Monte Walsh Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Monte Walsh Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 23, 2015

1970’s “Monte Walsh” is a special creation that surveys the end of the west, and how such a gradual event influenced a generation of men raised on the back of a horse. Starring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance, the picture represents the directorial debut for William A. Fraker, the gifted cinematographer who visually defined such efforts as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “1941.” In “Monte Walsh,” Fraker looks to prove himself as a storyteller, and his handle on the roller coaster tone of the feature shows immediate skill, while his time with the actors delivers unusual emotional depth for the traditionally leathered genre.

Mournful qualities in “Monte Walsh” take their time to arrive. The first act of the film is actually more of a comedy interrupted by darkness, displaying the high jinks of cowboy camaraderie, shaping scenes of bonding and mutual respect before passing years and desperation work together to tear down these friendships. “Monte Walsh” is scripted with care, making sure viewers are comfortable with partnerships as the main characters find love and hope for opportunity, with deliberate pacing employed to track turns of plot and the story’s dissection of maturity. The feature is impressively made, with most dramatic needs met through expressive performances and Fraker’s attention to detail, managing the bigness of the setting and the intimacies of its inhabitants.

Monte Walsh Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A sophisticated cinematographer, Fraker brings his love of diffused light to "Monte Walsh." The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation isn't big on sharpness, but clarity is satisfactory, isolating a wide range of faces and design achievements. Detail is preserved in the haze, and filmic qualities remain, with grain a bit inconsistent but certainly present. Colors retain genre vibrancy, finding costumes delivering the broadest hues, while exteriors maintain greenery and prairie particulars. Skintones are natural. The print is far from pristine, with speckling and debris constant throughout the viewing experience, and the final reel displays some chemical damage and age.

Monte Walsh Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's a warm welcome with the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix, finding Mama Cass's theme song presented with welcome fullness, eventually making its way to the score, which carries decent instrumentation. Dialogue exchanges face period limitations in sound, but performances are always intelligible, remaining contained and expressive with softer emotional moments. Atmospherics are satisfactory, delivering town activity and exterior expanse, with attention to changes in weather.

Monte Walsh Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (3:20, SD) is included.

Monte Walsh Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Monte Walsh" finds comfort and tragedy as it works towards a finale, showing surprising depth as life hands the cowboys a raw deal, necessitating violent actions previously retired. It's a strong conclusion, but only because these personalities are secure, rendering betrayals all the more painful. However, it's the death of the old west that hangs heavy over "Monte Walsh," inspecting a side of the genre that's normally hidden from view, and it does so with grace, humor, and superb performances, creating a rich sensation of opportunities lost and new horizons found.