new is still worthwhile.
Dirty Harry needs no real introduction, and it's not just because he lets his gun do the talking. Don Siegel's film kicked off a whole generation of imitators, and its influences can still be felt today every time a cop goes rogue on screen.
Harry Callahan (Eastwood) is a San Francisco homicide detective assigned to a murder that suggests a serial killer with a sniper rifle might be stalking the city's citizens. As he cracks down on the case, though, bureaucracy and concerns about suspect rights threaten to get in the way of justice. It's a fine line, and Harry's about to walk right over the edge.
Dirty Harry is the first in a five-film franchise, and it remains a terrific thriller with an entertainingly crass antihero at its center. Eastwood thrives in the role as his tough guy persona and simmering disgust pair well with the character's challenges. The action beats and suspense set pieces are solidly crafted, and the film makes great use of the city's landscape and skyline.
As with the film above, WB's new 4K UHD release of Dirty Harry is an across-the-board winner. A beautiful new transfer and the addition of the original 2.0 sound mix make this the best release of the film we're likely to ever get, want, or need. The extras feature some new featurettes alongside older supplements.
- Commentary by Richard Schickel
- *NEW* Generations and Dirty Harry [6:15] - A new featurette with various talking heads discussing the film's appeal across time and generations. It suggests that young people dig it too, but it avoids a large swath of that audience who dismiss it for being offensive and politically incorrect. Ultimately complimentary to the film, but not wholly honest.
- *NEW* Lensing Justice: The Cinematography of Dirty Harry [7:54] - A celebration of cinematographer Bruce Surtees and his work on the film.
- American Masters Career Retrospective - Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows [1:26:57] - A documentary from 2000 showering Eastwood with affection, praise, and respect.
- Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso [58:07] - A 1994 documentary that once again loves Eastwood.
- Clint Eastwood - A Cinematic Legacy: Fighting for Justice [17:33] - Some heavy hitters like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gene Hackman, Mel Gibson, and more celebrate Eastwood's heroic roles.
- Interview gallery [26:38] - A selection of ten old, random, very short interviews.
- Dirty Harry's Way [6:58] - A featurette made during the film's production.
- Dirty Harry: The Original [29:43] - Robert Urich hosts this featurette exploring the character of Harry Callahan.
Pale Rider saw Eastwood return to the saddle at a time when Westerns were in serious decline on the big screen, but it became a triumph anyway. As with the Western above, this mid 80s film feels like a response to the vaguely supernatural nihilism of High Plains Drifter, but that connection feels even more direct this time around.
A small mining camp is targeted by a wealthy man who wants their land and the gold beneath their feet, and it's unclear how much longer they can hold out against him. A teenage girl prays for God to send help, and a stranger arrives that very day on a pale horse. The preacher (Eastwood) never gives his name, but his skills with guns, fists, and blocks of wood see him instantly become a hero to the families. He encourages them to stand up to the bully, and then he leaves...
It's no spoiler to say that Pale Rider ends on more of a positive note than High Plains Drifter, and the supernatural elements are mostly downplayed, but it still feels like an interesting mirror image of the earlier film. Eastwood's character is a softer man who only gets brutally efficient, when necessary, but the action still thrills. It's also a beautiful film taking full advantage of its filming locations in California and Idaho. Consider it Eastwood's version of Shane, maybe?
WB's new 4K release, as with the two films above, is a triumph. The HDR10 transfer and effort expended result in a beautiful film capturing detail, color, depth, and the vastness of the landscape. They've also included the original theatrical audio track in addition to the new Dolby Atmos one. The technical details are a high-water mark and a lesson for other studios [cough Fox cough] to follow when crafting new 4K transfers of older films. The extras include the following.
- *NEW* The Diary of Sydney Penny: Lessons from the Set [7:26] - The actor recalls landing the role, working with Eastwood as actor and director, the film's production, and more.
- *NEW* Painting the Preacher: The Cinematography of Pale Rider [8:36] - A talking head featurette featuring crew, film professors, and more talking about cinematographer Bruce Surtees and his work on the film.
- Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy - Reinventing Westerns [17:36] - A featurette that's also on the new 4K UHD of The Outlaw Josey Wales.
- Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story [1:01:41] - Lots of big names share their appreciation for Eastwood's talents, films, and character.
- The Eastwood Factor [1:28:27] - Another feature-length documentary exploring the filmmaker's career.
