Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Legend of the Lost Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 22, 2020

Henry Hathaway's "Legend of the Lost" (1957) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German distributors Koch Media. The only bonus feature on the disc is a vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

In the desert city of Timbuktu, Paul Bonnard (Rossano Brazzi, The Adventurers, Io e Caterina), a wealthy foreigner, is robbed by a beautiful prostitute (Sophia Loren, Boccaccio '70, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow). The woman is arrested, but Bonnard refuses to press charges against her and she is quickly released. Shortly after, he hires American opportunist Joe January (John Wayne, The Barbarian and the Geisha) to take him deep into the Sahara desert where years ago his father disappeared without a trace. Before they leave, Bonnard and the prostitute spend a night together talking about the things that matter the most in life.

In the desert, Bonnard reveals to January that his father discovered the treasure of the lost city of Timgrad. January does not believe him but agrees to retain one third of the treasure if it turns out that Bonnard’s father was speaking the truth. Around the same time, the beautiful prostitute reappears. Deeply moved by her recent conversation with Bonnard, she vows to follow him to Timgrad. January tries to argue that a woman, and especially one such as Dita, will only slow them down, but Bonnard allows her to join them.

In the days that follow January does his best to compromise Dita and convince Bonnard that it was a mistake to take her with them. The tension rises and after a small argument fueled by a bottle of whiskey January and Bonnard clash. Barely able to contain his anger January announces that he has had enough and is heading back to Timbuktu, but Dita dumps their water supplies, assuming that Timgrad is close and that everyone will have to go there together in order to survive.

There are two key reasons why one would want to see Henry Hathaway’s Legend of the Lost. The first has to do with the fact that this is the one and only film in which Loren and Wayne could be seen together. The second is the beautiful lensing by the legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff (The Red Shoes, The African Queen).

Unfortunately, while the film often looks quite spectacular - some of its most memorable sequences were shot on location in the Libyan Desert – its script is shockingly weak. The conversations between the main characters for instance become unbearable long before the film even reaches the half-hour mark. And by the time Bonnard utters the important confession that redirects the film, everything already looks and feels like a giant farce.

Perhaps the biggest issue, however, is the complete lack of chemistry between the leads. Loren does her best to inspire Wayne to like her, but for a long period of time he looks too jaded and bored. Did the desert sun have anything to do with it? It is difficult to tell, but he does not look like a man who is even remotely interested in what Loren might be willing to give him. Needless to say, the finale looks utterly bizarre.

Brazzi’s wealthy foreigner also undergoes a character transformation that is as ridiculous as the remarkably stylish clothes he is often seen wearing. Throughout most of the film the lines he utters also appear to have been borrowed from the Great Book of Clichés. He never looks like the type of man Loren’s prostitute claims he is and most definitely does not talk like one.

Cardiff’s touch in the panoramic shots from the desert during the second half of the film is very easy to recognize. Angelo Francesco Lavagnino’s (Sergio Leone’s The Colossus of Rhodes, Sergio Corbucci’s Specialists) soundtrack is also surprisingly good.

Legend of the Lost Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Legend of the Lost arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from the same older master that Swiss label Explosive Media used to produce this release in 2011. While it does reveal some weaknesses, the master is actually quite good. For example, depth ranges from pleasing to good and in many darker areas background details and nuances are quite healthy. Yes, there is some minor crushing, but it never dramatically flattens the visuals. Grain exposure is also quite good, though a newer master will unquestionably produce improvements that will impact positively density and fluidity. (Kino's release is also better encoded, so this is another bonus). The color scheme is good. Primaries and supporting nuances look healthy and nicely balanced. However, saturation can be improved, plus in darker areas there will be additional upgrades once nuances are recalibrated. Image stability is very good. A few specks and flecks remain, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped 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).

Legend of the Lost Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio is healthy. Depth and clarity are pleasing as well. However, if remastered the audio will sound slightly better-rounded, especially during some of the outdoor footage. I don't think that the difference will be dramatic, but it should be easy to appreciate. Nevertheless, the current lossless track is very, very good. There are no encoding anomalies to report.

Legend of the Lost Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original English theatrical trailer for Legend of the Lost. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).

Legend of the Lost Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A lot of very famous people contributed to Legend of the Lost, but I think that the end result is seriously underwhelming. No, it is not bad film, just quite unoriginal and instantly forgettable. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but quite handsome and healthy master. I would recommend it only to completists. RENT IT.