Coogan's Bluff Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Coogan's Bluff Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 22, 2015

In the years following his worldwide exposure in Sergio Leone’s “Dollars” trilogy, star Clint Eastwood began a quest to define his American screen persona and career goals, spending 1968 on a collection of diverse releases, with “Hang ‘Em High,” “Where Eagles Dare,” and “Coogan’s Bluff” working to share what passes for range with the iconic star. However, “Coogan’s Bluff” is perhaps the most important of the bunch, establishing Eastwood’s creative relationship with director Don Siegel, with the helmer becoming a friend and mentor for the actor. While the pair would go on to make “Dirty Harry” in 1971, “Coogan’s Bluff” is their first stab at creating an antihero, pushing the boundaries of good taste with this surprisingly gruff detective story. In many ways, the feature feels like a prequel to “Dirty Harry,” but it retains its own personality, giving Eastwood a chance to play around with cop clichés as he perfects his famous squint.

A cop in Arizona with expert tracking skills, Coogan (Clint Eastwood) is caught with one of his many lovers while on the job, leaving his captain no choice but to punish him with menial tasks. Sent to New York City to escort fugitive Ringerman (Don Stroud) back to Arizona, Coogan is faced with a delay when the criminal lands in Bellevue after an LSD overdose. Impatient and overworked Lt. McElroy (Lee J. Cobb) has no time for Coogan or the case, ordering the visiting cop to cut through red tape before claiming his prisoner. Facing a long wait, Coogan settles into NYC, trying to romance probation officer Julie (Susan Clark) in the process, drawn to her beauty and, eventually, her access to necessary police files. Electing to find Ringerman on his own, Coogan lies his way into access, only to feel the burn when his secretive mission goes horribly wrong.

It’s the hippies versus the establishment in “Coogan’s Bluff,” watching the ultra-square cop in cowboy gear attempt to secure Ringerman, a flailing, dismissive love child who’s taken a few too many drugs, aided by lover and equal nutcase, Linny (Tisha Sterling). There’s definitely a conservative push to the picture, which takes a negative view of permissive youth culture while celebrating Coogan’s no-nonsense style (always answering questions with questions), which rubs up against bureaucracy challenges and a liberal object of affection in Julie, who uses therapy to get through to her damaged parolees -- a list that includes Linny. This cultural and philosophical divide is the most interesting aspect of “Coogan’s Bluff,” giving routine material some teeth as the titular character fights to preserve his way of justice in a city that’s all about delaying responsibility.

“Coogan’s Bluff” has a sense of humor, with the running gag of the movie highlighting outsider assumption that the visiting cop is from Texas due to his boots and cowboy hat. And there’s a touch of frivolity with Coogan’s conquest of women, sleeping or hitting on anything that moves, with the exception of a hooker in his fleabag hotel, who’s refused for reasons unknown (it’s not like the character is picky when it comes to date night). Overall, Siegel is trying to craft a thriller of sorts, tracking the AZ cop’s efforts to slink around the system and cuff Ringerman on his own. Instead of instant access, Coogan lies to get to his target, while additional dishonesty is employed to harass Ringerman’s mother and Linny, though his interaction with the young parolee is complicated by sex, a weapon Coogan uses more than his gun in the feature.

The movie isn’t tightened to perfection, but it retains momentum, peppered with violent encounters that only heighten Coogan’s motivation to nail Ringerman. Still, “Coogan’s Bluff” isn’t an action film, spending more time with Coogan and Julie as they get to know each other and his detective skills, which involve perversions of trust and faulty interrogation techniques. Through it all, Eastwood is commanding at the titular character, and while the role doesn’t exactly break any acting habits, the performance is good with steely concentration and sheer presence. He also has chemistry with Clark, who does the best she can with a dismissive role, adding needed counterweight to Eastwood’s icy stare. And Cobb brings some friendly irascibility to the standard weary captain cliché, periodically showing up to banter with Eastwood.

Being 1968, “Coogan’s Bluff” contains some cringe-worthy elements that date the picture. There’s pretty severe sexism on display in relation to Julie’s position of authority, and Coogan’s sexual forwardness is viewed as cute, with his pawing manner and casual dismissal of women with a slap on the behind rewarded with plenty of bedroom partners. Coogan crosses professional lines repeatedly in the feature, and a better movie would explore the drive behind his disregard for procedure. Instead, he’s viewed as a good old boy, even beating up women when they don’t bend to his will, while Julie is treated as a doormat, making her romantic interest in a man who’s clearly violated her trust completely baffling. And the script contains a moment that makes light of rape. To enjoy “Coogan’s Bluff,” it’s important to remember the era in which it was made.

Coogan's Bluff Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation finds a comfortable filmic appearance for "Coogan's Bluff," offering fine grain and textures to study during the viewing experience. Detail is comfortable, working with period cinematography to find facial creases and particulars on hippie costuming, offering adequate sharpness that provides an HD lift. Colors are stable and quite flavorful, giving urban locations definition and clothing pop, and skintones are natural. Delineation is never a problem, preserving frame information during darker scenes, while distances are always open for inspection. Some flicker and speckling is detected, and a few brief vertical scratches are spotted.

Coogan's Bluff Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix brings out the man of the west tone of the picture, finding scoring bright and commanding, helping to set the mood with care, also offering a nice bassy feel. Dialogue exchanges are never in doubt, sounding crisp and healthy, with nothing lost during heated encounters. Club sequences never dissolve into chaos, holding loud but clear. Atmospherics are adequate, giving city life a horn-honk presence, while precinct visits carry group activity nicely.

Coogan's Bluff Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Coogan's Bluff Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Coogan's Bluff" is lifted by a spirited score from Lalo Schifrin, which mixes cop drama and spaghetti western sounds. And Siegel finally revs up the movie with a compelling closer, which trades threats for a foot and motorcycle chase throughout New York City. It's a necessary spark of screen activity for a film that seems reluctant to indulge two-fisted entertainment, finding Eastwood's use here more about intimidation than exasperation. There are a few flaws that are never muted to satisfaction, but "Coogan's Bluff" is enjoyable at times, especially when Siegel and Eastwood sit back and embrace the fish out of water elements of the script, along with its intermittent use of pure attitude.