Blood Simple 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Blood Simple 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 18, 2024

Joel and Ethan Coen's "Blood Simple" (1984) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include recent programs with actors Frances McDormand and M. Emmet Walsh; recent program with Joel and Ethan Coen and cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld; recent interviews interviews with composer Carter Burwell and sound editor Skip Lievsay; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"The world is full of complainers. But the fact is, nothing comes with a guarantee. Something can always go wrong."

If the great American directors from the 1940s and 1950s were still making film noirs during the 1980s, their work probably would have looked very similar to the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple. This may sound like a bizarre speculation, but Blood Simple oozes the kind of special ambience present in many of the early film noirs that are now considered timeless classics.

The plot revolves around a couple of characters who are stuck in a rural town somewhere in Texas -- the owner of a small bar (Dan Hedaya, Commando), his bored wife (Frances McDormand, Fargo), her lover (John Getz, The Fly), and a fat man who makes ends meet as a private detective with a funny accent (M. Emmet Walsh, Blade Runner). They don’t necessarily like the place, but they all seem to have decent excuses that keep them there.

In the beginning of the film, the businessman gets a stack of pictures from the fat man confirming that his wife has been cheating on him. At first, he warns the fat man to get his money and never come back to his place, but later on changes his mind and offers to pay him even more if he gets rid of the two lovers. The fat man enthusiastically agrees to do the job and begins working on a perfect plan. Soon after, the businessman goes out of town for a couple of days and the fat man pulls out his old gun.

A brand new stack of pictures confirms that the unfaithful wife and her lover are dead. Money is again exchanged, but this time, before the fat man leaves the businessman’s office, he puts a few bullets in his chest. It is very late and there is no one around to hear the gunshots. The fat man then quietly disappears into the night.

This is where the film switches gears. Before the businessman is killed, it feels like it is going to be a conventional thriller about a jealous husband and the moral weight of his decision to get rid of his unfaithful wife. But the switch rearranges some key elements of the story in several very surprising, very effective ways. After that, the film quickly evolves into something of a noirish chess game, in which the viewer is basically left to guess what the Coens’ next move will be. (A minor spoiler: Their bag of tricks is very, very big).

The cast is wonderful -- and at least Walsh should have been nominated for an Academy Award -- but the film’s visual style is quite simply extraordinary. Barry Sonnenfeld, who later on went on to direct a number of huge blockbusters, does some absolutely incredible things with light, shadow and color that prove yet again that great films get made by people with great imagination and skills, not by astronomical budgets.

The film’s sound design is just as impressive. There are various sequences with very original and wonderfully timed effects that raise the intensity level in spectacular fashion. The original soundtrack is by Carter Burwell, who later on went to work with the Coens on a number of their bigger and commercially more successful films (Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski).

Blood Simple 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Blood Simple is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "looked".

Please note that all screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

The native 4K presentation can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I viewed the entire film with Dolby Vision grade and did not perform any comparisons with the HDR grade. However, I did compare the native 4K and 1080p presentations.

Blood Simple was restored in 4K and released on Blu-ray in 2016. We have listed and reviewed Criterion's Blu-ray release here. So, how does Blood Simple look in native 4K? Outstanding. However, I have to immediately point out that after performing numerous comparisons with the 1080p presentation, I did not see a dramatic gap in quality. On the contrary, I think that the 1080p presentation easily produces similarly and often equally impressive visuals. The superiority of the native 4K presentation, which is undeniable, becomes easy to appreciate on a large screen. This is when the better dynamic range of and expanded color gamut begin to make a difference -- a lot of darker visuals reveal superior nuances, better depth, and even sharpness. Also, the Dolby Vision grade makes the neon lights and the other rich and unique colors that pop up throughout the film look really impressive. Fluidity is excellent. However, on the 1080p presentation, fluidity is very impressive, too. Image stability is excellent. All in all, Blood Simple looks sensational in native 4K. However, the people that will appreciate the strength of the presentation the most will be the ones that view their films on large screens.

Blood Simple 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

This is the same 5.1 track that appeared on the previous Blu-ray release of Blood Simple. It is outstanding. Blood Simple has a very active, very original soundtrack and the 5.1 track reproduces its native qualities perfectly. While revisiting the film in native 4K, I did not encounter any issues to report in our review.

Blood Simple 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Find-raising trailer. (3 min, 1080p).
  2. Original Theatrical Trailer (2 min, 1080p).
  3. Rerelease Trailer. (2 min, 1080p).

• Filmmakers -
  
  1. Shooting Blood Simple - in this brand new featurette, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen and cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld recall how and where various sequences from Blood Simple were shot, how they tested various lighting options, and some specific ideas about the film's visual design before and during the shooting process. The featurette was produced in May 2016. In English, not subtitled. (71 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Conversation with Dave Eggers - in this new filmed conversation, writer/screenwriter/publisher Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, A Hologram for the King) discusses the difficult production history of Blood Simple and the professional career of directors Joel and Ethan Coen. The conversation was filmed in May 2016. In English, not subtitled. (35 min, 1080p).

• Actors -
  
  1. Frances McDormand - in this brand new video interview, actress Frances McDormand recalls how she was cast to play Abby in Blood Simple, which was her very first acting role, and explains how her personal life and career changed after the film was released. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in June 2016. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 1080p).
  
  2. M. Emmet Walsh - in this brand new video interview, actor M. Emmet Walsh recalls how he became involved with Blood Simple, and discusses the character he plays, some of his unique 'hooks' that defined his acting style at the time, the film's tone and atmosphere, his interactions with Joel and Ethan Coen, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in June 2016. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• Sound and Music - in this brand new interview, composer Carter Burwell and sound editor Skip Lievsay discuss their professional relationship with Joel and Ethan Coen, which began with Blood Simple, and the importance of music and sound effects in their films. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in May 2016. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Nathaniel Rich's essay "Down Here, You're on Your Own" and technical credits.

Blood Simple 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The finest American neo-noir films from the 1980s and 1990s are slowly beginning to get the attention they deserve. They are newly restored in 2K or 4K before they transition to Blu-ray, and some are getting stunning 4K Blu-ray releases. The Hot Spot, Blue Velvet, One False Move, Breakdown and To Live and Die in L.A. have wonderful releases now. Red Rock West is on the way, too. I hope that someone is already making plans for stunning 4K makeovers and future releases of Body Heat, Romeo Is Bleeding, The Last Seduction, Bound, and Keys to Tulsa. This 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack of Blood Simple, one of the best in the entire bunch, is a total winner and very easy to recommend to folks that have a soft spot for these special genre films. It is also very easy to recommend to someone that is itching to begin exploring the great American neo-noir renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.