Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Bend of the River Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 26, 2018

Anthony Mann's "Bend of the River" (1952) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media. The supplemental features on the disc include an original U.S. theatrical trailer for the film and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English or German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The man from Missouri

There isn’t a shortage of people who believe that this classic western is director Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart’s masterpiece. It was the first that they did in Technicolor. It is based on Bill Gullick’s novel Bend of the Snake and an original screenplay by Borden Chase, who also worked with Howard Hawks on another timeless western, Red River.

Former burglar Glyn McLyntock (Stewart) is hired to lead a large caravan of settlers from Missouri to the great Oregon Territory, where they plan to start a new life. McLyntock, who has been a raider the majority of his life and now feels ashamed of his past, also intends to make a permanent change by becoming a farmer.

Along the way, McLyntock saves the life of Emerson Cole (Arthur Kennedy), another reformed raider on his way to California, who has been tracked down and captured by a mob of very angry cowboys that have accused him of stealing from them. The two quickly warm up to each other, and a few days later, Cole returns the favor and saves McLyntock’s life after a group of Shoshone Indians attack the caravan. During the attack, the Indian warriors seriously injure the beautiful Laura Baile (Julie Adams), who has started admiring McLyntock directness and sense of humor. In Portland, the settlers approach the owner of the biggest saloon in town, Tom Hendricks (Howard Petrie), and purchase from him a large load of food supplies and farm seeds that are to be delivered to their final destination before the first snow falls. However, when the gold rush fever reaches the town the price of food skyrockets and Hendricks refuses to honor his end of the deal, which forces McLyntock and a few of the settlers to head back and claim what they have prepaid. During their confrontation with Hendricks and his boys, the settlers are joined by the extravagant gambler Trey Wilson (Rock Hudson).

Unlike so many other westerns from the ‘50s and even the early ‘60s, Bend of the River produces all of its meaningful contrasts without the presence of conventional perfect characters. Indeed, in this film everyone has some baggage and the casual manner in which ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters recognize that they could have made better decisions makes these contrasts look far more authentic. Also, when confrontations occur, there is very little of that familiar cinematic glamour that many westerns are known for. Life is still cheap, but death does not come during a flashy act that feels like it was rehearsed many times to leave a specific impression.

Stewart’s wonderful performance is defined by a terrific sense of humor that truly elevates the entire film. There are just endless examples of seemingly very ordinary sequences that become special simply because he has some very funny or witty lines that are delivered with the right tone at the perfect time.

Bend of the River Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Anthony Mann's The Bend of the River arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Explosive Media.

The technical presentation is a lot better than that of Ulzana's Raid, though this release is also sourced from a pre-existing master. What makes a serious difference here is the absence of strong sharpening which allow the entire film to have a much more balanced and for the most part pleasing organic appearance. So, there are various daylight (see screencapture #1) and nighttime sequences (see screencapture #3) where decent definition and depth can be observed. There is even pretty good clarity as well. The limitations of the existing master become obvious during panoramic footage (see screencapture #5 and 9) where color alignment issues emerge. Since this was a Technicolor project, depth is affected and with it also fluidity. Obviously, a newly restored master would address these issues and also introduce notably better grain structure. The good news is that even on a large screen the current master does have some decent qualities, and a direct comparison with the old North American DVD release does reveal some very meaningful improvements. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Bend of the River Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is very, very good. I was actually quite surprised because the terrific stability and clarity suggest that it was fully remastered at some point, likely before the old DVD release was produced. The great score also breathes very easily and is free of distortions. It is possible that some balance improvements can be made, but the overall quality of the lossless track is as good as I hoped it would be.

Bend of the River Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original remastered theatrical U.S. trailer for Bend of the River. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Promo Materials - vintage promotional materials for the film. (3 min).

• Stills - a collection of original production stills. (3 min).

• German Dubbed Version -

• Reversible Cover -

Bend of the River Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anthony Mann and Jimmy Stewart's first western in Technicolor, Bend of the River, is really a minor masterpiece. It has that pure classic vibe, but it manages to remain grounded in reality while at the same time it allows its stars to shine bright. I think that this was a pretty unusual accomplishment for a western from the early 1950s. It is not yet available on Blu-ray in the United States, but this Swiss/German release offers a rather good technical presentation and is Region-Free. At the moment it is also very attractively priced, so if you like the film consider picking up a copy for your library. RECOMMENDED.