Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 10, 2014

In the 1970s, few wore their onscreen toughness as well as Charles Bronson. Working steadily in all manner of productions that required a steely-eyed authority figure, Bronson achieved his greatest success with 1974’s “Death Wish,” a vigilante saga that perfectly captured his skills as an intimidating leading man. In the shadow of such a hit, Bronson returned to duty, with 1975’s “Breakheart Pass” one of the many journeyman productions the actor was fond of. A mystery with western ornamentation, the picture benefits immensely from Bronson’s frosty demeanor, put to good use by director Tom Gries, who keeps his star at a low rumble of suspicion while employing a colorful supporting cast to create a compelling atmosphere of the unknown, making Bronson’s string of forceful reactions all the more inviting. While it’s not an exhaustive whodunit with a myriad of elaborate red herrings, “Breakheart Pass” is an engaging adventure with a few surges of action, an unexpected commitment to brutality, and an irresistible collection of disasters to hold attention. It’s the type of meaty film that doesn’t use a model to stage a train accident, it brings in a real train to destroy. How wonderful.

A train has arrived in the town of Myrtle on a short break. Carrying army troops and Major Claremont (Ed Lauter), the military is preparing to enter Fort Humboldt, which is currently experiencing a diphtheria outbreak that requires careful handling. Also onboard is Governor Fairchild (Richard Crenna) and a general’s daughter, Marica (Jill Ireland), who are determined to reach the final destination despite obvious concerns about safety. In Myrtle, Sheriff Pearce (Ben Johnson) has come across criminal John Deakin (Charles Bronson), busting the crook on several charges, with plans to bring him to justice. Boarding the train, the group prepares for a smooth journey, only to discover soldiers are missing, while the death of a prominent passenger arouses suspicion in John that all is not right with the men in charge. Called on to use his medical expertise, John secretly conducts his own murder investigation, trying to retain a low profile as the train encounters numerous setbacks and disasters, with somebody out to disrupt passage to Fort Humboldt.

Alistair MacLean adapts his own novel for the screen with “Breakheart Pass,” which is perhaps why the picture makes such a smooth transition to film. Instead of chasing subplots or overstuffing the effort with superfluous characters, the screenplay remains on task, with a fresh, economical focus that introduces various personalities and launches the mystery without laboring too long on the details. We know all that we need to know at the start of the story, and important reveals gradually work their way out as trouble for John increases, who’s initially unsure if he should even get involved with the unrest, preferring to remain in a handcuffed position of observation, finding warmth from Marica, who offers comfort to the prisoner.

There’s an Agatha Christie tone to “Breakheart Pass,” which preserves uncertainty about these dubious characters and their mission, with missing and murdered passengers discovered every 15 minutes or so, increasing tension as a simple train ride goes horribly wrong. While the picture isn’t excessively violent, it does retain a significant punch when it comes to the offing of supporting personalities, finding executions and staged accidents blunt and painful, with one poor bastard pushed out of the engine car as the train rides over a trestle, hitting most of the wood beams on the way down. Visceral highlight help “Breakheart Pass” achieve its goals, creating an unsettling tone of the unexpected to support suspense. A little roughhousing helps as well, finding John crawling around the train to evade and engage his enemies, with Gries presenting a few scenes of stunt work on top of a snow-covered car that look a little too hairy, adding realism to the unstable encounters.

Scoring by Jerry Goldsmith provides its own movement to “Breakheart Pass,” and while it isn’t the most memorable work from the master film composer, themes are bright enough to perk up the picture. Cinematography by Lucien Ballard is a wonderfully naturalistic, taking advantage of mountainous Idaho locations. And performances are uniformly strong, with Crenna playing up Governor Fairchild’s overly protective behavior, also sharing interesting chemistry with Ireland, who brings a breath of femininity to an otherwise determinedly masculine effort. Johnson is leathery and curt as Pearce, and Lauter has a nice arc as Major Claremont, emerging as a pivotal figure in the movie’s third act. However, attention always returns to Bronson, and while he’s not expanding his screen persona in “Breakheart Pass,” it’s fascinating to see the actor slapped around as John, who’s not an aggressive character, taking a few hits to reinforce his declaration of non-violence (with a substantial side of cynicism). Eventually moving over to heroism, Bronson has a few decent scenes of introspection, while his death stare is put to good use by Gries, who understands exactly what he has in his stoic leading man.

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation does showcase some age, though wear and tear is surprisingly minimal. Some debris, flicker, and judder are present, but fail to overtake the viewing event, which provides a reasonable amount of detail for a softly shot feature. Facial nuances and set decoration are passable, while exterior vistas retain distances. Colors are downplayed but decent, with a more muted palette interrupted by Ireland's bright costuming and greenery. Black levels are adequate, losing some delineation in low-lit scenes, while snowbound blasts of white are controlled. Grain is managed acceptably, supporting a filmic appearance.

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix preserves a cinematic freshness that supports the visual experience with some heft. Atmospherics are satisfactory, with full train particulars (including steam eruptions and clanging mechanics), while frigid environments are detectable. Interiors also maintain train movement. Dialogue sounds relatively crisp and clean (for a 1975 movie), with limited hiss restraining the reach of the performances. Range is secure, without shrill highs and muddy lows.

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (3:06, HD) has been included.

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Secrets play a major role in "Breakheart Pass," with most of the players in the train game working with blurred motivations. The playful confusion extends to the appearance of a violent gang and a tribe of Native Americans, who both factor into the climax, expanding the picture beyond its rail-based journey. The effort devolves into dynamite blasts and shoot-outs, but for most of its run time, "Breakheart Pass" works just fine as a hushed collection of clue-gathering, keeping to a steady display of untrustworthy characters slowly losing control of a puzzling scheme.