Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Donovan's Reef Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 16, 2025

John Ford's "Donovan's Reef" (1963) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by author and film historian Dwayne Epstein; new audio commentary by author and films historian Joseph McBride; documentary film; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The final collaboration between John Ford and John Wayne is a mismanaged project. It produces plenty of stunning visuals and even a few hilarious scenes, but it lacks the quality that one would rightfully expect from it. It is not because Wayne, or any of his costars, are cruising through it. They are all trying, and a few even share good chemistry. It is because the narrative and Ford constantly force them in different directions, almost as if to test their ability to retain control of their characters.

The entire film is set on a picturesque island in French Polynesia that has undergone various dramatic changes after the Americans have liberated it from the Japanese invaders. A few Americans have settled down there, but for different reasons and with different long-term plans. “Guns” Donovan (Wayne) operates a small bar, Donovan’s Reef, with his good pal "Boats" Gilhooley (Lee Marvin), while “Doc" Dedham (Jack Warden) looks after the sick. Even though Mother Nature regularly reminds everyone who calls the island home that she has total control over their lives, they all feel blessed to be there.

The seemingly repetitive cycle of existence on the island is disrupted when Dedham's estranged daughter, Amelia (Elizabeth Allen), arrives from Boston. While she waits for her father to return from a business trip, Amelia begins spending time with Donovan, and, after initially annoying each other, against all odds, the two quickly fall in love. However, removing the barriers they have placed between them before getting to know each other and revealing how they feel proves to be a seriously tricky business.

One half of Donovan’s Reef is scripted and shot to impress as a romantic comedy in which two supposedly genuinely incompatible individuals discover that they were meant to be together. This is an old and overused concept for a romantic comedy, but it is not why it is problematic. It is problematic because it is embedded in an underdeveloped material, demanding that the audience accept Wayne and Allen as a romantic couple without enough evidence that they see in each other any potential for a serious, lasting relationship. For example, Wayne looking substantially older than Allen is not an issue. However, aside from revealing that he cares about his children, Wayne remains only a slightly less aggressive replica of Marvin’s boozer, and his only successful move is to kiss Allen as, according to her, no man before him has. The rest of his interactions with Allen are defined by macho posturing that, while occasionally charming, is missing the magic capable of melting a woman’s heart.

The other half of Donovan’s Reef works with material that would have been perfect in one of those popular Cinerama films exploring our planet’s most picturesque locations, like Cinerama: Search for Paradise. Indeed, this material has a borderline documentary appearance and often visibly hurts the evolution of the romance between Wayne and Allen. The most effective material is the one where Wayne and Marvin are very loose, with the highlight being the big but short melee that nearly destroys the bar. Unfortunately, Ford treats it almost as filler material.

Donovan's Reef 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, Donovan's Reef arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration sourced from the original camera negative and completed at Paramount Pictures. The 4K restoration is also available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack.

I viewed the 4K restoration in its entirety in native 4K and later spent time with the 1080p presentation of it on the Blu-ray. I compared various sections of the film in native 4K and 1080p.

The quality of the restoration work and the complete 4K restoration could not have been any more convincing. Indeed, the visuals that I saw on my system, in native 4K and 1080p, were exceptional, so the entire film looks gorgeous now. Color reproduction and balance are terrific. I think that the native 4K presentation produces noticeably superior primaries and wider ranges of supporting nuances, but the 1080p presentation is mighty impressive as well. If you have a large screen, you will be pleased to know that the 1080p presentation maintains very solid density levels, so there is a consistency in the strength of the visuals that is quite attractive. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The entire film looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Donovan's Reef Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed Donovan's Reef in native 4K and later spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack.

As soon as the opening credits appear, it becomes very easy to conclude that the audio has been fully restored as well. The music and all exchanges sound crisp, sharp, and very clear. Stability is excellent, too. If you raise the volume of your system, you are not going to hear any thinning, hiss, crackle, etc. Dynamic intensity is good. However, variety is limited, which of course is hardly surprising.

Donovan's Reef Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - in this exclusive new audio commentary, author and film historian Joseph McBride explains why Donovan's Reef is a lot like a succession of Fordian motifs, and comments on the overlapping of different types of contrasting material in its narrative, John Wayne's performance, specific locations in Hawaii that were used in the film, the film's reception and reputation, etc. McBride also reveals that he does not consider Donovan's Reef one of John Ford and/or Wayne's better films.

• Commentary Two - in this exclusive new audio commentary, film historian Dwayne Epstein, author of Lee Marvin: Point Blank, shares plenty of information about John Ford (and explains why he considers him the greatest of all American directors), John Wayne and Lee Marvin's antics before the camera, the female cast, the quality of comedy that gives the film its identity, etc.

• The Growler Story (1957) - a short documentary film directed by John Ford for U.S. Navy. Color. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Donovan's Reef. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Donovan's Reef Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Ford and John Wayne made numerous films together, several of which are rightfully considered masterpieces of American cinema. Their final collaboration, Donovan's Reef, has an impressive cast, but it is a mismanaged project. It works with underdeveloped material and heads in different directions at the same time, making it virtually impossible for its cast to impress as expected. It is still worth seeing because it frequently produces gorgeous visuals, but only after one has experienced Ford and Wayne's masterpieces. Kino Lorber's combo pack introduces an exclusive stunning new 4K restoration of Donovan's Reef, recently completed at Paramount Pictures. This 4K restoration is also available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release. RECOMMENDED.