Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video |  | 4.0 |
| Audio |  | 3.0 |
| Extras |  | 1.0 |
| Overall | | 3.5 |
Invitation to a Gunfighter Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 1, 2015
There’s an appealing sense of disorientation that flows throughout 1964’s “Invitation to a Gunfighter.” It’s not a dramatically dense effort, but it holds focus on shifting allegiances and desires, attempting to find different dramatic directions that move past traditional offerings of six-gun violence than typically motivate the genre. Returning Yul Brynner to the old west, “Invitation to a Gunfighter” scores with surprise and intimidation, finding the star’s icy stare and the screenplay’s behavioral curiosity combining to deliver a slightly askew take on revenge.
“Invitation to a Gunfighter” is set in a post-Civil War world, where tensions concerning military sides are still fresh, leaving Confederate soldier Matt (George Segal) in a tight spot once he discovers his land has been stolen by a local banker, Brewster (Pat Hingle). Swearing revenge, Matt’s efforts are blocked by Jules (Yul Brynner), a hired gun with no particular plan in mind, gaining control of the town as he sets his sights on Matt’s longtime love, Ruth (Janice Rule).
Obviously shot on the Universal Studios backlot (the “Psycho” house is prominently featured), “Invitation to a Gunfighter” is small in scale but carries psychological depth that refreshes suspense, watching the men shift attention and their sense of honor as the stand-off carries on for too long. Histories are revealed, hostilities are stroked, and uncomfortable attractions are discovered. The picture doesn’t show much interest in pacing, but there’s enough incident and prickly interactions to hold attention.
Invitation to a Gunfighter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The AVC encoded image (1.66:1 aspect ratio) presentation comes through brightly, with outdoor encounters delivering the best detail of the disc, finding sunlit close-ups bringing out facial textures and fibrous costuming. Delineation is secure, offering clarity during evening events, which typically follow a lot of secretive creeping around. Colors are stable, delivering western hues that favor brown and white, while female costuming adds variation. Print is in decent shape, with a few spots of damages and speckling. Flicker is periodically spotted. Grain is fine and filmic, slightly dialed down.
Invitation to a Gunfighter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA has difficulty with clarity, finding hiss carrying through the entire listening experience. While it doesn't swallow dramatics, it retains a pronounced presence. Dialogue exchanges are handled adequately, finding deep voices and bright accents. Scoring delivers the basics, supporting dramatic events as intended, with passable instrumentation. Atmospherics are simple, but gunshots retain punch, and town activities are detailed.
Invitation to a Gunfighter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- A Theatrical Trailer (2:14, HD) is included.
Invitation to a Gunfighter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Brynner commands the screen here, making Jules a troubling figure, but also a vulnerable one, sharing some charged moments with Rule, who's also a strong dramatic presence in the feature. "Invitation to a Gunfighter" isn't a roughhouse picture, but one that's more interested in the corrosion of men and their secretive ways. It can slow going at times, but it retains a toxic mood and few confrontations that satisfy all western requirements.
