Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Buck and the Preacher Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 20, 2022

Sidney Poitier's "Buck and the Preacher" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with Gina Belafonte; exclusive new program with film scholar Mia Mask; archival program with Harry Belafonte; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Civil War was over and by law the slaves were freed. But when the promise of land and freedom was not honored, many ex-slaves journeyed out of the land and bondage in search of new frontiers where they could be free at last. They placed their hopes in the hands of the few black wagonmasters that knew the territories of the West. None of this came easy, for not only did they have to overcome a hostile wilderness, but nightriders and bounty hunters were hired by “persons unknown” to hunt them down and turn them back to the fields. This picture is dedicated to those men, women and children who lie in graves as unmarked as their place in history.

Immediately after the text introduction disappears from the screen wagon master Buck (Sidney Poitier) is seen directing a large group of men and women, all former slaves from the Louisiana plantations, toward an area somewhere in the West that they could soon call home. Buck knows the area, but the travelers have only heard descriptions of it.

After a violent confrontation with a posse of nightriders led by the brutal killer Deshay (Cameron Mitchell), Buck crosses paths with the Preacher (Harry Belafonte), an ex-con, and steals his horse. Soon after, the fuming Preacher meets Deshay and his men too, and after he learns that they are tracking down Buck decides to hand him to them for a proper fee. He scouts out the area and eventually reaches the slaves that have hired Buck to be their guide, but after witnessing how many of them are slaughtered by the nightriders as they are moving further West changes his mind. Along the way, the Preacher also begins admiring Buck.

Poitier directed Buck and the Preacher in the early 1970s, which is the period when the western genre began evolving in some pretty dramatic ways. The same trend was also underway overseas, where many spaghetti westerns were slowly becoming political films as well. For example, Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dynamite, arguably the most political big spaghetti western, premiered in 1971, only a year before Buck and the Preacher. Even though not a political film, or at least not to the extent A Fistful of Dynamite is, Buck and the Preacher is very clearly a byproduct of the same intent to expand the western genre and alter the angle from where the territories of the West were previously seen.

I mention the trend that started in the early 1970s because it is what nearly a decade later gave us Heaven’s Gate, which closely follows the steps of Buck and the Preacher. Of course, Michael Cimino’s directing style and visualization of the West are such that they transform Heaven’s Gate into a humongous epic with tremendous ambitions, but like Buck and the Preacher it tells a story about the dark side of the American Dream.

Despite the presence of numerous very nicely shot visuals from the spectacular areas the caravan is passing through, however, Poitier’s inexperience behind the camera easily shows. For example, after Buck and the Preacher connect it immediately begins to look like the film can’t quite choose a proper identity. Indeed, some very odd splashes of humor routinely interfere with the drama and create the impression that the two characters were meant to appear in completely different films, which is unfortunate, to say the least, because both are played well. Also, the flow of the film isn’t very convincing. In certain areas, it significantly slows down as if to ensure that the camera has enough time to capture Buck in all of his glory, and then when it is time to move on to the next chapter of the story speeds up again.

Buck and the Preacher 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, Buck and the Preacher arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release is sourced from a wonderful exclusive new 4K master. Unsurprisingly, the outdoor panoramic shots often look very impressive. But the nighttime footage and the many close-ups are just as impressive. Some minor density fluctuations can be spotted, but they are part of the original cinematography. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Grain is very healthy and nicely exposed. The master is beautifully graded as well. There are wonderful very healthy primaries and convincing ranges of supporting nuances, so in native 4K the dynamic range of the visuals should be enormously impressive. There are no stability issues. The entire film looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Buck and the Preacher Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film has plenty of footage where the lossless audio produces excellent contrasts. When the nightriders appear and later on the Indians, I think that the dynamic intensity is perfect for a film from the early 1970s. On the other hand, there are quite a few borderline silent sequences, so do not expect a great deal of dynamic activity. The dialog is clear, clean, stable, and always very easy to follow.

Buck and the Preacher Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Expanding the Western - in this exclusive new program, film scholar Mia Mask discusses the the conception and production of Buck and the Preacher, its stylistic identity, and Sidney Poitier's filmmaking legacy. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte - presented here are three television appearances in which Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte discuss the production of Buck and the Preacher. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Behind the Scenes (1971). Shot on location in Durango, Mexico. (13 min).
  2. Soul! (1971). (28 min).
  3. The Dick Cavett Show (1972). (65 min).

• Gina Belafonte - in this exclusive new program, Gina Belafonte discusses her father's transition from the theater to the film industry and the shooting of Buck and the Preacher. Also, there are some interesting comments about Harry Belafonte's relationship with Martin Luther King. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Aisha Harris and technical credits.

Buck and the Preacher Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even though their styles are different, Buck and the Preacher and Heaven's Gate are close relatives because they tell extremely similar stories. More importantly, these films were part of the same trend that altered the western genre and ultimately reshaped the classic cinematic image of the West. I think that Buck and the Preacher is definitely worth seeing because it is a unique film for its time, but the blending of comedy and drama that occurs in it could have been handled a lot better because it leaves the impression that the film struggles to choose a proper identity. Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from an excellent exclusive new 4K master. RECOMMENDED.