Chains of Gold Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Chains of Gold Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 7, 2024

Rod Holcomb's "Chains of Gold" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only supplemental feature on the release is a vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

For a long time, Chains of Gold was considered one of the biggest duds in John Travolta’s body of work. I did not see it right away, but when I eventually did, on DVD, I instantly concluded that it was intentionally trashed. I do not know if it is because of all the drama that materialized while it was shot, because it did not have a proper theatrical release, or because some folks wanted Travolta’s first attempt at writing to be disastrous. There is an interesting story about its bad reputation begging to be told, so it is disappointing that none of the people who made Chains of Gold contributed to this recent release. On the other hand, the people who made this release possible deserve a lot of credit because now it is painfully obvious that Chains of Gold should have never been smeared as a dud.

Travolta plays Scott Barnes, a social worker based in Miami who helps broken people living at the very bottom of society. He knows what it feels like to be there very well. He is a recovering alcoholic who has lost his son in a tragedy that easily could have been avoided if he had not been drinking. This is why his work means so much to him – he wants the people who meet him to make better choices while they still can.

When Scott’s best friend, a teenager named Tommy (Joey Lawrence), goes missing, he begins looking for him. Soon after, Scott enters the slums of Miami and discovers that some of Tommy’s friends are organized in gangs selling drugs on behalf of Carlos (Benjamin Bratt), a ruthless criminal with delusions of grandeur. Concerned that Tommy might have become a pusher to support his family too, Scott reaches out to former lover Jackie (Marilu Henner), a prominent freelancing attorney, who has a business relationship with Carlos. Scott convinces Jackie to help him meet Carlos, pretending to be interested in expanding his presence in the suburbs, and after winning his trust, begins visiting the heavily guarded houses where the drugs are prepared for sale by the teenagers. Scott tracks down Tommy in one of these houses, but while trying to figure out a strategy to free him with Detective Falco (Bernie Casey), his cover is blown.

During the opening credits, a short note informs that Chains of Gold is based upon actual events. It is unclear how many of these actual events are accurately recreated, but this is an irrelevant detail because all developments and all the drama that materializes because of them are one hundred percent believable. Indeed, what Chains of Gold offers is essentially a miniature replica of the story that is told in the likes of City of God and Gomorrah, only this time the location is the slums of Miami. Also, Chains of Gold mixes the disturbing with action material that has an unmistakable ‘80s flavor, so its thought-provoking contrasts are a bit more mellow. (In City of God and Gomorrah, the favelas and Secondigliano are isolated, self-sustaining hellish ecosystems, so the contrasts that emerge from them are incredibly disturbing. In Chains of Gold, the slums are not yet completely lost).

Travolta’s desperation is the catalyst of his rapid transformation, which is entirely believable, too. A man fearing that he is losing a precious son or daughter will absolutely go on the warpath alone to face a vastly superior opponent, and for Travolta’s character, who thinks of the teenage boy as a second son, the decision is even easier because he has already lost one. While a win is the outcome the man desires, at the time when he makes his decision to engage the vastly superior opponent, the only thing that matters to him is that it is the right thing to do.

Bratt’s performance is slightly over the top so it could have been managed better, but again, Chains of Gold comes from the 80s, and this is how delusional drug lords were portrayed at the time. Casey looks great. Hector Elizondo plays a stubborn veteran lieutenant whose plan to take down the drug lord’s organization creates several big problems, but his presence is not crucial.

Director Rod Holcomb began shooting Chains of Gold with Dariusz Wolski, but he was replaced by Oscar-nominated pro Bruce Surtees (Dirty Harry, Risky Business).

Chains of Gold 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, Chains of Gold arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The entire film has an attractive organic appearance. Delineation, clarity, and depth are almost always very good. While in darker areas select nuances could be a bit more convincing, I did not see any troubling anomalies. The most obvious limitation of the current master is that it does not produce the consistently sharp visuals a new 4K master can, but there are no areas that look problematically soft, flat, or anemic. Color balance is convincing. Saturation levels are fine, though select supporting nuances could be a tad more convincing. Image stability is good. There are no distracting surface imperfections, such as cuts, damage marks, large blemishes, etc. (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).

Chains of Gold Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

I did not encounter any troubling anomalies to report in our review. All exchanges are very clear and easy to follow. The action footage sounds very good too, but it will not test the muscles of your audio system because its intensity is not that impressive. The music has a supporting role, so dynamic variety of the kind that produces great, memorable atmosphere is limited.

Chains of Gold Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Chains of Gold. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Chains of Gold Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you keep in mind that Chains of Gold was shot in the late '80s, it should be pretty easy for you to conclude that it prepares for the arrival of City of God, Elite Squad, and Gomorrah. Its visuals are not quite as hard-hitting, but they cannot be because the slums of Miami are not yet isolated, self-sustaining hellish ecosystems, like the favelas and Secondigliano. Chains of Gold is a good film, not a dud, as claimed in the past, so it is great that it transitioned to Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.