Cutter's Way Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Cutter's Way Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 11, 2022

Ivan Passer's "Cutter's Way" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new introduction by Jeff Bridges; new program with producer Paul Gurian; new program with screenwriter Jeffrey Alan Fiskin; new audio commentary by assistant director Larry Franco and production manager Barrie Osborne; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The less time you spend with Ivan Passer’s Cutter’s Way, the more you are going to like it. Did I confuse you already? Below I will explain exactly what I mean because it is inevitable that you will encounter very different takes on this film and they will almost certainly highlight something about it that is true.

First, I must reveal that my take on Cutter’s Way has evolved quite a bit over the years. For example, I used to think that Cutter’s Way was a close relative of Busting and Hardcore because of its easily recognizable neo-noirish identity. But after repeated viewings, I gradually changed my mind because I established that this neo-noirish identity was quite brittle and in fact something of a distraction that was not at all intended. My current take on Cutter’s Way is that it was supposed to be as intellectually subversive and ultimately thought-provoking as some of Passer’s early films but because it was not conceived and shot in a perfectly familiar for its creator environment it became something else.

If you keep this in mind -- that Cutter’s Way is a cinematic chameleon -- the supposedly frustrating overlapping of the suspense and drama in its narrative begins to make perfect sense. The supposedly odd behavior of the main protagonists becomes very easy to rationalize as well. But why should you assume that this is how Passer conceived and shot Cutter’s Way? Because Passer’s early gem Intimate Lighting is a very, very similar film -- it pretends to be a conventional comedy but carefully targets the misery and absurdity of existence in Passer’s native Czechoslovakia.

As a cinematic chameleon, however, Cutter’s Way is not as effective as Intimate Lighting. In fact, some of the best material in it is the one where everything becomes transparent and its wicked sense of humor is not used to redirect your attention. In other words, the crucial material that is supposed to transform Cutter’s Way into a thought-provoking cinematic chameleon becomes its greatest weakness.

So, why couldn’t Passer deliver a better film?

I have a long answer and a short answer. The long answer is that Passer struggles to use the murder mystery that is at the center of Cutter’s Way to produce a fascinating socio-cultural profile of 1970s America. Cash-strapped playboy Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) and hard-drinking Vietnam vet Alex Cutter (John Heard) become involved in what appears to be a murder case and identify a prominent businessman as the prime suspect. But Cutter’s plan to blackmail the suspect backfires and, in the process, seriously complicates his friendship with Bone. The developments preceding the blackmail and the drama that comes with it pull Cutter’s Way in opposite directions and ultimately make it impossible for Passer to give it a convincing identity.

The short answer is that with Cutter’s Way Passer attempted to establish himself as a world-class auteur but in an environment that was still quite foreign to him. There is a lot of great-looking footage from Santa Barbara, for instance, but it does not do much for the big picture that Passer wanted Cutter's Way to focus on.

Passer's director of photography was Jordan Cronenweth, whose credits include the cult revenge thriller Rolling Thunder and the classic sci-fi mind-bender Blade Runner.

Cutter's Way 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, Cutter's Way arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by MGM. Even though the film looks slightly softer than it should -- and part of the reason for this is that the encoding could have been better optimized -- I like this master. For example, it is free of problematic digital tinkering, and as a result, delineation and depth tend to be quite good. Clarity remains pleasing throughout the entire film as well. Grain exposure could have been better but on my system every daylight and darker footage looked fine. In fact, many darker areas revealed surprisingly strong shadow nuances. Highlights could have been managed better, but this is a common limitation on older masters and here I did not think that there were any seriously troubling anomalies. Image stability was good. Color balance is convincing. Ideally, in some areas saturation should be better and select ranges of nuances should be expanded, but I am perfectly fine with the current appearance of the visuals. As I expected, a few simply look slightly dated. I noticed a few blemishes and dark spots, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Cutter's Way Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

Jack Nitzsche created a simple but very atmospheric score for Cutter's Way and I think that the lossless track reproduces its strengths very well. Dynamic intensity is good too, though the film's original sound design isn't very diverse, meaning that you should not expect to hear any striking contrasts. The dialog is always clear and easy to follow.

Cutter's Way Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - in this exclusive new audio introduction, Jeff Bridges recalls how he became involved with Cutter's Way and what it was like to shoot the film with Ivan Passer and John Heard. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• "Two Plus One" - in this exclusive new program, screenwriter Jeffrey Alan Fiskin recalls how his writing career started, how he was contacted by producer Paul Gurian and asked to turn Newton Thornburg's novel into a film, his first impression of Ivan Passer, and the filming of Cutter's Way. There are some really good comments about cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth's work as well. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• "Gurian's Way" - in this new program, producer Paul Gurian discusses his original vision of Cutter's Way, Jeffrey Alan Fiskin's involvement with the film, Ivan Passer's style and how he shaped the identity of the film. In English, not subtitled. (27 min).

• "Cut to the Bone; Inside the Score" - in this new program, music editor Curt Sobel recalls his work with composer Jack Nitzsche, who created the original soundtrack of Cutter's Way. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Cutter's Way. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by assistant director Larry Franco and production manager Barrie Osborne. There is plenty of interesting information about Ivan Passer's relationship with Milos Forman and his work in the West (after leaving his native Czechoslovakia), the production of Cutter's Way, Paul Gurian's passion for the original material, and the film's visual style and period atmosphere.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary was recorded by critics Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman.

• Isolated Score - presented as LPCM 2.0.

Cutter's Way Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The more I revisit Cutter's Way, the more convinced I become that Ivan Passer was not the right man to direct it. This film was supposed to be a cinematic chameleon similar to Passer's Intimate Lighting but with a neo-noirish identity used to disguise its casual deconstruction of 1970s American reality. Passer delivered a different film. I do not dislike it but it is an oddly unfocused film that very much feels like a missed opportunity. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from an older but nice organic master that was supplied by MGM and features a lovely selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. RECOMMENDED.