7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After Pardon Chato, a mestizo, killed a US marshal in self-defense, a posse pursues him, but as the white volunteers advance deep in Indian territory they become more hunted than hunter, leading to internal strife. They rape Chato's woman, and are hunted down to the last man by the unrelenting warrior.
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jack Palance, James Whitmore, Simon Oakland, Ralph WaiteWestern | 100% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Michael Winner's "Chato's Land" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include archival video interview with screenwriter Gerald Wilson; exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
The posse
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Chato's Land arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
I was quite pleased with the technical presentation. The release is sourced from a new 2K master that was prepared exclusively for it, and while there are some areas that could have been a bit more convincing, I think that the overall appearance of the film is very, very attractive. Delineation, clarity, and depth are either good or very good, in some areas even easy to describe as excellent. Some of the minor fluctuations are introduced by the original cinematography, but there are a few spots where density levels could and should have been better. (A 4K master with a superior grain field would have ensured this exact improvement). Color balance is convincing too, though once again from time to time some of the blacks can look a bit crushed. There are no stability issues, but during and immediately after the opening credits I noticed some light shakiness. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. I noticed a few tiny white specks, but there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).
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.
The lossless track reproduces the native qualities of the original soundtrack very well. To be honest, I was quite surprised with the intensity of the shootouts from the desert because they sound quite a bit better than what I hear on my old DVD release. However, you should not expect to hear a wide range of dynamic nuances because throughout the rest of the film there simply isn't enough material that can produce memorable contrasts. The dialog is stable, clear, and very easy to follow.
I was very surprised to learn that Robert Ryan was apparently considered for one of the key roles in Chato's Land. However, I can understand exactly why screenwriter Gerald Wilson wanted him so badly -- Ryan's presence would have transformed this film into a genre masterpiece. If you think that this is some sort of a wild exaggeration, you need to see what he does in the noirish western Day of the Outlaw. He would have done the same here, surrounded by an even more impressive cast, and with Mother Nature's beauty and destructive power on full display. Michael Winner and Charles Bronson made a number of films together, and while a few are clearly better, I think that Chato's Land is the most atmospheric one. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a solid new 2K master. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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