Medium Cool Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Medium Cool Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 26, 2015

Haskell Wexler's "Medium Cool" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; video interview with the American director; excerpts from Paul Cronin's documentary "Sooner or Later"; extended excerpts from Paul Cronin's documentary "Look Out Haskell, It's Real!"; and audio commentary by director Haskell Wexler, editorial consultant Paul Golding, and actress Marianna Hill. The release also arrives with a 28-page illustrated booklet featuring a summary of the government-commissioned report on the Democratic National Convention riot of 1968 illustrated with archival imagery. Region-B "locked".

"The whole world is watching now..."

John Cassellis (Robert Forster, The Don is Dead, Jackie Brown), the main character in Haskel Wexler’s Medium Cool, is a television cameraman who spends his time in two entirely different worlds. In the first, he does his best to deliver top material that will make his corporate employers look better than their competitors. He enters the most dangerous suburbs of Chicago to film the leaders of underground political organizations, visits training camps for anti-riot troops that could be used during the upcoming Democratic National Convention, and interviews the owners of gun stores and shooting facilities where middle-aged white women are taught how to use firearms. There is a political element in everything he films -- it is 1968, it is hot and it seems like everyone in Chicago feels strongly about the direction the country is headed -- but all he is interested in is the commercial value of his footage.

When he does not use his camera, John pursues beautiful women like Ruth (Marianna Hill, High Plains Drifter). He likes spending time with them because they are always predictable and easy to please.

The balance in John’s life is disrupted when he goes after 13-year-old Harold (Harold Blankenship), who tries to break into his company car. John meets his single mother Eileen (Verna Bloom, The Last Temptation of Christ), who has recently moved with her son to Chicago from West Virginia, and instantly becomes attracted to her. While working hard with his sound man Gus (Peter Bonerz, Jennifer on My Mind), John frequently meets Eileen for coffee. On their first real date he finally kisses her, but Harold sees them and runs away from home. Shortly after Eileen and John go out looking for him, deadly riots engulf the streets of Chicago.

The chaotic intensity of Medium Cool reminds of Jean-Luc Godard’s best political work. The big difference here is the fact that Medium Cool remains firmly grounded in reality -- the angry political statements and the total mayhem surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago never once feel artificial.

There is none of the in-your-face preaching that is often present in Godard’s most radical films either (typically delivered by a passionate narrator). On the contrary, like John the viewer is pushed right in the middle of the chaos and then left alone to make sense of it. Something similar happens in Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, but eventually all of the scattered pieces there are properly aligned. There is no old-fashioned Hollywood logic in Medium Cool, which is why the film looks and feels deadly serious.

The love story is a brilliant distraction. Without it Medium Cool would have been just another very dry documentary feature. The love story allows Wexler to occasionally move away from the emerging chaos and give the viewer a glimpse of the ordinary. These segments are often complimented by top tracks courtesy of Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention and Love.

Forster and Bloom are spectacular together. The latter, in particular, really does look like a woman on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown at the end of the film. It is also virtually impossible to tell how many extras were used for some of the mass scenes as they look incredibly real. (The film does use authentic footage from convention preparations as well as extracts from popular political speeches).

In 2003, Medium Cool was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Medium Cool Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.

The release has been sourced from the same recent 4K restoration of the film which Criterion accessed for their release in 2013. The transfer was approved by director Haskell Wexler.

The restoration is terrific. The outdoor footage looks particularly impressive, but even the darker indoor footage boasts lovely depth and clarity. Colors are very healthy, stable, and natural. There are absolutely no traces of compromising degraining or sharpening adjustments. During select sequences the grain can be slightly over/underexposed, but the fluctuations are caused by the manner in which the footage is shot. (The camera constantly moves and at times its positioning is less than ideal. Light, for instance, can be captured in some rather awkward ways). Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, scratches, or stains to report in our review. All in all, this is a beautiful presentation of Medium Cool that will remain its definitive presentation on the home video market. (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).

Medium Cool 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.

Despite the fact that the film was shot in a very specific manner (classic cinema verite style), dynamic movement is very good. Also, separation is excellent and as a result during the mass clashes it feels like one is placed right in the middle of the action. The dialog is clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no pops, background hiss, audio dropouts, or digital distortions.

Medium Cool Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Medium Cool. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• "Look Out Haskell, It's Real!" - extended excerpts from Paul Cronin's documentary Look Out Haskell, It's Real!. Director Haskell Wexler, actors Verna Bloom, Peter Bonerz and Robert Forster, film historians David Sterritt and David Farber, Chicago historian Studs Terkel, editor Paul Golding, and civil rights attorney Leonard Weinglass, amongst others, discuss Medium Cool, its structure and message, how the film was shot, some of the real political figures that were initially filmed for the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (54 min).

• Sooner or Later - excerpts from Paul Cronin's 2007 documentary Sooner or Later about Harold Blankenship, who plays Harold, Eileen's 13-year-old son, in Medium Cool. Mr. Blankenship recalls his time in Chicago during the late 1960s. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Haskell and the Cameras - in this recent video interview, director Haskell Wexler explains what type of camera was used to shoot Medium Cool. The interview was conducted by Paul Cronin in 2013. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Haskell Wexler, editorial consultant Paul Golding, and actress Marianna Hill discuss the production history of Medium Cool, its style (cinema verite), how and where exactly in Chicago specific sequences were shot, the interactions with real black militants that were filmed and used, etc. The commentary was recorded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2001.

• Booklet - 28-page illustrated booklet featuring a summary of the government-commissioned report on the Democratic National Convention riot of 1968 illustrated with archival imagery.

Medium Cool Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jean-Luc Godard's most radical films are often praised for their unique structure and bold ideas, but I dare say not a single one of them matches the brilliance of Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool. It is beyond clear now that the film was light-years ahead of its time and it will remain relevant for future generations to discuss. British distributors Eureka Entertainment's upcoming release is sourced from the recent 4K restoration of the film, which was completed with Haskell Wexler's involvement. There is no doubt in my mind that it will remain the film's definitive presentation. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.