Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Madigan Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 28, 2022

Don Siegel's "Madigan" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman; archival interview with Richard Vidmark; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

We've got snipers everywhere. He won't get away.

It is impossible not to admire how Don Siegel’s Madigan captures the pulse of New York. The rush, the noise, and cacophony of colors, the industrial breath of the city, they are in every frame of the film. A case can be made rather easily that this pulse is actually bigger and more important than the film’s story. Then there is the presence of the cops and the way they go about doing their job which the film also captures in an impressive way, though this may not be too obvious now. Why? Because a few years after Madigan Don Siegel made Dirty Harry and with it delivered the blueprint for the classic tough cop films. There are rather large bits of this blueprint in Madigan but its protagonists have to compete for the spotlight with the city. In Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood’s cop does not have this problem. He is the only star and Siegel lets him loose.

Detective Dan Madigan (Richard Widmark) and his partner Rocco Bonaro (Harry Guardino) are informed that Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat), an elusive thug they have been looking for, is in an apartment building somewhere in Spanish Harlem. They quickly locate the place and then catch Benesch naked with a clueless girl next to him. However, when they let him put his pants on, he steals Madigan’s gun and then quickly disappears in the city. Shortly after, Commissioner Anthony Russell (Henry Fonda) gives Madigan and his partner seventy-two hours to track down Benesch and put him behind bars.

Despite getting plenty of tips from various underground informers, however, Madigan and Bonaro fail to make any meaningful progress. On top of this Madigan faces harsh criticism from his wife, Julia (Inger Stevens), who demands that he finally reconsiders his priorities in life and dedicates as much time to her as he does to his job.

On a night when most of the city’s prominent public servants gather for a lavish event honoring the men and women in blue, Benesch is spotted again. Madigan and Bonaro then corner the thug in a big apartment building, but after a few quick exchanges, it becomes clear that he won’t surrender without a fight.

Madigan is an old-school crime film with its eyes on the future. Siegel uses the search for Benesch to highlight a wide range of developments that have started invalidating the rules that used to define the crime game that brought cops and criminals together. So, it is not a coincidence that there is a lot of improvising on both sides and that eventually the city turns its back on them. During the glory days of film noir, the city would have accommodated both sides and at the right time even made them look cool. This does not happen here. They are on their own and looking casual, and the city is not at all interested in their antics.

Quite predictably, even though there are plenty of notable character transformations and intrigues the film is essentially free of conventional glamor and drama. (Even the commissioner’s shocking discovery feels like an annoying blip on the cynical daily cycle of events that everyone has become comfortable with). The city is bigger than everyone and everything -- the heroes and the villains, the corruption, the crimes, the deaths.

Madigan Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Madigan arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

This upcoming Region-B release is sourced from the same master that the folks at Kino Lorber worked with to produce this Region-A release in 2019. This is an older master that was supplied by Universal.

Obviously, the entire film can look fresher, more vibrant, and healthier. However, despite some inconsistencies in terms of density and delineation, I think that the overwhelming majority of the visuals look quite good. Again, it is easy to tell that in certain areas there is room for meaningful improvements, but considering how disappointing older masters that emerge from Universal's vaults typically are, the quality of the visuals is consistently good. What are some of the major improvements that can be made? If the film is restored in 4K and properly regraded, I am convinced that there will be an across-the-board elevation of the dynamic range of the visuals, so delineation, clarity, and depth will instantly benefit. Sharpness will be affected as well, but not significantly because the scope cinematography actually introduces quite a bit of natural softness. (A native 4K presentation will obviously produce different results). Color balance can be strengthened, with brighter and darker areas benefiting the most because it is where supporting nuances appear slightly subdued, but I already think that some of the primaries are quite nice. The rest looks good, so at best there might be some opportunities for minor cosmetic adjustments. All in all, even though Madigan has a slightly dated appearance now, I think that it looks good in high-definition. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Madigan Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

Don Costas' soundtrack begins to make an impression as soon as the film's opening credits appear and the quality of the sound is excellent. Even if you turn up the volume of your system, you will not detect any troubling anomalies in the upper register. The dialog is always very clear, stable, and clean. Can a brand new audio mix introduce any significant improvements? At the moment, my answer is a solid no.

Madigan Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Madigan. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Cinema cinemas: Richard Widmark - presented here is an archival segment from the French TV program Cinema cinemas. In it, Richard Vidmark discusses some of the films he made that became "cult" and the filmmakers that directed them. One of these films is Don Siegel's Madigan. Mr. Vidmark also has some very interesting -- and true -- comments about the "auteur theory" and a couple of major misconceptions about it. In English, with printed French subtitles. (8 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new commentary was recorded by critics Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman. The commentators recall their first theatrical experience with the film (and why it looked so edgy at the time) and discuss the conflicted personalities of its key protagonists, Don Siegel's verite style, Don Costa's "old-fashioned" score, the film's reception, etc.

• Super 8 Version - a vintage Super 8 version of Madigan in color. English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (18 min).

• Isolated Music & Effects Track - presented as LPCM 1.0.

• Image Gallery - a collection of archival promotional materials for Madigan.

• Booklet - a 32-page illustrated booklet with a new essay by Elena Lazic, an archival interview with Don Siegel, an extract from A Siegel Film, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and technical credits.

Madigan Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I find the presence that New York has in Madigan quite a bit more attractive than the minor triumphs and failures of the characters that Don Siegel's camera follows. I don't want to imply that the drama is meaningless, but the city comes alive in a very special way and it is what ultimately makes the film great. This upcoming release is sourced from an older but good master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. I think that Madigan is a very, very fine addition to Indicator/Powerhouse Films' catalog, so my advice is to add it to your collection in two weeks. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.