Posse Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Posse Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 27, 2025

Kirk Douglas' "Posse" (1975) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic Steve Mitchell and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Nightingale's posse

Posse surprises in two ways. Approximately two-thirds of it rehashes material that countless other westerns have used to impress. However, a single development, at a point in its narrative where it appears that all character arcs can no longer be tweaked, introduces a dramatic reset. After the reset, it is virtually impossible to think of Posse as a conventional western. It becomes a much bigger film with a timeless message.

Somewhere in Arizona, Howard Nightingale (Kirk Douglas) has hatched a plan to win a seat in the U.S. Senate. Phase one of his plan is to capture the biggest train robber in the West, Jack Strawhorn (Bruce Dern), who has been on the loose for a long time. Phase two of his plan is to carefully manage the noise from the event to supercharge his campaign and convince the voters that only he can properly represent them in the nation’s capital.

Assisting Nightingale are five men, all former outlaws, who ride and kill as well as Strawhorn does. They have been happy to work for him, but lately, a couple have begun wondering what would happen to them after Nightingale wins the upcoming election. While uncertain about Nightingale’s intentions, their leader, Wesley (Bo Hopkins), has urged them to remain calm because he would undoubtedly take care of them.

After eliminating his gang, Nightingale’s men capture Strawhorn and place him behind bars. Shortly after, Nightingale gives a rousing speech that initiates phase two of his plan. However, much to Nightingale’s surprise, Strawhorn figures out how to outsmart him and his men while on a train taking him to his final destination. Much to Nightingale’s dismay, Strawhorn then brilliantly rearranges his plan.

There are a couple of clues that Posse will not be only a western about a tense rivalry between two men on opposite sides of the law. However, these clues are easy to dismiss because of how well Douglas and Dern go after each other, creating drama of the kind that conventional westerns like to promote. On the other hand, if one pays attention to how cynical Douglas and Dern’s statements quickly become, it is not too difficult to predict the emergence of the crucial reset.

Something else worth mentioning is the lack of political preaching despite the abundance of excellent opportunities, especially in the second half, where Douglas’ plan is compromised and his true colors are exposed. There is plenty of political talk here, but no political preaching. However, this is precisely why Posse becomes a much bigger film with a timeless message. It correctly leaves it to the viewer to construct the message that proves to be the catalyst of all the drama.

The message is about the two sides Douglas and Dern represent and how they screw the gullible equally hard under different pretexts, and how easily they can trade places if their survival is at stake.

While not a visual stunner, Posse is a beautiful, very nicely shot film. Douglas’ director of photography was Oscar winner Fred J. Koenekamp, whose credits include such classics as Patton, Papillon, and The Towering Inferno.

Posse Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Posse arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

I have only great things to say about the new 4K restoration of Posse that was prepared at Paramount. It looks sensational, and at times it can easily trick one to conclude that its 1080p presentation on this release is a native 4K presentation. Delineation, clarity, and especially depth are outstanding, during daylight footage and darker indoor and nighttime footage. Many close-ups look so impressive that I would easily describe them as 'reference material'. The entire 4K restoration is incredibly well graded, too. All primaries and supporting nuances look lush and very healthy, and all are beautifully balanced. Unsurprisingly, the film produces a lot of genuinely gorgeous visuals. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks immaculate as well. (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).

Posse 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.

A very dynamic score by Oscar winner Maurice Jarre creates a lot of wonderful dynamic contrasts. The action footage can be pretty exciting too, though it must be said that the film does not have any large-scale shootouts and battles. All exchanges are very clear, sharp, and stable. I did not notice even tiny anomalies, like thinning in the upper register or unevenness, to report in our review.

Posse Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Posse. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Steve Mitchell. The bulk of the comments address the production of Posse, the casting choices its creators made, and the unique qualities of its narrative.

Posse Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Both sides will get you, they are just going to use different pretexts to do it, and they will do it as often as they want. The two sides are represented by Kirk Douglas, a politician wearing a cowboy hat who loves firing his gun, and Bruce Dern, a notorious train robber who loves his profession and its perks. As the former begins tracking down the latter, with several reformed outlaws now wearing a badge, Posse becomes a very interesting film and surprises with a terrific finale. Kino Lorber's release introduces an immaculate new 4K restoration of Posse, recently prepared at Paramount. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.