Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Dazed and Confused Blu-ray Movie Review

So this is why they call it "high" school.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 23, 2011

Richard Linklater helped popularize the idea of a slacker in his film of the same name, and some might think of the writer-director as something of a slacker himself, at least judging by the often inchoate, formless “structure” of a lot of his films. His output, which is rather regular and unusually diverse, of course argues otherwise, but many of Linklater’s films just kind of drift in the breeze like wafting marijuana smoke, something that might be a more appropriate analogy than ever for one of his best-remembered films, Dazed and Confused. Though Dazed and Confused was released in the rather sizable critical wake of Slacker, it never really found its audience in its original theatrical exhibition, and instead it was that typically slacker behavior of sitting around on a living couch and watching a rented (or purchased) movie on a VCR (remember those?) which initially started bringing hordes of people to the film. In a way, the home video revolution helped cement Dazed and Confused’s reputation to the point where many people consider it as having eclipsed Slacker itself as the prime example of Linklater’s early work. This generally sweet natured look at an Austin, Texas high school graduating class of 1976 fits into a rather straight line of several classic films recently released on Blu-ray, including American Graffiti and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, both films, like Dazed and Confused itself, Universal catalog titles which really might make a rather interesting triple feature. Linklater preceded Robert Rodriguez in popularizing the environs in and around Texas, and Dazed and Confused is a loving time capsule of a generation lost in the space between its own two ears.

Much like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, part of the fun of watching Dazed and Confused is the chance to watch a handful of very young actors in some of their first performances, actors who would go on to become if not the icons of Ridgemont caliber, at least temporary A-listers. Among these performers are Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey and Milla Jovovich. But Dazed and Confused is a sibling of Fast Times at Ridgemont High for several other, perhaps more cogent, reasons. The two films’ timeframes are reasonabl y similar, though Dazed’s 1976 setting might be at least a couple of years prior to Fast Times’. And perhaps most importantly, both films just sort of meander anecdotally from character to character, an approach that of course had become de rigeur for these coming of age dramedies since George Lucas’ American Graffiti.

While there are several simultaneously unfolding stories over the course of about one day as high school comes to an end in May, 1976, Linklater bookends the film with character Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins), a slight incoming Freshman who attempts to evade the school’s tradition (now no doubt banned) of hazing all the incoming new kids, male and female. In fact the hazing rituals provide a number of character introductions early in the film, including Ben Affleck’s dunderheaded and vicious Fred O’Bannion and Parker Posey’s almost bizarrely perky Darla Marks. Along the way we’re introduced to one character after another, often in quick but surprisingly effective strokes which give us an instant “in” as to who these people are. This assortment includes David Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey), a graduate who is either unable (or more likely unwilling) to let go of the high school scene, at least from a social standpoint; a trio of geeks, Mike Newhouse (Adam Goldberg), Cynthia Dunn (Marissa Ribisi) and Tony Olson (Anthony Rapp) who decide to throw caution to the wind and party like it’s—well, 1976; and Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London), star jock and big man on campus who actually also turns out to be a nice guy.

As with several Linklater films, nothing “big” happens here. There’s no overarching three act structure, we don’t see huge plot developments lurch into view, and instead what we get are a series of smaller character beats for a lot of these disparate souls. But against rather formidable odds, Dazed and Confused works almost all of the time. This is an inerrantly big hearted and rather sweet natured film that will surely strike a chord with anyone who has ever weathered the odd social strata of high school, whether or not that weathering took place in the late 1970’s. And that’s where Linklater really manages to achieve something remarkable; this is an unexpectedly “universal” film (no pun intended, considering its distributor), one which manages to find a number of very real feeling character moments, even as it is resolutely anchored in a late 1970’s timeframe.

Slacker got all the attention when it was released, due no doubt to its then revolutionary idea of seguing from story to story almost on a whim, but the fact is Dazed and Confused may well be the more emotionally mature and evocative piece of filmmaking. Linklater obviously loves these characters, and the film is to be commended for not resorting to common film tropes of good guys versus bad guys, at least beyond the usual high school shenanigans of hazing and the occasional paint-filled revenge, as well as one actual fist fight late in the film. Something this low key may lead some to believe the film isn’t really trying very hard, but its very effortlessness is one of Dazed and Confused’s most abiding charms.

Dazed and Confused Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dazed and Confused wafts onto Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. While this Universal release will probably not supplant the Criterion release which is due in just a few more months, in terms of Universal catalog releases, it really looks rather good. Colors, while just this side of lurid some of the time, are robust and well saturated. The image is clean and clear and no egregious print damage is apparent. Sharpness is very good to excellent, and best of all this release hasn't been aggressively DNR'd, so grain structure is still intact but not overwhelming to the levels it was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Contrast is generally strong, though some of the outdoor scenes look just slightly pushed, and while black levels aren't exceptional, crush is kept to a minimum throughout most of the film. Eagle eyed videophiles will spot a few examples of edge enhancement and resultant haloing.

Dazed and Confused Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dazed and Confused is presented with an often boisterous lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that makes the most of the film's nonstop use of source cues. "Jukebox" films have had a heyday this year on Blu-ray, and Dazed and Confused continues the tradition of extremely fine soundtracks which filter through the surround channels with very appealing immersion in the musical elements. Dazed and Confused also tends to default to larger group scenes than some of the other films of this ilk, and that gives more ample opportunity for some good use of discrete channelization. Several of the large high school scenes spill into the surrounds, and the closing nighttime party scene also has some fine use of the side and rear channels. While this isn't a nonstop immersive blockbuster by any means, fidelity is strong, dynamic range is excellent, and surround activity is certainly well above average, especially with regard to the excellent music.

Dazed and Confused Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (SD; 14:27) offers a few bridging scenes, including some dealing with the infamous "pledge" the Coach wants everyone to sign. The video quality of these scenes is pretty spotty at times.
• The Blunt Truth (SD; 4:21) is a parody of the old Educational Films documentaries many of us were forced to watch growing up in school, this one of course about the horrors of marijuana use.
• Retro Public Service Announcements (SD; 2:03) are two PSA's which play like parodies but are actual vintage pieces, one about venereal disease (replete with bouncy theme song, and no I'm not kidding) and the other the famous littering ad featuring the crying Native American.
• U Control has only one fairly lame toggle switch giving information on the tunes that fill the soundtrack.

Dazed and Confused Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dazed and Confused is surprisingly clear-headed in its portrayal of a bunch of kids on the cusp of adulthood, and it certainly ranks pretty much equally in the triumvirate which also includes American Graffiti and Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Linklater's seemingly formless approach actually pays incredible dividends throughout the film, because it captures the wandering and questioning which is part and parcel of most of these kids' mindsets at this precarious moment in their lives. While some may want a more standard three act structure, for those who are able to "go with the flow," Dazed and Confused is a sweetly charming and often very funny film. While the Criterion version is probably going to ultimately be the "go-to" Blu-ray for this title (especially with regard to supplemental features, something this release is pretty slim on), for the time being, and in the relative world of sometimes botched Universal catalog releases, you could do a lot worse. Highly recommended.