7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Lance Poole, an Indian who won a Medal of Honor fighting at Gettysburg, returns to his tribal lands intent on peaceful cattle ranching. But white sheep farmers want his fertile grass range and manage to turn the ostensibly civilized white population against the tribes, with tragic results.
Starring: Robert Taylor (I), Louis Calhern, Paula Raymond, Marshall Thompson, James Mitchell (I)Western | 100% |
Romance | 8% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Anthony Mann's first of many Westerns, the socially progressive Devil's Doorway was one of only a handful of classic Hollywood films told from a Native American perspective, even if its main character is anything but. Robert Taylor stars as "Lance Poole" (AKA "Broken Lance"), a full-blooded Shoshone Indian who adopted the ways of the White man and even earned the Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War. Nonetheless, he encounters trouble in his hometown of Medicine Bow, Wyoming: the state has since been made an official U.S. territory, and as such his ethnicity makes Lance a non-citizen. Grazers have long had their eye on his expansive property known as "Sweet Meadow", where he resides along with a few dozen Shoshone who refuse to join reservations. After the locals band together to come for his land, Lance and his people must either fight back or become victims of the controlling majority.
One potential wrench in Coolan's machine turns out to be Orrie Masters (Paula Raymond), a lawyer who reluctantly handles Lance's initial homesteading request yet soon has no moral choice but to take his side. Shrewdly calling in the U.S. Cavalry to attempt a truce, what should have been a diplomatic affair soon turns into the exact opposite, which gives Devil's Doorway a fatalistic edge cemented by an unforgettable conclusion. It's a film that presumably shocked audiences back in 1950; not just for its audacity to go against the tide of most cowboy-and-Indian Westerns, but to do so in a way that greatly humanized its central character -- played in forgivable "redface" by Taylor, because the film absolutely wouldn't have even been made otherwise -- in the process. The expressive cinematography by John Alton aids its visual impact greatly, and its pair of bracing showdowns on Lance's property are truly epic.
In most every respect, Devil's Doorway is a deep MGM catalog cut well worth revisiting, last seen on home video via Warner Archive's 2010
DVD edition. The boutique label digs deeper for this
welcome Blu-ray upgrade, which is led by a careful new restoration that treats its fragile source material with care. Add in lossless audio and a few
light extras, and you've got one of this month's best releases that'll surely appeal to die-hard hands and newcomers too.
Approaching perfection within limited boundaries, Warner Archive's careful restoration of Devil's Doorway, shot by the prolific John Alton, represents another leap forward from their previous DVD edition. According to a reliable source, this 1080p transfer stems from a recent 4K scan of best-available preservation elements; in this case, a second-generation preservation safety fine grain made from the camera negative in the 1960s -- long before that original source burned, along with countless other nitrate negatives, in the historically tragic 1978 George Eastman House fire.
It should come as no surprise, then, that absolute perfection can't be obtained in this case... but with this in mind, what we get here is a clean and very watchable presentation of this great-looking film. Fine details are quite good in the right conditions but tend to sporadically waver, as do black levels and image depth. Close-ups are quite striking, although a few intentionally soft ones (such as those featuring Paula Raymond's character, as seen in screenshot #14) take on a slightly more gauzy appearance than originally intended. Yet everything still enjoys a remarkable and healthy level of consistency in direct comparison to the older DVD release, and the film's stunning cinematography maintains composure on what's essentially a very stable-looking effort that tightens up at all the right moments. As usual, the disc encoding is very good with only trace amounts of posterization, which again may have been unavoidable under these circumstances, as the main feature gets plenty of room to breathe on this dual-layered disc.
The only downside to this renewed sense of clarity? Robert Taylor's (excusable) "redface" now looks more obvious than ever, especially when the whites of his eyes pierce through that thin layer of makeup. A worthwhile trade.
Warner Archive's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track follows suit in quality (if not slightly outpacing the video for overall consistency) with this decently robust split mono mix, which I'm told came from a safety track positive made from the nitrate negative at the same time as that best-available source referenced above. Its native condition is unknown but looks to have been lightly polished here, as the film's dynamic range sounds quite potent -- the lower end of numerous dynamite explosions during a thrilling second-act showdown digs surprisingly deep -- while conversations are clean and intelligible throughout, with only a handful of scenes dipping in fidelity (usually, with visuals to match). But I've no real complaints at all here, as it seems to strike a good balance and again seems very true to its roots.
Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.
This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with handsome vintage poster-themed cover artwork. Bonus features are mostly limited to a few era-specific MGM cartoon shorts, which are always fine by me.
The first of many Westerns directed by Anthony Mann, Devil's Doorway was considered an extremely progressive and forward-thinking drama back in 1950, just one of many reasons why it still holds up well today. The others include a strong lead performance by Robert Taylor, a great supporting cast, beautiful cinematography, and an engaging premise that's executed with precision. Warner Archive's Blu-ray adds plenty of support including lossless audio and a rock-solid restoration sourced from the best-available preservation elements; under the circumstances, it's a great-looking effort that helps the main feature shine like new. This is yet another solid catalog release from the most reliable boutique label in the business and, for obvious reasons, comes firmly Recommended to fans and first-timers alike.
1964
Roadshow Edition
1946
1960
1949
1940
1979
Signature Edition
1950
2K Restoration
1972
1946
1968
Warner Archive Collection
1949
1958
Warner Archive Collection
1960
Warner Archive Collection
1953
Fox Studio Classics
1969
1972
1972
1951
1953
1952