Little Fauss and Big Halsy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Little Fauss and Big Halsy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 9, 2016

Sidney J. Furie's "Little Fauss and Big Halsy" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. There are no supplemental features on the disc. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Halsy

Robert Redford plays Big Halsy Knox, a veteran motorcycle racer who has gotten in trouble with the law and lost his papers. Somewhere in the Southwest, he meets Little Fauss (Michael J. Pollard, Bonnie and Clyde), an ambitious amateur who dreams of having his reputation, and the two form an odd partnership. Halsy, who also happens to be a seasoned playboy, convinces Fauss to let him use his papers while he follows him around and learns what it takes to be a racing star. For a while they both have fun, but when eventually Halsy meets the beautiful Rita Nebraska (Lauren Hutton, American Gigolo) and falls in love with her they are forced to reconsider their arrangement.

Sidney J. Furie’s Little Fauss and Big Halsy is an unusual but easy to like film. I think that it fits somewhere between Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider and Jack Hill’s Pit Stop, though if I had to compare it to another film from the same era I would probably pick and place it closer to Michael Ritchie’s Downhill Racer. All four are conceived as road pictures but shot as unscripted quasi-documentaries.

I would be surprised if racers like Halsy still exist. I know that down South you can occasionally see some free-spirited bikers that live on the road, but there are very few that are not part of big gangs with fraternities all over the country. I think that the old-school nomads who used to race for a living are a thing of the past. (If I am wrong, please feel free to contact me and let me know. I love hearing stories about these guys).

There is quite a bit of excellent footage from various races but this isn’t a film that tries to study the culture that they are a part of. Furie allows Halsy and his friend to freely roam the dusty roads of the South and is in fact a lot more interested in their instincts. So the story is not so much about their journey through the South, but about the different ways in which they react to the unexpected dilemmas they face along the way. (Jean-Luc Godard’s Pierrot le Fou, which comes from the same era, is structured in a similar way. It looks like a crime/noir film -- Pierrot and his girl are chased by some very shady characters across Europe -- but the focus of attention isn’t on the chase. In fact, the chase feels almost like a distraction. Their communication and actions/reactions are the story).

The film has an unusual and very refreshing sense of humor as well. The main reason why is the presence of authentic characters with real emotions and real weaknesses and strengths. So even though some of these characters can appear a bit eccentric at times, it never feels like they are aware that there is a camera following them around and documenting everything they say and do. (I should say that this is arguably the main difference between Pierrot le Fou and this film. In the former, eventually, it becomes clear that Godard is trying to break boundaries and that more often than not the fugitives are doing their best to help him succeed. Halsy and Furie remain ordinary chaps, sometimes doing odd things but there is always logic behind their actions that keeps the film firmly grounded in reality).

Furie probably had a modest budget to work with, but there are large parts of the film that look terrific. He collaborated with cinematographer Ralph Woolsey (TV’s Maverick, Batman). The soundtrack features several classic tunes by Johnny Cash, including "Ballad of Little Fauss and Big Halsy", "The Little Man", and "Rollin' Free".

Little Fauss and Big Halsy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sidney J. Furie's Little Fauss and Big Halsy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

This film was available on DVD in a couple of different territories outside of the U.S., but I never had it in my collection. I mention this because I don't know how the Blu-ray release compares to previous DVD releases. However, the current master that was accessed is very healthy and my feeling is that it was probably done in recent years. (It is certainly not from the early days of the DVD boom). There are some minor source limitations, but depth and density typically range from good to very good. The color scheme isn't optimal -- certain nuances can be expanded and saturation can be better -- but there are no distracting anomalies. Grain is visible throughout the entire film and for the most part, it is well resolved. Edge enhancement is not an issue of concern. Image stability is very good. Finally, there are no large cuts, debris, stains, or warped/torn frames. Ultimately, while the film could look even better in high-definition the current presentation is indeed quite pleasing. (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).

Little Fauss and Big Halsy 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.

Balance and depth are very good, but the overall dynamic intensity is rather modest. However, the film has a quasi-documentary appearance at times so this isn't surprising. The dialog is stable, clean, and always easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts, pops, background hiss, or digital distortions to report.

Little Fauss and Big Halsy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.

Little Fauss and Big Halsy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sidney J. Furie's Little Fauss and Big Halsy is a nice piece of Americana that remained elusive during the DVD era. I think that it would appeal to folks who enjoyed Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider and Jack Hill's Pit Stop, possibly even Jean-Luc Godard's classic Pierrot le Fou. These films come from the same era and even though they visit different places their personalities are very similar. Olive Films' technical presentation of Little Fauss and Big Halsy is very good, but, unfortunately, there are no supplemental features on the Blu-ray. RECOMMENDED.