Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Lonely Are the Brave Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 27, 2020

David Miller's "Lonely Are the Brave" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film; archival featurettes; and exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Having a drink, looking for trouble

Once it became clear what the cowboy’s plan was my mind immediately forced me to compare him to the samurai that Toshiro Mifune plays in Red Sun. Do you recall Terence Young’s film? Mifune’s samurai looks great in it and does all the things that would have made him a formidable hero back home in Japan, but he is in the wild West. He does not belong there. Even more importantly, the time isn’t right for him. A fast sword and a sharp mind are no longer enough for the samurai to emerge victorious because he has to dodge bullets. Can he still survive? He can, but only if he betrays the hero that lives inside him. Obviously, David Miller’s film Lonely Are the Brave and Red Sun offer completely different types of entertainment, but Kirk Douglas’ cowboy is the same doomed outsider that Mifune plays. He looks great, he does all the right things, but his time has passed.

The cowboy knows it too, but when he discovers that his best friend (Michael Kane) is in prison, he still puts together a bold plan to get him out of there. Will it work? It should, but his friend’s wife (Gena Rowlands) warns him that a lot has changed while he was away. It is why her husband is now in prison -- like the cowboy he did not change his ways, and he did not think that he had to until he got busted. The cowboy smiles at her and then casually walks to a nearby bar, causes a big brawl, and gets booked in the same prison where his friend is serving a sentence. It is an awkward reunion. The cowboy then reveals his plan and while the two begin cutting the metal bars of their cell door, his friend informs him that he can’t come with him. In the old days he could have done it, but not now, because being a hero is no longer a good idea. The men part ways, but not before the cowboy gets a good beating from the Deputy Sheriff (George Kennedy) and loses a tooth.

Back out in the open, the cowboy finally admits to himself that he has wasted his time and decides to head down to Mexico. If he moves fast and goes through the mountains, there is a good chance that he can make it. But can his horse, Whiskey, make it?

What follows is a very intense chase through the rugged mountains, and yet the focus of attention is elsewhere. While the local Sheriff (Walter Matthau) oversees the chase, it gradually becomes crystal clear that even though the cowboy is much better than the men that are after him, he can’t win because his time has passed. He can keep riding, but how far can he go? And does it actually matter if he crosses into Mexico?

It is easy to understand why Douglas declared Lonely Are the Brave his favorite film. It bids farewell to the classic western character that made him a legend in the most powerful yet glamour-free manner imaginable, without asking for sympathy. If it did, it would have completely invalidated the cowboy’s journey, which is not about successfully reaching Mexico but finding a logical way out of the new West. This is precisely why Douglas loved the film. It is very simple and humane, and the way out makes perfect sense.

The original material for the film comes from an equally spectacular novel by Edward Abbey titled the The Great Cowboy. The novel was adapted by Dalton Trumbo, who had already worked with Stanley Kubrick on Spartacus. The man behind the camera was Philip H. Lathrop, who a few years later lensed Norman Jewison’s classic crime drama The Cincinnati Kid.

Lonely Are the Brave Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lonely Are the Brave arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. My guess is that it is the one that was used to produce the old DVD release of the film in 2009. It is a pretty good master, though a new and proper 4K makeover will quite easily produce different ranges of meaningful improvements. For example, while plenty of close-ups boast good delineation and nuances, the larger panoramic shots do not have the solid definition that they can and should have (see screencapture #18). Grain appears slightly overexposed as well, so if it is tightened up -- which is usually an improvement that 4K masters produce -- the entire film will have a much sharper cinematic appearance. Density levels are quite good, but in the same wider panoramic shots minor fluctuations that are not introduced by the original cinematography can be observed. The grading job has produced some light crushing that is noticeable during daylight and indoor/nighttime footage, but the overall appearance of the film is still convincing. Image stability is good. However, this is another area that will benefit from improved density and fluidity. There are no large distracting debris, cuts, or damage marks, but small nicks and a few blemishes remain (see screencapture #9). So, if this film is redone in 4K and then transferred to Blu-ray, there will be significant improvements in visual quality. However, even though the current master looks slightly dated, it has good organic qualities that make it easy to appreciate the artistic vision of director David Miller. (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).

Lonely Are the Brave 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. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

A very dynamic score from Jerry Goldsmith does plenty to enhance the drama throughout the film, and the lossless track handles it very well. I had the volume on my system turned up quite a bit and did not detect any anomalies to report in our review. When the folks at Universal created the current master, someone was definitely paying attention and as a result it is virtually impossible to tell that the original audio was recorded in the early '60s.

Lonely Are the Brave Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Lonely Are the Brave. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 480/60i).

• A Tribute - in this archival featurette, Steven Spielberg, Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands, and Michael Douglas discuss the merits of Lonely Are the Brave as well as its production. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 480/60i).

• The Music of Lonely Are the Brave - this archival featurette focuses on Jerry Goldsmith's contribution to Lonely Are the Brave and how his score strengthens the drama that is chronicled in the film. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 480/60i).

• Commentary - an exclusive new commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell.

Lonely Are the Brave Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lonely Are the Brave bids farewell to the classic western character that made Kirk Douglas a legend in the most powerful yet glamour-free manner imaginable, without asking for sympathy. It is a film that looks even more relevant now, after the popular superheroes made it impossible for these types of humane characters to exist, which frankly is rather astonishing. I give Kino Lorber an enormous amount of credit for bringing Lonely Are the Brave to Blu-ray. However, a part of me also wishes that the folks at Criterion were pursuing, restoring, and reintroducing to younger collectors such timeless American films. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.