Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.0 |
| Video |  | 2.5 |
| Audio | | 3.0 |
| Extras |  | 0.0 |
| Overall |  | 2.0 |
Custer of the West Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 17, 2017
1967’s “Custer of the West” is built for size, not accuracy. It’s a weird mix of Western mythology and revisionism, trying to compete in the race of
Hollywood spectacles, but unsure if it wants to commit to the legend of George Armstrong Custer in full. It has its heart in the right place, exposing
the darker side of the pioneer spirit, but a few steps in the enlightened direction throw the whole cinematic dance off, threatening to confuse viewers
confronted with a committed military man known for slaughtering Native Americans, but spent most of his career trying to protect them from harm.
At least the movie looks beautiful.
Made with Cinerama distribution in mind, “Custer of the West” takes its widescreen business very seriously. It’s an immense feature from director
Robert Siodmak, who takes in the natural beauty of “America” (the film was shot in Spain) with room for movement, using close-ups sparingly as the
scale of the endeavor is quickly established. There are a few trick sequences (including a runaway wagon and a slide down a log chute) to bring out
the best of Cinerama immersion, but “Custer of the West” stays focused on major conflicts across the open range, keeping Custer’s professional duty
in play while he also deals with domestic issues, trying to generate a balance between extremes in the man’s life.
Custer of the West Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) for "Custer of the West" is a major filmgoing event that's neutered by filtering on BD, with detail
generally smoothed out, removing intended texture and clarity of distance. It's a bright viewing experience, but not a filmic one. Colors are adequate,
handling military and period hues, and skintones are somewhere near natural. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in good shape, without overt
damage.
Custer of the West Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't as powerful as desired, with hiss running throughout the listening event, and highs are crispy, slipping into slight
distortion with heavier offerings of action and intensity. Dialogue exchanges aren't lost, but they aren't powerful, remaining intelligible but not
commanding. Scoring fares a little better, with passable instrumentation and position. Atmospherics are adequate, keeping up with different
environments, and sound effects are on a cacophonous side. Slight volume fluctuations are found in the feature's last two reels.
Custer of the West Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
There is no supplementary material on this disc.
Custer of the West Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Dramatics are tenuous because they're so confused, finding star Robert Shaw struggling to define his Custer as a man of mercy and awareness while
also enjoying military power plays. "Custer of the West" doesn't have the storytelling strength to support its lofty moral ambitions, but it does make for
a great mute-button movie.
