Lucky Star Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Lucky Star Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 21, 2011

Frank Borzage's "Lucky Star" (1929) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Carlotta Films. The supplemental features on the disc include a reconstruction of Frank Borzage's mythical film "The River", with an optional commentary by film historian Herve Dumont; photo galley; documentary feature; an an episode from the prestigious anthology series Screen Directors Playhouse. With optional French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free

She's gone...

Mary (Janet Gaynor, A Star is Born, Two Girls Wanted) is a poor farm girl who lives with her mother (Hedwiga Reicher, Confessions of a Nazi Spy). A few days before war is declared in Europe, she meets Tim (Charles Farrell, City Girl, 7th Heaven), a handsome young man, who gives her a spanking after he discovers that she attempted to cheat his boss (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, The Alamo, Santa Fe Trail).

Tim and his boss enlist in the army and go to France. Mary begins sending the two men letters, which they quickly misinterpret. Eventually, however, they discover that the letters are practically identical and have a good laugh.

While delivering food for his comrades, Tim is seriously injured and sent back home. Paralyzed from the waist down, he spends most of his time in a wheelchair, fixing things around his house. He is lonely but tries to keep his spirits up.

One day, Mary passes by and Tim invites her in the house. She is shocked to discover that he is paralyzed. They talk and laugh. Then Mary leaves, but not before she promises to come back in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, Tim’s boss reappears and immediately complicates things. He tries to steal Mary from her poor and naïve mother by promising to marry her and give the two women the type of comfort and security they have never enjoyed.

Frank Borzage’s Lucky Star was long thought to have been lost, but in 1990 a copy of the film was discovered in the archives of the Netherlands Filmmuseum, Amsterdam. The film was then restored, with American intertitles partially re-created based on the shot continuity deposited for copyright at the Library of Congress.

Based on Tristam Tupper’s novel Three Episodes In the Life Of Timothy Osbourne, Lucky Star is a remarkably mature effort by Borzage that could easily be placed amongst the greatest silent romantic films. The film follows the same formula that secured the success of the director’s 7th Heaven and Street Angel, but it is less aggrandizing and more intimate in tone.

Gaynor and Farrell are fantastic. From start to finish, there is a terrific chemistry between the two that truly makes the few overly melodramatic sequences in the film incredibly easy to tolerate. The wonderful scene where he uses a couple of eggs to wash her hair is a good enough reason to strongly recommend the film.

The supporting cast is also very good. In many silent films the villains tend to look rather comical, but Williams’ character does not. His attitude and actions are so despicable that it is hard to imagine that they won’t provoke at least some sort of reaction from those who see the film. Indeed, terrific acting.

The film features a new music score by composer and arranger Christopher Caliendo, who has previously scored such films as Buster Keaton’s The General, Robert Z. Leonard’s Lady of Chance, F.W. Murnau’s City Girl, and Harry O. Hoyt’s La Belle of Broadway. Unfortunately, though beautiful, the music isn’t entirely in sync with the emotions portrayed by the actors.

Lucky Star Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.2:1, encoded with MPEG-4 and granted a 1080p transfer, Frank Borzage's Lucky Star arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Carlotta Films.

The following text appears before the opening credits:

"A copy of this film was found in the archives of the Netherlands Filmmuseum, Amsterdam. The American intertitles have been partially re-created based on the shot continuity deposited for copyright at the Library of Congress, on the manuscript of the scenario and on the Dutch intertitles."

The transition to Blu-ray has given Lucky Star plenty of depth. Clarity is also substantially improved, particularly during the darker sequences. Shadows and light reflections are also a lot more convincing. Understandably, color reproduction is somewhat limited, but color balance is very pleasing. Certain sequences look slightly softer than other - obviously an effect inherited from the copy found in Amsterdam - but the integrity of the image is not irreversibly damaged. On the contrary, many close-ups look very strong (see screencapture #19). Finally, there are frame transition issues, as well as damage marks, splices, and warps, but stability is certainly optimized. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Lucky Star Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Carlotta Film have provided optional French subtitles for the main feature.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is excellent. It has a strong dynamic range that enhances Christopher Caliendo's music score very well. The flute solos, in particular, sound great. The strings are also crisp and rich. This said, I was not particularly impressed with the quality of the actual soundtrack as I felt that there was a disconnect with the emotions portrayed by the actors.

Lucky Star Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Screen Directors Playhouse: "The Day I Met Caruso" - Screen Directors Playhouse was a prestigious anthology series made for television by Hal Roach Studios in conjunction with the Screen Directors Guild. In Most cases it marked the first work in television by important directors of theatrical motion pictures. The concept was for each director to select a story he personally wanted to make. "The Day I Met Caruso" is one such story selected by director Frank Borzage. In English, with optional French subtitles. (26 min, 1080/50i).

• Photo Gallery - a collection of stills from the film.With music. (4 min, 1080/50i).

• Anarchisme Poetique - a documentary feature with film historian Herve Dumont, author of Frank Borzage: Sarastro a Hollywood. In French, not subtitled. (12 min, PAL).

• The River - The River is a mythical film which Frank Borzage directed in 1928. It was discovered by William K. Everson and Alex Gordon in the 20th Century Fox film archives. Presented here is a reconstruction of the film based on surviving stills from Borzage's personal collection and from the original film script deposited at U.C.L.A., Los Angeles. With optional commentary by Herve Dumont. (55 min, 1080/50i).

• BD ROM -

• Booklet - a lavish 28-page illustrated booklet.

Lucky Star Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a wonderful release by French distributors Carlotta Films. Frank Borzage's Lucky Star looks lovely, the best it ever has. It is a shame that no distributor in the U.S.has stepped up to offer a local Blu-ray release. Fortunately, this French Blu-ray release is Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.