7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
Newlyweds Gil and Lana Martin try to establish a farm in the Mohawk Valley but are menaced by Indians and Tories as the Revolutionary War begins.
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda, Edna May Oliver, Eddie Collins, John CarradineWestern | 100% |
Romance | 40% |
War | 34% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It’s hard to escape the shadow of a film as iconic as John Ford’s 1939 masterpiece Stagecoach, which may be one reason why Ford’s other 1939 western, Drums Along the Mohawk, is not nearly so well remembered today, despite the fact that it was Ford's first color film and was quite successful in its day. Based on a historical novel by Walter D. Edmonds, the film depicts the adventures of a newly married couple around the time of the Revolutionary War in the wild American West—meaning in this case, the not very far west Mohawk Valley in New York. Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert portray newlyweds Gilbert and Lana Martin, who leave Lana’s pretty tony digs in upstate New York to try their hand at farming in what was then the undeveloped expanse of central New York where the Mohawk tribe still reigned supreme. The film telescopes a number of huge historical events, having them play out against a series of anecdotal vignettes, many of them actually titled by little “samplers” giving brief descriptions of what is transpiring. This is a different kind of “epic” than what Ford achieved with Stagecoach. The focus is somewhat more limited, remaining anchored on the Martins while also featuring Ford’s typically large and colorful supporting cast (including a number of regulars from the Ford repertory company). But the visual scope of this film is quite appealing and decidedly different than the American Southwest regions with which Ford became so deeply associated throughout the bulk of his career.
Drums Along the Mohawk is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. This is sadly yet another older Technicolor film which has fallen subject to the so-called "Fox curse" of original Technicolor elements having been tossed in the garbage in the 1970s. Evidently Fox made safety intermediates in Eastmancolor and the difference is more than noticeable as even a cursory glance at these screenshots will show. Flesh tones edge toward the peach side of things, the overall look of the film is decidedly on the brown side, and those lustrous Technicolor blues and reds simply don't pop with the vividness lovers of the original process will expect (take a look at the blue of Colbert's costume in the first screenshot and the red robe in screenshot 4 for good examples). The entire look of this presentation is on the "dupey" side, with middling contrast and pretty iffy shadow detail. This is not the fault of the transfer per se, since Fox evidently harvested whatever elements they could for a significant digital upgrade and that information is presented here, but this is simply a kind of sad version of Technicolor rather than the "real thing". Otherwise, though, the elements were either in very good shape or have been extremely well restored. Damage is at a minimum, and while a telecine colorist has obviously attempted to work whatever magic he or she could here, there aren't any other signs of aggressive digital tinkering. This film should be one of the chief exhibits in why film preservation is so important. Without original elements, only so much can be done, but at least something has been done with what Fox had to work with.
Drums Along the Mohawk features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track which sounds surprisingly spry for its age. While there is the requisite boxiness at times (especially noticeable in some of Alfred Newman's more grandiloquent orchestral cues), overall things sound remarkably full bodied and damage free. The mix is extremely well prioritized, with dialogue, score and the frequent effects in action sequences expertly blended so that everything is audible without any "crowding" issues.
Drums Along the Mohawk is an often bracing and very exciting experience, and it offers John Ford's typically assured mastery of both character and locale. Up close and personal moments are perfectly blended with bigger set pieces, and the film's climax is rightly remembered as one Ford's most singular achievements. This Blu-ray presentation isn't able to completely overcome the lack of original elements. Valiant restorative efforts appear to have been made, but this simply does not have the beautiful Technicolor patina that it should. With an understanding of what can reasonably be done under such circumstances, Drums Along the Mohawk comes Recommended.
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