Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Breakdown Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 9, 2021

Jonathan Mostow's "Breakdown" (1997) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by critic Peter Tonguette; new program with stuntman James Arnette; new program with actor Jack Noseworthy; vintage trailer; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Desert man

It does not happen often, and even less so in Hollywood, but sometimes a reasonable voice prevails. In this case, the voice belonged to Jonathan Mostow, who was convinced that the prologue which a whole bunch of different people wanted for his film Breakdown was an absolute stinker. He was forced to shoot it because supposedly smarter people kept telling him that Breakdown cannot possibly begin with the couple from Massachusetts just driving in the middle of the desert. So, in the prologue, Kurt Russell’s character, Jeff Taylor, was sent to Bosnia where he suffered a tremendous nervous breakdown that placed his decision to move with his wife, Amy (Kathleen Quinlan), to California in a proper context. Oh, boy. Footage from this prologue can be seen in a program that is included on this release, and you can immediately tell that it would have effectively handicapped the entire film. It looks lifeless, pretentious, and utterly incompatible with the rest of the film. Mostow managed to junk the prologue only because he was lucky to get the studio to screen theatrically two versions of the film, one with the prologue and one without it, so the reactions of the audience basically made what should have been obvious from the very beginning painfully obvious.

The other very interesting bit of information that emerges from the same program is Mostow’s description of the action footage. I believe that this is old information, and I am convinced that it is definitely not news to folks that like Breakdown, but I would like to mention it because it is one of the main reasons this film still looks great. Except for one episode at the very end where Mostow and his team had to use replicas because what they were shooting was simply way too dangerous, all of the action footage was done with real cars and trucks. This is why it looks so intense and flat-out unhinged at times. Also, Mostow explains that Breakdown materialized only because the previous project he was hired to do, which was supposed to be about possessed trucks and have Stephen King’s name attached to it, fell apart for legal reasons. So, the original concept for Breakdown actually emerged from this failed project, which of course would have had plenty of similarities with Stephen Spielberg’s Duel. In other words, if you are impressed by the quality of the action in Breakdown and notice that some of the visuals have the same intensity as the ones seen in Duel, well, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. It is just registering what it should.

It is easy to make a case that one of Russell’s best performances is in Breakdown. However, it is not because he does some incredibly risky things before the camera that elevate the action footage to a level that is rarely seen in other films. (Just to be perfectly clear, it is not because he does not do some incredible things either). The reason why it ought to be considered one of Russell’s best performances is the remarkable versatility that defines it. Pay attention to his transformation from the moment his fancy jeep breaks down to the moment he pulls his wife out of the freezer -- what happens in between? Russell plays four different characters, and they all look legit. One is a naïve outsider trying to stay rational in the desert. One is a terrified, borderline paranoid husband looking for his missing wife. One is a doomed target hunted by a bunch of loons. And one is an unhinged avenger on the warpath. It is amazing to watch because the transitions between these very different characters are so great that the mind never questions their authenticity.

But it is J.T. Walsh that makes Breakdown a genre classic. This criminally underrated actor is very much in his element and brings a seriously disturbing dose of nastiness to the film that, sadly, nowadays seems problematic. This is what separates the good action films from the great action films -- the latter always have a pro like Walsh who can instantly make the fireworks look authentic.

Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. I think that it is a very nice master that makes the film look rather impressive in high-definition. However, I have to point out a couple of areas where improvements can be made.

First, the film looks a little softer than it should, especially during the wider panoramic shots where the camera captures the beauty of the desert. The age of the master obviously is a factor, but there is room for encoding optimizations that could have made the visuals stronger. Indeed, there are couple of areas where it looks like compressions artifacts are about to pop up. Fortunately, there are no traces of problematic digital work, so delineation, clarity, and depth are still quite nice. (If the film is redone in 4K, however, you will instantly see greater delineation and depth). Second, some color nuances can be rebalanced and saturation improved. I still like the color scheme a lot, but the entire film can look lusher. Third, density levels are good, but this is another area where I think that some minor improvements can be made. As it is the film looks very good on a larger screen, but it is very easy to tell that some visuals can look even tighter. The rest is either very good or great. For example, image stability is great. Also, I did not see any distracting age-related imperfections to report in our review. So, this is a fine organic presentation that makes it quite easy to enjoy Breakdown at home. (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).

Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 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 audio is clear and stable. Dynamic intensity is very good as well, especially during the action sequences, most of which have some pretty impressive surround effects as well. However, the entire time I was viewing the film my mind kept speculating how incredible it would be to have a a new Dolby Atmos track for it. It is not just the dynamic intensity that will likely benefit, but my guess is that there some very fine nuances that will be better exposed as well. (Listen to the opening theme as the car is seen moving in the desert). There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Breakdown. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• It's Gonna Cost You: Making Breakdown - in this program, writer/director Jonathan Mostow recalls under what conditions Breakdown came to exist, and discusses the long prologue he was forced to shoot (which thankfully was discarded), his interactions with Dino and Martha De Laurentiis, Kurt Russell's performance, the shooting of the action footage, etc. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 1080p).

• The Trap Is Set - in this interview, stunt coordinator M. James Arnett recalls how he became involved with Breakdown and discusses the precisely how various sequences were shot (apparently, most of them were very "physical"), the editing work that was required to get everything to look perfect, some of the risks that emerged during the shooting process, etc. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• Wrong Place: Wrong Time: Remembering Basil Poledouris - in this interview, musician Eric Colvin discusses his work with composer Basil Poledouris and the type of orchestration he did to get the soundtrack of Breakdown to sound as it does. Mr. Colvin also has some specific comments about Poledouris' working methods and his relationship with Jonathan Mostow. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080p).

• They Think I'm a Dummy - in this program, actor Jack Noseworthy recalls when and how he auditioned to play the character of Billy, how he prepared for the dual nature of his character, the shooting process, J.T. Walsh's performance (and terrific monologue), etc. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Life is Jeep: Breakdown and the Psychology of the Road - in this visual essay, Ian Mantagani deconstructs Breakdown and addresses its visual style and tone. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).

• Interview with Film Critic Tim Robey - in this interview, critic Tim Robey remembers the fist time he saw Breakdown in Los Angeles, and discusses some of the reasons why the film became a big hit, its style and personality, and the evolution of Jonathan Mostow's career. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, critic Peter Tonguette identifies the key reasons Breakdown remains a very special film, and discusses the nature of the conflicts that emerge in it, the film's visual style and the realism that shapes up its personality, the types of suspense and ambience that the narrative produces, etc.

Breakdown Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It definitely feels like Breakdown was the spiritual godfather of all those great Australian neo-noir films -- like Mystery Road, Goldstone, Swerve, and The Square -- that have emerged since the late '90s. But it is actually a genuine '70s American genre film disguised as a '90s action thriller, which means that it delivers all of the thrills that used to make these films special. Kurt Russell is superb, but I think that the late and great J.T. Walsh's performance moves the film into the 'genre classic' column. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from an older but very good master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures and features a terrific selection of bonus features, most of which were produced exclusively for it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.