Blue Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Blue Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 27, 2025

Silvio Narizzano's "Blue" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with cinematographer Stanley Cortez; recent program with visual consultant Anthony Pratt; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

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Blue. This is the film that was supposed to elevate Silvio Narizzano’s career to the next level. Had Narizzano done it right, Hollywood would have trusted him with even bigger projects, and from there, provided he met expectations, the sky would have been the limit. Unfortunately, when Blue was released in the late 1960s, virtually all critics whose opinion mattered gave it mixed reviews, and its box office receipts were disastrous. Even though Narizzano continued to work and a few of his next films were well received at prestigious international festivals, he never recovered. Blue also permanently damaged Terrence Stamp’s career, though he went on to do various very interesting genre films in Europe and eventually returned to Hollywood to play characters that legitimized him as one of his generation’s most talented actors.

The critics got it right. However, it is also true that Hollywood gave up on Narizzano too quickly. Indeed, nearly two-thirds of Blue is composed of quality material that easily could have been directed by someone like Burt Kennedy, and virtually all of the big and consequential flaws that transform it into an undeniably problematic film are in areas where Narizzano was trusting someone else. But, ultimately, a director has the final say on how their film should look, and in Hollywood, a big flop comes with big consequences. It has always been this way.

So, what makes Blue an undeniably problematic film?

The catalyst of the most serious problems in Blue is the decision to cast Stamp as its star. He is not right for the part. Ironically, it is not because Stamp fails to become Azul, the adopted son of a notorious Mexican bandit (Ricardo Montalban), who eventually emerges as his biggest nemesis. Stamp becomes Azul and, as the screenplay requires, after falling in love with the daughter (Joanna Pettet) of a gringo doctor (Karl Malden) who saves his life, initiates intense drama of the type that easily would have flourished in a proper American western during the 1960s. The problem is that Stamp, as Azul, also constantly attempts to subdue a second character, a working-class British gangster without a cockney accent, who still sounds noticeably off. The struggle to manage this unscripted second character is very obvious, and because there is a lot of material where Stamp remains silent, its effect is significantly exacerbated.

The second big problem is the presence of material that is unquestionably incompatible. For example, the opening twenty minutes feature material that prepares for a violent visual stunner aiming to emulate Sergio Leone’s work from the same period. However, after Stamp is seriously wounded and his relationship with Pettet is initiated, a massive reset produces drastically different material of the kind that would be great in a classic western melodrama.

The existing version of Blue, which is Narrizano’s version of it, is a very, very odd film. It is like a rough diamond with too many impurities, the largest of which are too big to fix and significantly lower its quality. This is unfortunate because several sections of it easily expose a very talented director who, had it been given a few more chances to prove himself, eventually would have delivered some very special films.

Blue Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Blue arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release is sourced from an older master that produces good, sometimes even very good visuals. However, in some areas, select visuals also reveal limitations that a proper new 2K or 4K master would easily eliminate. For example, some finer nuances can be a tad too soft, while elsewhere, especially if there is plenty of natural light, they could appear a tad harsh. The good news is that there are no traces of problematic digital corrections, so on a large screen, despite the inconsistencies, the film retains a decent organic appearance. Color reproduction and balance are wonderful, too. In fact, I do not think that there is any room for meaningful improvements, as all primaries and supporting nuances are properly set. Some can look slightly fresher, but this is all. Image stability is excellent. I noticed a few small blemishes, but there are no large cuts, debris, marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (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).

Blue Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The lossless track is fantastic. I have to speculate that major remastering work was done at some point to ensure that the audio sounds as it does. The mass footage with the Mexican bandits riding and attacking, and all shootouts, plus the final clash by the river, all of these segments sound terrific. Also, there is plenty of wonderful music that is very effectively used throughout the entire film. All exchanges are clear, stable, and very easy to follow.

Blue Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Daniel Kremer and David Del Valle.

• "A Greek in the Wild West" - in this recent phone interview, actor Stathis Giallelis, who has a small part in Blue, recalls what it was like to work with Silvio Narizzano and quickly comments on the film's production process. The interview was conducted in 2024. In English, with English subtitles. (9 min).

• Stanley Cortez - in this archival audio interview, cinematographer Stanley Cortez, who lensed Blue, explains how he entered the film industry and discusses his career and work. The interview was conducted by critic David Del Valle in 1984. In English, not subtitled. (60 min).

• "Art of Blue" - in this recent program, visual consultant Anthony Pratt recalls his interactions with Silvio Narizzano and Stanley Cortez during the production of Blue. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

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

Blue Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

At a crucial point in Blue, Terence Stamp begins a painful transformation, which for a while portrays the struggle of two vastly different characters to dominate each other and eventually declare an undisputed winner. However, a third character, an unscripted one, also enters this struggle and effectively destroys the integrity of Stamp's work. While not the only reason, this is the biggest reason Blue became a massive flop. I do not think that Blue is the disaster some ancient reviews have described, but it is clearly a miscast and mismanaged film, which is most unfortunate because some parts of it are breathtakingly beautiful. The Blu-ray release we have reviewed is included in this three-disc box set, produced by Australian label Imprint Films.