Custer of the West Blu-ray Movie

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.