Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Hellfighters Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 29, 2021

Andrew V. McLaglen's "Hellfighters" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include archival interviews with the director; new audio interview with actor Edward Faulkner; new audio commentary by critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke.; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

There is a little bit of everything in Andrew V. McLaglen’s film Hellfighters. Drama, melodrama, comedy, action, even some good old-fashioned kitsch. This makes me wonder precisely how some of its stars were brought on board. Did someone convince John Wayne that Hellfighters would be a tough action film about modern-day superheroes? Did Katharine Ross and Vera Miles agree to do the film because someone sold it to them as an authentic romantic melodrama? Was Jim Hutton told that his part would be a legit opportunity to challenge one of the greatest American actors alive?

No, it is not the money that did the convincing. I am sorry, but the actors I listed above would not have done Hellfighters just for the money. They saw something in Clair Huffaker’s screenplay that they liked. Wayne’s commitment to Hellfighters is probably the easiest to rationalize because he had already done The Comancheros and The War Wagon, both scripted by Huffaker, but they were both solid westerns. Ross apparently produced some quite disparaging comments during the production process, but she did not have any objections when she was offered her part. So, what exactly happened when Hellfighters was conceived?

It is pretty difficult to tell because opinions on the quality of Hellfighters from many of the people that made it, not just the stars I listed above, are all over the place. Perhaps the original intent was to shoot a film that somehow put the spotlight on Paul ‘Red’ Adair, the iconic oil firefighter from Houston, but the connection between Chance Buckman (Wayne) and the old pro is difficult to establish. In the film, The Buckman Company is placed in Houston, but for obvious reasons this is the only place where it could have been. The action and drama are not pushing the film toward Adair either. In other words, it seems fair to speculate that Hiffaker’s screenplay was supposed to produce a different type of film.

While I don’t know if the finished film turned out exactly as intended -- and again, the diverse opinions on its quality seem to suggest that not everything was done as advertised -- it is certainly quite easy to describe it as ‘different’. Here’s what I mean:

Just a few nights before I revisited Hellfighters, I spent a couple of hours with The Carpetbaggers, which was completed only a couple of years earlier. Both films enter realities that ordinary people are essentially unfamiliar with, and while selling very particular types of manufactured realism introduce a great deal of kitsch. The realism in Hellfighters is of course a lot easier to defend because you see the mechanics of putting out giant oil fires, but what happens in between is, to put it mildly, pretty amusing. Buckman and his young right-hand man (Hutton) are essentially international stars that get called up to do risky jobs in pretty much the same way Agent 007 was over the years. If you pay attention to their exchanges, you may even realize that both use the same old playbook Agent 007 did to melt the hearts of the beautiful women around them. Is this how the real hellfighters lived their lives? Well, I don’t know, but some of the kitschy glamour sure reminded me of the one that is promoted in The Carpetbaggers.

If I had to guess, I would say that Hellfighters disappointed some of the people that made it precisely because it is a tough film to profile. But I enjoy it quite a lot, I really do. I think that it has a wonderful, unfiltered for its era sense of humor that transforms some of its most obvious weaknesses into its greatest strengths. It could have been a lot more serious and resembling a documentary about a genuinely dangerous profession, but that kind of a film would have been entirely predictable. As it is, Hellfighters is full of out-of-left field surprises and actually reveals plenty about a time when it was a lot easier for the two sexes to have a whole lot of fun.

Hellfighters Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hellfighters arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

I enjoy Hellfighters quite a lot, so when a few years ago Universal released it on Blu-ray, I picked it up for my library. This release is sourced from the exact same master that was used to the U.S. release, which isn't good. Indeed, aside from a few close-ups that could look somewhat decent, the rest of the film looks either mediocre or poor. For example, some of the most impressive outdoor footage where the firefighters are seen risking their lives often lack proper definition and depth. There are traces of grain management work as well, which is why you will spot quite a bit of smearing. Darker areas can reveal black crush too, though I would say that most of it isn't too distracting. Colors are stable, but overall balance can and should be a lot more convincing. Some of the inconsistencies that you will notice are a byproduct of shaky highlights, but in many areas saturation simply isn't optimal. Image stability is good. Some blemishes and minor scuffs can be seen, but there are no distracting large cuts, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Hellfighters Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The obvious choice would be the LPCM 2.0 track, but I would encourage you to experiment with the 5.1 track as well because it is very nicely done. (It comes from an original 6-track sound mix). Is there any room for improvement? I think that there is because in a few areas the upper register becomes a bit shaky, but the basics are solid. My impression is that when the current master was prepared the audio was transferred properly. You can easily tell that it is so too, because the music during the opening credits sounds very clean and lush.

Hellfighters Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Hellfighters. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for Hellfighters.

• Super 8 Version - a short Super 8 version of Hellfighters. In black-and-white. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (8 min).

• The Rare Breed: Tom Vincent on Andrew V. McLaglen - in this new program, critic Tom Vincent discusses the production history of Hellfighters, its style, and the career and legacy of its director, Andrew V. McLaglen. There is plenty of information addressing John Wayne's work as well. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• Interview with Edward Faulkner - in this new audio interview, actor Edward Faulkner, who plays the character of George Harris, recalls how he became involved with Hellfighters, what it was like to work with director Andrew V. McLaglen on the film and over the years, his interactions with John Wayne and other cast members, etc. The interview was conducted by critic C. Courtney Joyner. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• Andrew V. McLaglen: The Director and the Duke - in this archival video interview, Andrew V. McLaglen quickly discusses his professional relationship with John Wayne and the films they did together. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• The BFI Interview with Andrew V. McLaglen - this archival video interview with Andrew V. McLaglen was conducted by David Lewin at the National Film Theatre in London on September 7, 1999. The interview covers a wide range of topics, from the evolution of the director's career to his personal relationship with various stars (Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne) to the type of films he shot and their success. In English, not subtitled. (61 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke.

• Shorts - these shorts highlight the dangers that firefighters face while trying to kill oil fires as well as their working methods. The great Red Adair is seen in the second short. In English, with optional English subtitles.
  
  1. Desert Inferno (1962).
  2. News Report From Ekofisk Oil Field (1977).

• Booklet - limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Andrew Nette, archival articles on the film and the events that inspired it, an overview of critical responses, and film credits.

Hellfighters Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It seems to me that many of the people that dislike Hellfighters are having trouble detecting its sense of humor. I think that it is wonderful and what actually makes the film quite unpredictable, surprisingly charming and refreshing as well. Of course, you cannot place it amongst John Wayne's greatest hits, but if you pay attention how it was shot, you should eventually come to the realization that even though it was a 'big' film, it was not conceived to be a grand masterpiece. I enjoy it a lot, I really do. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release of Hellfighters is sourced from an old and pretty rough master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. However, it has a good selection of new and archival bonus features. RECOMMENDED to fans of the film that may find these bonus features appealing.