Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 12, 2018

Tom Gries' "Breakheart Pass" (1975) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and exclusive new video interview with critic Kim Newman. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The outlaw

This is the one and only western that emerged from Alistair MacLean’s writings. However, it is the type of hybrid action project that actually fits perfectly between Sidney Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express and Andrei Konchalovsky's Runaway Train.

In a distant western town full of strange characters, John Deakin (Charlie Bronson) is caught cheating in a poker game. Someone then discovers that he is also a fugitive on the run and feisty Marshal Pearce (Ben Johnson) arrests him. The cheater is then placed on a military train transporting supplies whose final destination is Fort Humboldt.

Before the train leaves town Major Claremont (Ed Lauter) is informed that two of his best men, both mechanics, have abandoned his unit and are nowhere to be found, but they are promptly replaced. However, not long after that a wave of announcements about additional ‘disappearances’ makes it clear that there is a killer on the train that is executing a vicious plan.

Claremont, a state official named O’Brien (Charles Durning) who is overseeing the transportation of the supplies, and Governor Richard Fairchild (Richard Crenna) who is escorting the daughter of the fort’s commander (Jill Ireland) meet but struggle to agree on a plan to identify the murderer, which gives Deakin an opportunity to chime in with a few unorthodox theories about what might be happening on the train. At first the men refuse to take him seriously because they suspect that he is just trying to play them so that at the right time he can disappear, but when a few of his predictions come true they change their mind. Meanwhile, the mysterious killer pulls off a risky trick that this time eliminates all but a couple of Claremont’s soldiers.

Tom Gries’ film Breakheart Pass is like a piece of Swiss cheese with massive holes that are impossible to avoid no matter how one chooses to slice it, but it is still seriously entertaining. That is so because producer Jerry Gershwin and executive producer Elliot Kastner somehow managed to bring on board a whole team of stars and they went all in and had a great time working together. The other factor that instantly makes this film attractive is the machismo attitude that gives the action that typical edge that was so common for ‘70s films.

Bronson is very much in his element while facing various tough characters, but here he actually blends in and to a certain extent remains a normal guy who simply has a job to do which requires that he breaks a few thick skulls. So before the final credits roll he does not ride into the sunset as the cool hero that was destined to emerge victorious.

Old promotional materials, including trailers that were cut by the studio, quickly spoil the entire film in the worst possible way. This is very unfortunate because the character transformations for instance are amongst the few surprises that at the right time actually work as intended. Still, there is plenty of well-choreographed action that makes the film perfect to see on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tom Gries' Breakheart Pass arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from the same MGM master that Kino Video worked with when the prepared the U.S. release of the film in 2014. It is an old master, but despite some obvious limitations it has decent organic qualities. The most obvious limitations are in terms of density and depth, with the darker/indoor footage revealing black crush and as a result less than optimal delineation. The good news is that there are no traces of problematic digital tinkering, so while there is room for meaningful improvements the visuals retain native filmic qualities that allow one to effortlessly enjoy the action. Color stability is good, but saturation should be better. There are no large debris, damage marks, cuts, torn or warped frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are no serious technical issues to report in our review. The audio is stable and there is a good range of proper dynamics. Balance is also very good, and I don't believe that a new remix is likely to produce any dramatic improvements. The dialog is stable and free of background age-related anomalies.

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Breakheart Pass. (3 min).

• Interview with Kim Newman - in this new video interview, critic Kim Newman discusses Alistair MacLean's work and the various films that were inspired by it, the style and tone of '70s films and how they evolved after Star Wars and Jaws, the production history of Breakheart Pass, Charlie Bronson's performance, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Eureka Entertainment. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

Breakheart Pass Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This film delivers a heavy dose of old-fashioned action that almost completely invalidates the many plot holes of its narrative. Honestly, it is just a lot of fun to watch, so if you are not a Charlie Bronson fan and previously have been put off by ancient reviews claiming otherwise, ignore them and get a copy of it for your collection. Eureka Entertainment's upcoming Blu-ray release of Breakheart Pass is sourced from an old master, but I still have MGM's DVD release and can confirm that the difference in quality between the two is pretty decent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.