6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Bandit and his gang, with booty acquired from destroying a nearby town, demand passage on the ferry--or else! The fiercely independent ferry operator declines...
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Warren Oates, Forrest Tucker, Kerwin Mathews, Mariette HartleyWestern | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Shaping his reputation as the hardest of the hard men of the west, Lee Van Cleef signs up for defense duty in 1970’s “Barquero.” A cowboy saga about bitter, unflinching men, the picture benefits from its star’s customary domination, with Van Cleef using acting tools of intimidation and impatience to give the feature a decidedly masculine position, matched well with Warren Oates as the maniac baddie. “Barquero” is raw, with surprising violence for the era, but it’s also an appealing standoff tale, using its surroundings inventively as two brutes battle over a barge along a wide, rushing river. Some weird ideas on sexual bargaining and insect threat remains, and the effort is a good 20 minutes too long, but for Van Cleef completists, the movie is brawny, aggressive, and entertaining in fits, joining the screen legend’s long roster of meaty cinematic accomplishments.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is perhaps the most enticing "Barquero" has ever looked, but this low-budget effort doesn't make it easy on HD expectations. Grain is erratic, with fluctuating levels of intensity that tend to break the visual flow of shots, offering a few noisy bursts along the way. The feature's second half utilizes day for night processing, which tends to dilute everything filmic about the frame, with the BD lacking intensity, though it's an inherently cinematographic problem. In the daylight, fine detail emerges on sweaty faces and the spare construction of the riverside town. Textures are acceptable, isolating creases and woodwork, with a reasonable amount of sharpness to sustain clarity. Colors are adequate as well, with secure skintones and a nice overview of costuming, while outdoorsy hues sustain intent. Delineation runs into photography limitations (contrast tends to lose stability during the aforementioned "sundown" hours), but doesn't entirely solidify. Print is in encouraging shape, with only a few marks of damage detected.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is also hampered by the production's limited resources, offering some of the worst on-set dialogue recording I've encountered. Voices are buried in the track, keeping hushed and easily overwhelmed by atmospherics, with rushing water a persist foe to dialogue exchanges. Volume riding is required to pick up everything, but once the knob is turned up to hear the characters, the score comes crashing into play, offering a loudness that keeps the listening experience out of whack. Instrumentation is capable, but loses effectiveness when the burden of balance is placed on the viewer. Sound effects are the only element that comes across stable, presenting snappy gunfire and deep rifle booms, along with galloping horses and assorted combat chaos.
"Barquero" keeps up with the times by including a spaghetti western-style score from Dominic Frontiere, amplifying the action with musical authority. And performances are strong, with a pro like Tucker able to make a feeble concept that involves Mountain Phil's use of ants as a threat to make one of Remy's men talk passably interesting. While decidedly slow going between conflicts, "Barquero" offers a satisfying handle on character definition and western-style animosity, maintain a convincing run of intimidation between two forceful personalities. And with Van Cleef, there's never a dull moment as he attempts to glare every close-up into submission.
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