Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Backlash Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 21, 2024

John Sturges' "Backlash" (1956) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Samm Deighan and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

John Sturges directing Richard Widmark, John McIntire, and Donna Reed in a western set in Arizona is a description that instantly raises expectations very high. In fact, it is a description that pretty much makes it impossible not to expect at least a minor masterpiece. Unfortunately, at best Backlash is only a decent western.

Jim Slater (Widmark) has arrived in Gilla Valey to find out the man responsible for his father’s death. But he does not know who he is, or what he looks like. All he knows is that he was part of his father’s crew, which went looking for gold and got ambushed by the Apache. The mysterious man, who was the only survivor, lied that he would bring back help and disappeared with a load of gold.

While burying what is left of his father and the other dead men, Slater is approached by Karyl Orton (Reed), also an outsider, who has come to Gilla Valey to settle a score. When Slater kills a man with a badge who has been following Orton, the two warm up to each other and head to Silver City, hoping to learn more that can help them with their missions. However, shortly after, they clash with the Apache too and are forced to fight for their lives.

In Silver City, Slater quickly finds himself stuck in a dispute between two powerful ranchers who are forcing men like him to choose a side. While trying his best to stay neutral and figure out the identity of the mysterious man he is tracking down, Slater angers the brash troublemaker Johnny Cool (William Campbell), who has been secretly taking orders from one of the ranchers, Jim Bonniwell (McIntire). Right before the inevitable violent resolution of the dispute between the ranchers, Slater then makes a shocking discovery that prevents him from remaining a casual observer of it.

Sturges worked with a screenplay by Borden Chase, who nearly a decade earlier collaborated with Howard Hawks on one of the all-time greatest American westerns, Red River. However, while Chase adapted one of his novels for Red River, the screenplay he handed to Sturges used original material from a novel by Frank Gruber.

This original material has unmistakable noirish themes, which is probably why Sturges was eager to direct Backlash. Indeed, unlike other conventional westerns from the same period, or earlier ones, Backlash is a multi-layered western that produces several unusually complex characters whose experiences are part of a fittingly complex story as well. A large part of this story borrows from the classic western blueprint, but a substantial part of it has a contemporary resonance that makes it quite easy to see Backlash as more than a western as well.

Unfortunately, Sturges’ direction leaves the impression that the leads and several secondary characters have been instructed to help one of the parts dominate and shape the identity of Backlash, which is why their passing through various situations, and especially the clichéd ones, is quite underwhelming, at times even awkward. For example, Johnny Cool’s antics look very much out of sync with the nature of the drama that is underway. Orton has a very solid presence in the same drama, but her decisions and statements are largely insignificant.

Backlash is a predictably good looking western. Sturges and cinematographer Irvin Glassberg effectively capture the natural beauty of Arizona and give Backlash that most familiar quality that is present in so many of the grand old American westerns. Several of the panoramic shots from the Sonoran Desert, in particular, are outstanding.

Backlash Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.00:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Backlash arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master with strong organic qualities that was supplied by Universal Pictures. So, you should expect to see slightly dated yet attractive visuals boasting good delineation, clarity, and depth. In fact, the only visuals where the age of the master clearly shows and limitations become prominent are the daylight panoramic shots with an abundance of information. However, even though it looks good now, Backlash can look much better because it was shot on a large format that can produce dramatically superior delineation, clarity, and depth. The same can be said about color reproduction. On this master, color balance and color reproduction are very convincing, but they can be even better. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. Finally, I noticed a few tiny blemishes, but there are no large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Backlash Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. All exchanges were very clear, stable, and easy to follow. Herman Stein's score sounded very good, too. In the right areas, dynamic contrasts were as effective as I would expect them to be in a film from the early 1950s. Is there any room for improvement? Perhaps some minor rebalancing work could be beneficial, but I do not think that the overall quality of audio will be improved.

Backlash Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Backlash. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Samm Deighan.

Backlash Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Backlash is a decent western, so if you decide to spend a night with it, most likely you will not be disappointed. However, its opening credits name some very, very talented people that are associated with legendary films, so it is difficult not to speculate that it should have turned out a much bigger and more impressive western. As I was approaching its final act, I just could not discard the feeling that John Sturges and several of the leads and supporting actors were not making the same western, which was more than a bit strange. On the other hand, Arizona looks as glorious as it always has in the greatest American westerns. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but good organic master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. RECOMMENDED.