Man of the West Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Man of the West Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 8, 2014

In one of his final films, screen icon Gary Cooper slipped into a dark space with 1958’s “Man of the West.” Although early scenes suggest a routine rise-of-the-hero story to come, the picture is actually quite cynical and forbidding. Director Anthony Mann doesn’t pull many punches with this adaptation of a Will C. Brown novel, depending on his aging leading man to articulate the stomach churn of unease as Cooper’s character, reformed outlaw Link Jones, returns to the source of evil that initially sent him down the wrong trail in life, facing malevolent Uncle Dock (Lee J. Cobb) and his band of criminals, who want to keep the one that got away in place as they plan out a new bank robbery.

Mann brings the traditional serving of western vistas, galloping horses, and six-gun action, but the story concerns the presence of evil in the form of family, with Link’s newly shaped sense of honor tested as he’s bullied, threatened, and separated from his comely traveling companion (Julie London) by Dock and his men. It’s meaningful conflict, founded on a unique pressure point for Link, who’s stuck between his instinct to protect the innocent and his awareness that Dock is capable of tremendous malevolence, forcing the cowboy to step carefully as he works out a way to thwart their iffy scheme of easy money. Mann doesn’t shy away from the pitch of wickedness Dock and the gang relish, with a few surprises in store for those who resist their influence. However, there’s also a tiring repetition to the story, finding one drunken Dock rant more than enough to cover his inherent recklessness and bitterness.

Man of the West Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation has a persistent problem with flicker, which carries through the entire viewing experience. Source material remains in decent shape, with only a few passages of scratches. Colors are a bit drained but acceptable, best when surveying costumes and frontier expanse, while skintones look as natural as the cinematography allows. While lacking profound sharpness, detail is present in wrinkled close-ups and distances, and dusty western textures remain in view. Grain is present and managed.

Man of the West Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix arrives with a persistent thinness that stretches into shrillness during heated moments of violence and shouted accusation. While dialogue remains intelligible, voices do not sound deep and meaningful, with Cooper's passive demeanor periodically difficult to pick out of the track. Scoring is equally shallow but remains dominant during the movie, carrying tonal bigness as intended. Gunshots are unremarkable and atmospherics are passable, with train travel sequences and horse riding adventures carrying details. No overt damage was detected.

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

• A Theatrical Trailer (3:02, HD) is included.

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

"Man of the West" is emotionally sophisticated but doesn't always pack a proper punch. The gunfights are anticlimactic and the conclusion is weirdly inconsequential, yet it still manages to hit hard in terms of lasting psychological wounds, creating a sense of claustrophobia in wide open spaces, while Cooper's everyman persona seems all the more tragic, doing a splendid job portraying the magnetic pull toward old habits.