Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Four Faces West Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 19, 2018

Alfred Green's "Four Faces West" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Video. The only bonus feature on the disc is a gallery of trailers for other westerns from the label's catalog. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

White Sands

In the sleepy town of Santa Maria, New Mexico, Ross McEwen (Joel McCrea) proceeds to rob a bank while the great Sheriff Pat Garrett (Charles Bickford) delivers a speech in front of a small group of local residents. With a big gun in his hand, McEwen asks the stunned bank manager to ‘loan’ him $2,000 and when he hands him the money signs a piece of paper confirming the ‘transaction’. Shortly after, he ditches his horse and jumps on a train heading south.

Meanwhile, in Santa Maria sheriff Garrett announces that he wants the robber -- dead or alive -- and organizes a large posse to hunt him down. The bank manager then provides a perfect description of McEwen and Garrett and his men go to work.

On the train McEwen gets a snakebite treated by the beautiful nurse Fay Hollister (Frances Dee), who instantly becomes attracted to him but tries hard not to reveal how she feels. Another passenger, a seasoned Mexican gambler named Monte Marquez (Joseph Calleia), also becomes interested in McEwen and even after he gets off the train continues to keep an eye on him.

Eventually Garrett’s men discover that McEwen was on the train under a different name and is slowly moving toward the southern border, but every time they get closer to him somehow he manages to outsmart them and resets the chase. They cross paths in the scorching desert but not before McEwen once again surprises Garrett and forces him to discover an entirely different type of criminal.

The most interesting aspect of this little seen western directed by Alfred Green is that it is quite reluctant to produce the typical character generalizations that a lot of early films about the Wild West loved promoting, which is unusual to say the least because it is actually conceived as a fairy tale for adults. Indeed, McCrea basically has the role of a ‘disruptor’ who does a lot of different things that prove to the people around him and those that are trying to get him that things are very rarely as black or white as they might appear. The sole purpose of Callela’s character is also to reinforce the notion that ‘judging’ and ‘understanding’ are very different actions whose consequences could essentially make or break a life. So while there is plenty of the conventional drama and romance that would give an early western its identity, the narrative supports a sense of contemporary shrewdness that is not only refreshing but in many cases thought-provoking.

The action is intense but free of spectacular shootouts. After Garrett begins tracking down the robber the film finds other ways to reveal that in the Wild West death was always lurking around the corner.

The outdoor footage is great. There is one particular segment where McEwen rides a young bull through a desert that was shot on location at White Sands in New Mexico that is flat-out stunning and adds a completely different flavor to the action. The prolific cinematographer Russell Harlan, who worked with Howard Hawks on the classic westerns Red River and Rio Bravo, was the man behind the camera.

*This recent release is sourced from a new 4K remaster of the film that was prepared by Paramount Pictures Archives.

Four Faces West Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Alfred Green's Four Faces West arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Video.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K remaster that was prepared by Paramount Pictures Archives. Quite predictably, the entire film looks very fresh, vibrant, and healthy. Density levels are also very impressive and on a larger screen the visuals consistently impress with excellent depth (see screencaptures #3 and 5). There are a couple of segments where very small fluctuations can be spotted, but they are retained from the original elements. There are no traces of problematic digital tinkering. Image stability is very good. A few tiny specks and scratches remain, but there are no massive cuts, damage marks, or torn frames to report. (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).

Four Faces West Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

There are no technical issues to report in our review. There are a few areas some very minor inherited unevenness is present, but clarity and depth are very good. There are no pops, cracks, background hiss, or digital distortions.

Four Faces West Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - a collection of trailers for other westerns from Kino Video's catalog.

Four Faces West Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The segment where Joel McCrea rides the bull in the desert is a good enough reason to recommend seeking Four Faces West. But this really is a solid western with very strong leads and top-quality lensing courtesy of Russell Harlan, so it should not be missed on Blu-ray. Kino Video's recent release is sourced from a lovely 4K remaster that was prepared by Paramount Pictures Archives, but there are no insightful bonus features on it. RECOMMENDED.