Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		5.0

Indecent Proposal 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 17, 2022

Adrian Lyne's "Indecent Proposal" (1993) arrives on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary recorded by the director as well as vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

A few desperate days in Las Vegas. A million-dollar offer. The oldest temptation. This is no ordinary love.

It is a silly, unbelievable story, from start to finish, she told me. I asked her to explain why she thought so. Two people in love would never make such mistakes, she replied. I vividly remember this short exchange, which was part of a conversation I had with a dear friend with whom I went to see Adrian Lyne’s Indecent Proposal the week it opened in my neck of the woods. I loved the film. She hated it with a passion. Our conversation was intense and quite long, and at the end of it, we simply agreed to disagree. I never changed my opinion of Indecent Proposal. Believe it or not, I revisit it multiple times each year because it makes me feel good. Does this mean that I am a hopeless romantic? You decide. However, Indecent Proposal is a brilliantly directed and acted film, so it is not only its story that I like a lot.

In the early days of the Great Recession (2007-2009), one night I received a call from the same friend, who had moved to a different state, and she mentioned that a couple we both knew was in a lot of trouble. They were about to lose their home and were apparently drifting in opposite directions, which was sad to hear because they started a family while attending college and had stayed together a long time. It was a year or so later when I found out that they did in fact lose their home and officially ended their marriage. She went back to the East Coast, where her parents lived. He stayed in the Midwest. I also found out that right before they parted ways, they lost nearly everything they had while gambling in Las Vegas. Were they going for a Hail Mary play to save their home? If I were a betting man, I would put money on it. I think that they tried to do exactly what David (Woody Harrelson) and Diana (Demi Moore) do in Indecent Proposal.

But in Indecent Proposal there is a crucial twist that rather dramatically alters David and Diana’s experience in Las Vegas. This twist is always at the center of the criticism that is thrown at the film and it is supposedly what makes it utterly unrealistic. After losing the five thousand dollars they have borrowed from David’s father to turn into fifty thousand dollars and keep their dream house, David and Diana meet middle-aged billionaire John Gage (Robert Redford), who invites them to attend a private party at his suite. At the end of the party, Gage offers them one million dollars for a night with Diana, which is his way of testing the old cliché “there is a limit to what money can buy.” Initially, David and Diana reject the offer, but after a night of what-if scenarios change their minds. They have both slept with other people, so if Diana does it one more time, they will become financially secure and finally begin living the life they dreamed of when they married. One night of “just sex”, that’s it. But the deal immediately begins eroding the foundation of David and Diana’s relationship and soon after destroys their marriage.

So, which segment of the story that is told in Indecent Proposal is unrealistic?

A desperate couple running to Las Vegas to gamble for a better future? A billionaire using his wealth to bring into his life a beautiful woman? Money and trust issues splitting a seemingly perfect couple? Discovering that true happiness is a forgiving heart overflowing with love and gratitude?

Every single segment of the story is very realistic and the various developments in them are handled with tremendous style and class. Some stories just beg to be told this way, without overemphasizing the obvious contrasts and messages that emerge from them or equating miserabilism to realism. If you have trouble agreeing that it is so, you just have not been as desperate and hurt as David and Diana.

The leads and the supporting cast are outstanding. Harrelson and Moore undergo pretty dramatic transformations that require vastly different ranges of emotions and all of them are handled spectacularly. Redford is wonderful as the persistent billionaire who has spent most of his life looking for the perfect girl he lost as a young man. Seymour Cassel is his trusted assistant and never more than a few steps behind him. Oliver Platt is the friendly unscrupulous attorney that closes the million-dollar deal. Billy Bob Thornton is a random guy in Las Vegas who uses a couple of lines and a dirty joke to brilliantly profile the billionaire.

Lyne shot Indecent Proposal with cinematographer Howard Atherton whose understanding of style is flawless.

The lushly seductive soundtrack features original music by John Barry and big hits like Sade’s “No Ordinary Love”, Seal’s “Out of the Window”, Sheena Easton’s “The Nearness of You”, and Roy Orbison’s “A Love So Beautiful”.

Indecent Proposal 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Indecent Proposal is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray are sourced from a brand new 4K master that was prepared at Paramount Pictures.

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-23 are from Indecent Proposal Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #26-35 are from Indecent Proposal 4K Blu-ray.

I own the original Blu-ray release of Indecent Proposal that Paramount Home Media Distribution produced in 2009. Because the new 4K master offers such a dramatic improvement in quality, I feel that is pointless to address the discrepancies between the new 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray release and the previous Blu-ray release.

4K BLU-RAY DISC

I viewed the entire film with Dolby Vision. I feel that the grade that was finalized at Paramount reproduces the original theatrical look of Indecent Proposal exceptionally well. It is a gentle grade that allows the shifts in lighting and color temperature between the footage from Las Vegas and the different locations in Southern California to appear very natural. This isn't easy because some of these shifts are pretty dramatic. Delineation, clarity, and depth are superb in daylight, indoor, and nighttime footage. There is only one short segment where in 1080p I felt that facial tones were slightly paler and warmer than they should be, but in native 4K, the overall balance was convincing. This is where Robert Redford invites Demi Moore to the card table. (I took screencapture 11 to demonstrate what I saw on my system). Fluidity is very good, but because of the shifts I mentioned above, you will see some minor fluctuations. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is outstanding. There are no surface imperfections to report either. All in all, I thought that in native 4K Indecent Proposal looked as good as it did at my local theater. (Note: The 4K Blu-ray release is Region-Free).

BLU-RAY DISC

I love Indecent Proposal so on the night after I viewed the 4K presentation, I revisited the film in 1080p. Even in 1080p the upgrade in quality is pretty dramatic. However, I feel that in native 4K some of the more subtle qualities of the original cinematography become easier to appreciate. The flashbacks have different density levels, the footage with the luxurious yacht reveals additional nuances, and even the property trips look slightly better in native 4K. In 1080p, grain tends to be slightly looser, so fluidity isn't the same and the visuals do not have the same tighter appearance. The other fluctuation that was clearly noticeable on my system was the slightly warmer facial complexion from the segment I highlighted above. In native 4K, the Dolby Vision grade makes it impossible to spot, but perhaps this is to be expected because the color palette is expanded. Another similar shift can be spotted when Seymour Cassel delivers the black dress. The red box looks slightly warmer. So, my advice would be to view the new 4K master in native 4K. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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).

Indecent Proposal 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit. I think that John Barry's soundtrack is amongst his best work, plus there are some top tracks by Sade, Seal, and Roy Orbison, amongst others. The lossless track was outstanding, but even on the previous Blu-ray release, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track was very solid. Clarity, depth, and balance were as good as I thought they could be. Dynamic intensity was great as well, though the true strength of the lossless track comes from its ability to reproduce the great subtle dynamic contrasts from the original soundtrack.

Indecent Proposal 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Adrian Lyne and has appeared on previous home video releases of Indecent Proposal, including the first Blu-ray release of the film. Mr. Lyne goes down memory lane and does his best to explain where and how various segments from the film were shot (for example, there are some quite interesting comments about the old Hilton hotel in Las Vegas where David and Diana meet John Gage), how some casting choices were made, how music is used throughout the film, etc. It is a very good commentary, though from time to time there are some quiet spots.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Adrian Lyne and has appeared on previous home video releases of Indecent Proposal, including the first Blu-ray release of the film. Mr. Lyne goes down memory lane and does his best to explain where and how various segments from the film were shot (for example, there are some quite interesting comments about the old Hilton hotel in Las Vegas where David and Diana meet John Gage), how some casting choices were made, how music is used throughout the film, etc. It is a very good commentary, though from time to time there are some quiet spots.

• Trailer - an original trailer for Indecent Proposal. In English, not subtitles. (2 min).

Indecent Proposal 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My two favorite Adrian Lyne films are Indecent Proposal and 9½ Weeks, but I consider the former a little more perfect than the latter. In Indecent Proposal, romance, drama, humor, and cynicism are masterfully mixed to deliver R-rated entertainment of the kind that is now very much a lost art. Some of John Barry's best work is in this film too, which is rather remarkable because a year later he did even better with a stunning soundtrack for The Specialist. Kino Lorber's 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was prepared at Paramount Pictures. I think that in native 4K Indecent Proposal looks sensational. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.