Man of the East Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Man of the East Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 22, 2021

Enzo Barboni's "Man of the East" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film and new audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Englishman

It is very difficult to explain why Man of the East does not work as well as the Trinity films. Enzo Barboni directs again, the story is good, Terrence Hill is in top form, and there is enough action that should put a smile on your face. But the end product looks and feels undercooked, in some areas even perplexingly incomplete. I don’t know exactly why, but below I am going to do a bit of speculating.

It could be that it feels like Man of the East underwhelms because I and lot of other people expect it to behave exactly like the Trinity films, and this, I have to admit, is impossible. In the Trinity films Terrence Hill’s character is in a familiar environment where he does not have to learn how to properly confront and outsmart his opponents, which makes an enormous difference. Why? Because he does not have to make the effort to look awkward and funny at the same time; it is enough that he is witty and proactive. Of course, it also helps tremendously that he shares the spotlight with an equally great character played by Bud Spencer. Together they bring a unique type of energy that helps the entire film look much better balanced.

It could be that Hill simply can’t play a British character, but I am unconvinced that this is a serious flaw in a film like Man of the East. If it was then every other spaghetti western featuring an Italian actor playing an American cowboy, or any other ‘foreign’ character for that matter, ought to look problematic as well. Many of these spaghetti westerns are entertaining precisely because they ‘reinvent’ characters, personalities, and popular myths that transform the Wild West into a playground the classic American westerns could not even begin to imagine.

What about possible issues with the supporting cast? Bull (Gregory Walcott), Holy Joe (Harry Carey Jr.), and Monkey (Dominic Barto) are exactly like the various colorful characters you would encounter in other similarly themed spaghetti westerns -- a little cooky, mostly one-dimensional, and not terribly authentic. But these are the types of secondary characters that were always present in these genre films, so there is nothing concerning here. Barboni uses an old blueprint.

Could it be that the editing makes it impossible for Man of the East to properly manage the action and humor, like the Trinity films do? Well, the truth is that if you start digging deep you will discover plenty of material in the Trinity films that isn’t particularly well edited either, so it does not feel right to suggest that they are superior films because they were put together with a greater effort.

What else is left? Barboni’s screenplay? It does not do a particularly good job of building the rivalry between the outsider and Morton Clayton (Riccardo Pizzuti), but let’s be honest, the former’s antics and the action are supposed to be the main attraction. The fact that the two men clash over an emotionally available girl (Yanti Somer) simply puts the fun in a proper context.

So, I don’t know why Man of the East isn’t a better film. It has some hilarious moments, but they are not enough to ensure the wild ride and laughs the Trinity films produce. Most of the time it behaves like something of a rushed sequel to the Trinity films, but without Spencer the magic never happens. It may appeal to Hill fans and viewers who routinely need a nostalgia fix, but everyone else should see it as a mostly good-looking but unfortunate misfire.

Man of the East Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by MGM. The bulk of the film looks rather decent, but it is immediately obvious that there is room for meaningful improvements. For example, plenty of the panoramic footage tends to look flat, which is why some fine nuances are lost. In close-ups delineation is better, but it is still easy to see that there should be better ranges of fine details. In darker footage shadow definition is decent at best, so this is another area where improvements can be made. The color scheme is stable but looks rather dated. Saturation should be better, plus some ranges of supporting nuances can be expanded. The best news here is that there are no traces of problematic digital work, so even though the entire film looks softer than it should, it still has pretty of good organic qualities. Tiny white specks, scratches, and a few blemishes can be spotted, but there are no distracting cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.25/5.00. (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).

Man of the East 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.

The dialog is stable and easy to follow. However, it does sound a bit 'boxy' and 'thin' at times, especially when the action moves in the open. But this is how the original soundtrack must have been finalized because it is quite easy to tell that the post-production overdubbing for instance does not match the intensity of the uttered lines. There are good ranges of dynamic nuances. The upper register is very, very healthy.

Man of the East Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Man of the East. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - exclusive new audio commentary recorded by filmmaker Alex Cox.

Man of the East Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite a few hilarious moments, Man of the East clearly struggles to replicate the great genre thrills the Trinity films produced. I can't identify the exact reason why the magic isn't happening, but Enzo Barboni uses the same blueprint that worked for the Trinity films and without Bud Spencer a lot simply doesn't work as it should. Kino Lorber's release of Man of the East is sourced from an older but mostly decent organic master that was supplied by MGM. RECOMMENDED only to the fans.