Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Big Wednesday Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 19, 2019

John Milius' "Big Wednesday" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Archive. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; vintage audio commentary by the director; and archival program with the director. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Just like the old days

A long time ago, a man whose opinion I valued a lot told me something that over the years I have come to realize is absolutely true: when someone falls in love with the sea, the bond that emerges lasts forever. This bond would likely mean different things to different people, but there is a certain sensation that is attached to it that now I know is exactly what he was referring to. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time living by the sea and it made me feel free in a way that is very difficult to describe with simple worlds. The sea also made me believe that if I wanted to live my life in a way that at the time was impossible all I had to do is dream big and work hard to make the dream come true. Perhaps back then I was too naïve and the sea simply played tricks on my mind, but I know for a fact that without the special bond that I had with it I would not have made some crucial decisions that permanently redirected my life. It is precisely why all these years later I have not forgotten what my friend told me.

I have seen John Milius’ film Big Wednesday quite a few times over the years and my take on it has always been that it is essentially a love letter that reveals a special bond of the type that is mentioned above. When he was a teenager, Milius learned to surf and gradually the sea became his best friend. They had a great time together, but when he grew older his priorities changed and eventually he walked away from it. However, the bond and all of the memories that defined it remained and years later Milius gathered many of them into his film. In other words, this is a very personal film that sums up a rather substantial part of its creator’s life.

In an archival program produced by Blue Underground that is included on this release, Milius actually confirms that quite a few of the characters in his film were inspired by some of the surfers that he knew and interacted with. For example, in the area where he spent plenty of time surfing there really was a local star that was a lot like Jan-Michael Vincent’s character, Matt Johnson, a bohemian who boozed hard and basically lived each day as if it was his last. William Katt’s character, Jack Barlow, was inspired by another real local surfer whose younger brother even ended up contributing to the script for the film. Reb Brown’s Enforcer was also a replica of a real giant that did some memorable things at local parties.

The narrative is broken into multiple sections that cover a fairly long period of time that begins in the early 1960s and ends in the mid-1970s. Milius and his camera follow a group of young surfers who constantly look for the perfect swell to emerge in what seems like paradise on earth -- a laidback, very beautiful, and isolated from the rest of the world area of Southern California. Matt, Jack, and Leroy (Gary Busey) are the best of them and are a lot like competitive brothers who always have something to prove to each other, so while having fun they frequently have heated arguments as well. For a while it seems like the good times will last forever, but then the surfers begin receiving their draft letters and the mood changes dramatically. Some of the boys figure out ways to cheat and successfully avoid the draft, but the rest go to Vietnam and when soon after the military begins sending them back in body bags the area changes dramatically.

The arrival of the Great Swell in 1974 reunites Matt, Jack, and Leroy, but it is clear that their lives are already headed in different directions. A new generation of surfers has emerged in the area as well, and even though some have heard about them they have produced their own heroes and started a new era.

There are some interesting similarities between Big Wednesday and The Endless Summer, particularly when it comes to the way in which they capture the joy that the surfers experience while riding the waves. But Milius also infuses his film with what is essentially the flavor of the culture which the surfers created -- the casual existence and their fixation on the swells, the wild parties, and ultimately the rude awakening and disillusionment that they experienced during the Vietnam war.

Some of the stereotyping could have been minimized, but it is also true that it gives the film what feels like the right type of energy. Towards the end it even helps its most dramatic contrasts.

With the exception of Busey who never really looks convincing as a surfer -- though his character is unquestionably the most entertaining one -- the casting choices are excellent. In fact, there are a lot of smaller characters like Sam Melville’s eccentric surf maker Bear and Darrell Fetty’s Wexler that are terrific and leave a lasting impression. Gerry Lopez and Aussie pros Peter Townsend and Ian Cairns were used for some of the incredible surfing footage as well.

Big Wednesday Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 080p transfer, John Milius's Big Wednesday arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Archive.

The release is sourced from a brand new and very strong organic remaster. I projected it and can confirm that the entire film has the proper depth and fluidity that its fans would rightfully expect; density is also very good. Sharpness could be improved a bit, especially during some of the indoor/darker footage -- which is a quality that a 4K remaster from the OCN for instance would have ensured -- but the current presentation is already very strong. The color grading is convincing. There are very solid and healthy primaries with equally strong and properly balanced nuances. Image stability is great. Finally, there are no traces of age-related imperfections, or encoding anomalies to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Big Wednesday Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio is clean, stable, and nicely balanced. Its overall range of dynamics is also very good, though as it is always the case with older films from the same era there are certain inherited limitations. The dialog is easy to follow and there are no age-related anomalies to report.

Big Wednesday Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary by John Milius - this archival audio commentary initially appeared on Warner's DVD release of Big Wednesday. The director offers plenty of detailed information about the conception of the film, the different characters and the casting process, and the spirit of the era that is captured in it. Also, there is very interesting technical information about the shooting of the surfing footage.

• Capturing the Swell - in this archival program, John Millius explains how he fell in love with the ocean and what inspired him to shoot Big Wednesday, and discusses the casting process (with some hilarious comments about Gary Busey and his performance), the real characters that inspired the ones that are present in the film, the shooting of the surfing footage, etc. The program was created by Blue Underground. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 480/60i).

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for Big Wednesday. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

Big Wednesday Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I was very sad when I heard that Jan-Michael Vincent passed away in February because he was one of my all-time favorite actors. He was a special character and made some poor choices that probably ended his life prematurely, but many of the films that he appeared in I consider genre classics. Big Wednesday is one of them, and Jan-Michael's performance in it is amongst his very best. Warner Archive's recent Blu-ray release of the film is sourced from a wonderful organic remaster and retains the old audio commentary with John Milius as well as Blue Underground's excellent program with the director. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.