Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Paper Moon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 18, 2015

Peter Bogdanovich's "Paper Moon" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival audio commentary with the American director and three featurettes. The release also arrives with a 36-page booklet featuring a new essay on the film by Mike Sutton, rare production stills, and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Partners

The Depression Era. When small-time swindler Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal, Love Story) attends the funeral of a former mistress in Kansas, he is asked to escort her orphaned nine-year-old daughter, Addie (Tatum O'Neal, Circle of Two), to St. Joseph, Missouri, where her aunt lives. He reluctantly agrees, but before the two head to Missouri, Moses successfully blackmails the brother of the man who killed Addie’s mother.

On the way to St. Joseph, the little girl repeatedly demands that Moses gives her the blackmail money and when it becomes clear that he can’t because he has secretly spent most of it she becomes his partner -- he sells fake “deluxe” bibles to lonely widows while she collects the profits in her precious cigar box.

In a sleepy town in the middle of nowhere, Moses makes a mistake that nearly sends him to jail. He successfully cheats a naive businessman selling bootleg booze, but it turns out that his brother is the local police chief, who has been waiting for someone like Moses to bring some excitement in his life.

Later on, Moses makes a second mistake that seriously irritates his partner. This time he meets the busty exotic dancer Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles) and after she impairs his ability to think straight he invites her to join him and Addie. However, with the assistance of the dancer’s fufteen-year-old black maid, Imogene (P.J. Johnson), Addie manages to bring Moses back to his senses and they renew their journey.

Based on Joe David Brown’s novel “Addie Pray”, Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon sees rural America very much like the films of two of his favorite directors, John Ford and Howard Hawks, did. The visuals are clinically framed to capture the identity of different locations, where life has a very specific rhythm and people are used to it. There is plenty of the poetic beauty that captures the imagination and inspires the mind as well.

The chemistry between the two leads is excellent. O'Neal and his nine-year-old daughter make it easy to forget that they register and understand the world around them very differently, and even easier to believe that their disagreements throughout the film are not scripted. Kahn is hilarious but does not end up ridiculing her overly naive character.

Bogdanovich and cinematographer László Kovács (Easy Rider) shot the majority of Paper Moon in Kansas and Missouri. The locations are perfectly chosen, as it appears that at the time little had changed there since the Great Depression.

Paper Moon does not have a traditional soundtrack, but Bogdanovich selected and used a number of classic tracks: “It's Only a Paper Moon” (performed by Paul Whiteman and Orchestra), “Until the Real Thing Comes Along” (performed by Leo Reisman and His Orchestra), “Flirtation Walk” (Performed by Dick Powell), “The Object of My Affection” (performed by Pinky Tomlin), and “Just One More Chance” (performed by Bing Crosby), amongst others.

In 1974, Paper Moon won Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. O'Neal, who won the Oscar at age ten, remains the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award.

Paper Moon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.

The release has been sourced from a pre-existing master which Paramount Pictures likely prepared some time ago. Detail ranges from decent to good, but even during well-lit close-ups it is easy to tell that depth could be a lot more convincing (see screencapture #15). Contrast levels remain stable. Grain is visible, but it is not as well distributed and resolved as it should be. As a result, select parts of the film could look somewhat flat. Furthermore, there are inherited small halo effects throughout the entire film. While not overly distracting, the bigger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to spot them (see screencaptures #2, 13, and 17). Finally, overall image stability is good, but some minor scratches, debris, and dirt marks occasionally pop up here and there. To sum it all up, while detail and clarity are pleasing, the film has a somewhat dated appearance. It looks decent in high-definition, but it is quite obvious that there is room for some important improvements. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

Paper Moon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles have been provided for the main feature.

Depth and clarity are very good. Some extremely light background hiss occasionally makes its presence felt, but it never becomes distracting (see the scene in the hotel around the 00.29.27 mark). The dialog is stable and easy to follow. The film does not have a traditional score, but a number of classic tracks can be heard. Balance is very good. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions.

Paper Moon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, Peter Bogdanovich discusses in great detail how various sequences in Paper Moon were shot, the specific locations that were chosen for them, how they were lensed and the help he received from Howard Hawks, what editing choices were made, etc. It is a very informative commentary that essentially deconstructs the entire film. The commentary was recorded in 2003.

• Asking for the Moon - in this archival video piece, Peter Bogdanovich discusses the period appearance of Paper Moon (and specifically the type of filters that were used to get it right), the long takes and camera moves, Tatum O'Neal's terrific performance, the shooting of the chase sequences, etc. Also included are comments from director of photography Laszlo Kovacs, associate producer Frank Marshall, and production designer Polly Platt. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Getting the Moon - in this archival video piece, Peter Bogdanovich discusses the initial reactions (from Paramount Pictures and the public) to Paper Moon, while director of photography Laszlo Kovacs discusses the film's visual style. Also included are comments from associate producer Frank Marshall and production designer Polly Platt. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• The Next Picture Show - in this archival video piece, Peter Bogdanovich recalls how Tatum O'Neal was chosen to play Addie, and discusses Alvin Sargent's script (and specifically some of the key differences between the script and Joe David Brown's novel), the shooting of select sequences in Kansas, the title of the film (which was enthusiastically endorsed by Orson Welles), etc. Also included are comments from production designer Polly Platt and associate producer Frank Marshall. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Booklet - 36-page booklet featuring a new essay on the film by Mike Sutton, rare production stills, and more.

Paper Moon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Peter Bogdanovich's Paper Moon is a fabulous period piece that sees rural America very much like the films of John Ford and Howard Hawks did. Its script is excellent, and the entire cast that was gathered for it is fantastic, but the film belongs to the charming Tatum O'Neal, who remains the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award. Eureka Entertainment's technical presentation of Paper Moon is good. The Blu-ray also comes with some informative archival interviews with Bogdanovich and the late cinematographer László Kovács. RECOMMENDED.