Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Brian's Song Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 1, 2020

Brian's Song released in 1971 at a time when America needed to know the story of an unlikely friendship that crossed racial lines, bringing together two men of different colors but who nevertheless shared a deep connection in life and sport. Originally airing on ABC on November 1971 to rave reviews and great commercial success (followed by a brief theatrical run), the film tells the story of two professional athletes who form a bond on the field and off, a bond that supersedes societal norms and only strengthens when one of them falls weak. It's a powerful and heartfelt tale that remains as relevant today as it did in the early 1970s as the country was only beginning to recover from the socially turbulent 1960s.

Best friends.

The Chicago Bears have found a couple of terrific players for the backfield in Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and Brian Piccolo (James Caan). The two quickly form a bond of a friendship off the field and friendly competition on it, despite their different backgrounds: Sayers is black and Piccolo is white, the former is shy and the latter is outgoing. They are assigned as roommates at a time when such togetherness was not just frowned upon by parts of the outside world but that could very well have consequences beyond the field of play. The two endure and grow closer together, as do their wives (Judy Pace and Shelley Fabares). But when Brian begins losing weight and falls ill, the otherwise shy and reserved Gale opens up to his teammates, and the world, about their bond. He fights an emotional battle while Brian fights a physical battle to save his life.

Brian’s Song is a powerful film of true friendship, brotherly love, and genuine hurt. The racial overtones, born of a time of great human strife and struggle, propel much of the story, but the film finds its true power in the soulful connection between the men that transcends external skin color. The friendship’s unlikely growth and durability form in the shadow of race relations and, later, in the midst of illness and looming tragedy. The men see beyond race. From their first meeting, it’s genuine smiles and honest handshakes. Brian, the more outgoing of the two, exudes warmth. Gale is a little more reserved and quiet, but he comes out of his shell around Brian. The two form an unbreakable bond that is a testament to the true human condition, coming together because their souls connect, not remaining apart because they do not look alike.

The film works first because its story is powerful in its simplicity but also because its leads are so genuinely connected within the film. Williams and Caan are terrific as Sayers and Piccolo, respectively, each man bringing a genuine soul to the proceedings. How well they capture real character nuance is not important. What is important is the sincerity of the work, the purpose-driven recreation that so effortlessly speaks to the bonds of friendship that form in spite of race. The film is certainly built on the concept of the "unlikely friendship" but every time Williams and Caan appear together on the screen, the audience forgets about the color of their skin, seeing only the genuine affection the men have for one another. It's tender and touching and, maybe now more than ever, a film everyone needs to see and a story that everyone needs to know.

Brian's Song Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's pressed MOD (Manufactured on Demand) Blu-ray release of Brian's Song delivers a mostly exceptional image. The film is presented at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4x3), preserving the original broadcast aspect ratio as it aired on ABC in 1971 and thereby placing vertical "black bars" on either side of the 1.78:1 high definition screen. The picture features a fine, even, and flattering grain structure. It's consistent in density and is a mainstay throughout. The result is a handsomely filmic image and one that has not suffered any untoward noise reduction. Textures are rich and alive, capturing complex facial and hair elements with ease. Football jerseys and street attire both offer clearly evident intricacies while environments of various kinds -- cafeterias, offices, dorm rooms, restaurants, practice fields -- offer sharp details across the board. Colors are excellent, too, presenting full and finely nuanced tones that bring characters, clothes, and locations to life with vibrant command. Contrast is dialed in perfectly. Natural greens on football fields jump off the screen while various types of clothing offer good, stable, fully developed tones. Skin tones are superbly saturated and black levels are appropriately deep and true. There are a few color fluctuations when the palette suddenly loses color saturation, transiting to a drained, worn appearance. It's most evident at the 5:50 mark but it's not a regular issue. The image does display a few errant speckles and other signs of light print wear here and there as well, but it's largely in excellent shape. There are also no serious encode anomalies to report. Sony's done a fantastic job with this one in the aggregate. It's not perfect, but it's close.

Brian's Song Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Brian's Song Blu-ray features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The presentation delivers essentials well enough but the track is lacking in almost all areas. Dialogue is the primary component, and while it images well enough to the center it's never quite so realistic and stable as one would like. The opening dialogue scene between Brian and Gale plays compressed; it sounds muddy and lacking in clarity, qualities that follow for the duration though not always quite so pronounced as it is in that scene. An underlying hiss accompanies, again a regular occurrence but not always so obvious as it is in that first meeting between the characters. Scattered atmospherics, such as chirping birds or the sounds of football practice in the background during the opening dialogue scene, result in essential output qualities for clarity, but of course the limited stage engagement means the sounds just fall into the background rather than play truly behind or around the listener. Music doesn't stretch too far to the edges, sounding as if its limits are somewhere between center and side. Musical clarity is never a high point but, like everything else, there's a sufficient level of presentation definition, just lacking in five-star fidelity. Most of the issues here likely trace back to the source rather than the Blu-ray encode; there's only so much reasonable quality one can expect of a soundtrack prepared for a made-for-television movie that is approaching five decades in age.

Brian's Song Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Brian's Song's supplemental features include a commentary track, a featurette, and a trailer. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Billy Dee Williams and James Caan deliver a commentary that is both jovial and serious. It's like watching the film with a couple of friends. Good stuff.
• Gale Sayers: First and Goal (1080p upscaled, 10:23): Sayers recounts his life in football and relationship with Brian Piccolo.
• Original Trailer (1080p, 4x3, 2:37).

Brian's Song Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sony released Brian's Song just days before the 50th anniversary of Brian Piccolo's death. His story resonates from the heart still today, and the film remains a classic of racial harmony and true friendship that spoke loudly when it was made and speaks volumes today in a world still fighting the same battles. It would not make good business sense, but it would be nice if Sony made the film available for free now when the world needs it most. The Blu-ray is very good, delivering excellent 1080p video, a strained but capable two-channel lossless soundtrack, and a few quality extras. Very highly recommended.