Johnny Guitar Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Johnny Guitar Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 22, 2016

Nicholas Ray's "Johnny Guitar" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; introduction by director Martin Scorsese; audio commentary by critic Geoff Andrew; new video programs featuring critics Kent Jones, B. Ruby Rich, Joe McElhaney, and Miriam Bale; new featurette with archivist Marc Wanamaker; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring Jonathan Rosenbaum's essay "Johnny Guitar: The First Existential Western". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Vienna

I have to quickly address a very popular myth about Nicholas Ray’s film Johnny Guitar, which is that it is a very smart piece of satire that carefully targeted McCarthyism. The film can work as a satire, but the political overtones that supposedly reveal its true identity quite simply do not exist. Johnny Guitar was a small project, at its core very much an experimental film, that displaces some traditional elements that defined the classic American western with the same audacity that is present in the work of the French New Wave directors. It is the very reason why the likes of Francois Truffaut and Eric Rohmer fell in love with it and publicly praised it.

Joan Crawford is Vienna, the owner of a brand new saloon somewhere in Arizona. She has invested all of her money in it and hopes that in a few years the place will be the biggest attraction in a busy and prosperous town. She has hired a whole bunch of different people to work for her and has even promised them a small share of the profits. A few are nervous, but she has urged them to believe in her plan.

Vienna has also hired her former lover, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Logan (Sterling Hayden, The Killing, The Asphalt Jungle), who is coming all the way from Albuquerque to protect her. He has one of the fastest guns in the West and with him around Vienna is confident that the saloon will quickly earn a solid reputation.

But on the day that Johnny arrives Vienna gets in trouble with the town’s marshal (Frank Ferguson), who suspects that one of her regular customers, the Dancin’ Kid (Scott Bradley, Bonnie's Kids), might be responsible for a recent robbery. When Vienna tells him that she does not know anything about the robbery and does not need drama in her place, Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge, Suddenly, Last Summer), who loves the Dancin’ Kid and can’t stand hearing that he is always around Vienna, sees a perfect opportunity to destroy her. So she convinces the marshal that Vienna is actually protecting the Dancin’ Kid and when he demands that she comes clean on her involvement with the gunslinger all hell breaks loose.

There are a couple of things that make Johnny Guitar a very unique film. First, it has two very strong female characters that essentially challenge the machismo that defined the classic American westerns. So there is a dramatic shift that introduces an entirely new playing field and possibilities. Second, instead of looking to capture nature’s authentic beauty like John Ford and Howard Hawks’ biggest and greatest westerns do, Johnny Guitar goes in the opposite direction and becomes a ‘small film’ that creates and sustains a very specific atmosphere. Essentially, Ray does with color and camera movement what many early American film noirs accomplish with light and shadow. (It is not a coincidence that a big portion of Johnny Guitar actually takes place inside closed spaces). Third, the film strips its characters of the cliched qualities that are promoted in the big westerns and the majority of them quickly become mortals with authentic strengths and weaknesses.

All of the dramatic changes are introduced with such audacity that at times it literary feels like Johnny Guitar is only a few frames short of self-destruction. (Something very similar occurs in Jean-Luc Godard’s classic films from the early 1960s where the same inspired rejection of the classic genre rules gives them a borderline surreal ambience). Depending on how well you tolerate it, you will either fall in love with its rebellious spirit and find the narrative uncharacteristically attractive or conclude that the end result is too exotic and ultimately seriously underwhelming.

Johnny Guitar Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The release is sourced from a new 4K restoration which in addition to various structural improvements introduces a new framing for the film. (On the previous release the film is framed in approximately 1.35:1). The improvements in terms of depth and especially fluidity are substantial. During the indoor and outdoor footage image balance and stability are far better as well. Even on relatively small screens (under 50' screens) you should be able to see the stronger definition and in many areas also the better shadow definition that helps depth. Grain is well exposed and resolved, but there are various fluctuations because inherited limitations impact density. In some cases these fluctuations can be traces back to the original cinematography, but elsewhere it is the quality of the existing elements that is responsible for them. Most close-ups typically look very good. Colors are stable and saturation is convincing, but there is a small shift that introduces some warmer nuances. I find most of them to be convincing, but during select sequences the blues are toned down a bit too much in favor of light yellows. Still, overall balance is good. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or torn frames to report. 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).

Johnny Guitar 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.

The lossless track is outstanding. Depth is very good and clarity is clearly optimized as best as possible. My guess is that some specific enhancements were done to ensure that even the smallest age-related imperfections are removed and that fluidity is as good as it can be. The dialog is always stable, clean, and very easy to follow.

Johnny Guitar Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by Martin Scorsese - presented here is an archival filmed video introduction by director Martin Scorsese, a big admirer of Johnny Guitar. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other - in this new featurette, critics Kent Jones, B. Ruby Rich, Joe McElhaney, and Miriam Bale discuss the unique qualities of Johnny Guitar, its lasting appeal, and the influence the film had on some prominent directors during the years. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western? - in this new featurette, critics Kent Jones, B. Ruby Rich, Joe McElhaney, and Miriam Bale take a closer look at the feminist overtones in Johnny Guitar. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080p).

• Tell Us She Was One of You: The Blacklist History of Johnny Guitar - in this new featurette, Larry Ceplair, co-author of The Inquisition in Hollywood, and blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein, a former member of the Communist Party. discuss the socio-political environment in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s, as well as unusual production history of Johnny Guitar (with some excellent comments about the two writers that were involved with its script, Ben Maddow and Philip Yordan). In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Free Republic: Herber J. Yates and the Story of Republic Pictures - in this very informative featurette, archivist Marc Wanamaker discusses the fascinating history of Republic Pictures and some of its biggest hits and flops. In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, critic Geoff Andrew discusses in great detail the history, visual style, and narrative structure of Johnny Guitar, as well as various aspects of the work and legacy of director Nicholas Ray.

• My Friend, the American Friend - this new featurette, focuses on the final days of director Nicholas Ray. Included in it are interviews with producer Chris Sievernich (Lighting Over Water), and Tom Farrell, former student of Nicholas Ray. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Johnny Guitar: The First Existential Western - presented here is an essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. In text-format.

• Trailer - original trailer for Johnny Guitar. In English, not subtitled. (3 min. 1080p).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring Jonathan Rosenbaum's essay "Johnny Guitar: The First Existential Western".

Johnny Guitar Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have nothing but great things to say about Olive Films' first Signature Edition, but this isn't because I really like Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar. It easily shows that the label has done a lot of work to make sure that the release truly is a special one. I am pretty confident now that the Signature line will bring fans of classic cinema some fantastic treats. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.