6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
John Henry returns to his hometown in hopes of repairing his relationship with his estranged father, but a local gang is terrorizing the town. John Henry is the only one who can stop them, however he has abandoned both his gun and reputation as a fearless quick-draw killer.
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Demi Moore, Brian Cox, Michael WincottWestern | 100% |
Drama | 5% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
There's not a more classic American genre than the Western, and it's earned a new contemporary classic in Forsaken. Director Jon Cassar's (24) movie hearkens back to the genre's roots with a thoughtful, yet simple, story of redemption, reconciliation, and right versus wrong. It's more immediately notable as the first screen pairing of the real-life father-son tandem of Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, but that novelty quickly gives way to a powerful and very well done film that recalls the classics of yesterday, like Shane, and captures the genre's spirit with an unflinching command of the style, motifs, characters, and the very essence of what makes the Western an indelible classic of the American cinematic landscape.
The gunslinger.
As noted in the previous paragraph, Forsaken was digitally photographed and the result is a rather pasty, smooth image that reveals good details but doesn't quite capture the sort of roughhewn texture one might expect of a Western film. Background details, like tree leaves, are often more smeary than they are stable. Period attire is revealing of basic lines and seams but doesn't showcase the sort of intimate, dusty, and worn details one might expect to find. Facial features are likewise serviceable. Facial hair, pores, and wrinkles are never masked, but neither are they as tangibly apparent as one might expect. Old wood in saloons, building façades, and other little details never quite find the realistic texturing they deserve. Colors are also somewhat drab. The movie features a fairly predominant brown tinting. Basic greens, brighter clothes, and blood present with enough vibrance to get by but are hardly home to the sort of eye-popping exactness that's the norm for the newest HD video shoots. Black levels tend to push towards crush. Noise is often apparent. All of that said, the image looks good. There's plenty of room for improvement, but many of the less than desirable qualities seem more inherent to the source rather than a product of the film's transfer to Blu-ray.
Forsaken's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a fair bit engaging, particularly during shootouts. Gunfire is most prominent during two key scenes, one coming around the 37 minute mark and the other around the 76 minute mark. The former, which takes place outside, offers a good bit of punch to the shots and plenty of impacts all around the stage. Shots ring out from one speaker and shattering wood spills from another. The chaos is palpable and the raw effect very satisfying. The latter takes place indoors and lacks quite as much pure definition, but the all of the core qualities, including the healthy and natural surround usage, remain. Small ambient details impress, particularly around the Clayton homestead. City streets are a little more bustling and thriving and prone to offer more activity. Music is clear and well defined. Dialogue too enjoys effortless definition, natural center placement, and strong prioritization above all other details.
Forsaken contains only one extra entitled The Making Of Featurette (1080p, 11:32). It's a well-done piece that explores the Western genre, project origins, the Sutherland father/son tandem working together for the first time, the movie's classic stylings, characters, cast and performances, and more.
Forsaken is one of the best Westerns to hail from the 21st century. While it's not creative, its foundation is firm and its understanding of its genre evident in every shot. It's very well acted, so well that the novelty of the Sutherlands working together quickly disappears into the movie's tangible, well developed world. Entertainment One's Blu-ray release of Forsaken features fair video and good audio. The disc is unfortunately lacking any meaningful extras, but the release comes highly recommended and is a must-own for any Western fan.
2019
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Warner Archive Collection
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