Prefontaine Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Prefontaine Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 20, 2016

Sports movies often dabble in the same basic themes like an athlete's heart, determination, and standing tall against the odds. Prefontaine isn't any different in that regard, but it looks more deeply into the psyche of a gifted individual who allowed hubris, his innate need to prove his critics wrong, to stand in the way of glory. It's also an interesting study of recent history and its impact on a man and the world around him. Based on the real-life story of distance runner Steve Prefontaine, Director Steve James' (Hoop Dreams) film, named for its subject, takes an honest, raw look at one of the most gifted, and most unstable, Olympic athletes in recent history. Steve Prefontaine was also the subject of another film that released in 1998, titled Without Limits.

Dreaming.

Steve Prefontaine was an undersized child. Not in the starting lineup for his little league team and getting flattened during special teams play on the gridiron, he had nowhere to go but to run away. And run and run some more. Steve found his gift in the run, a gift that would carry him well beyond the mediocre life that seemed to be carving itself out before his very eyes. His numerous high school running records attracted the top college recruiters. Steve (Jared Leto) ultimately decides to attend the University of Oregon and run under the guidance of renowned coach Bill Bowerman (R. Lee Ermey). Bowerman transforms him into a long distance runner, initially against Steve's wishes, but he continues to find success on the track that ultimately leads him to represent his country at the 1972 Summer Olympics. But can his brash style on and off the track translate into success at the highest level?

Prefontaine is a hybrid sort of film that intermixes a fictional recreation of Prefontaine's life with documentary-style interviews. It's also a fascinating period piece that captures a true sense of time and place, evident in its carefully constructed production details and style. The film further impresses as a historical recreation of the tragedy at the Munich olympics games in its second act, certainly explored in much greater detail and dramatic awareness in Steven Spielberg's film but here playing a crucial role in defining Prefontaine's performance in the games and the life he would lead afterward. For all its moving parts, though, Prefontaine never stumbles. The movie is captivatingly lean and focused on capturing an intimate portrait of a gifted but troubled soul yet capable of exploring the greater social and political worlds around him, resulting in a satisfyingly full and intricate film that's personal yet widely absorbing at the same time.

The film features a top-tier cast that's populated with name performers and secondary actors who display a capable understanding of the movie's tone and world. Jared Leto is quite good as the title character, managing to explore the man not only on the track but, more critical to his story, and the movie's narrative, the person inside and how his life experiences shaped and evolved him from his youth forward, from Oregon to the olympics and on to the fate that awaits him only years after his Munich experience. Leto's command of the character makes the movie more than any other quality, including its sure-handed direction and detailed period setting. Support cast is terrific, particularly considering the performances of Ed O'Neill and R. Lee Ermey as Prefontaine's coaches, both of whom display a keen awareness of the sport -- its intricacies and, later, the social and political whirlwinds that surround it -- and the qualities of nurturing a young athlete who is more naturally gifted than he is readily coachable. The film further benefits from Amy Locane as Prefontaine's girlfriend and Breckin Meyer as his Oregon roommate.

Prefontaine Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Prefontaine arrives on Blu-ray with a dated and tired 1080p transfer. Print wear is frequent and presents by way of large, black splotches. Grain is clumpy and frequently noisy. Macroblocking is a problem. Black levels are pale, with darker scenes aggressively messy and prone to brightening around the edges. Colors are flat and fatigued, presenting even bright green grass, Oregon green attire, and other colorful cars and clothes with only rudimentary depth and saturation. Details are flat. Faces are pasty and nothing -- not leaves, track material, clothes, concrete, or other supporting details -- ever finds more than the most basic definition and practically no sense of tactile texturing. It's hardly a pretty picture, but it gets by well enough when the viewer becomes absorbed in the movie rather than engaged in the process of picking the transfer apart.

Prefontaine Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Prefontaine's Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is more like a casual jog than it is a full-on sprint. The track is of the nuts-and-bolts variety, offering enough sonic information to get the listener through the movie, nothing more and nothing less. The two-channel track pushes audio towards the middle. Rarely does anything, even music, stretch far and wide along the front. Musical clarity is lacking. Basic instrumental definition and separation are evident, but never is there anything approaching lifelike transparency. A few sound effects push a little wider. Large press gatherings create a decent din around the front and photographic clicks and flash pops are distinguishable off to the sides. Basic crowd cheers and chants enjoy enough definition and distinction to replicate, but not recreate, the racetrack stands. Dialogue delivery pushes to the center and plays with sufficient clarity and prioritization.

Prefontaine Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Prefontaine contains no supplemental content. No pop-up menu is included. The top menu offers only a "play movie" option.

Prefontaine Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Prefontaine takes audiences on an emotional journey of highs and lows with a great appreciation for character, place, time, and purpose beyond the capabilities of most other Sports films. Intimate yet broad, the film manages to blend the individual with the greater world around him and the symbiotic ebb and flow and influences that resulted. Marked by steady direction, simple yet nicely complimentary production values, and several great performances, Prefontaine makes for an excellent film centered on sport but built around the human condition. Mill Creek's Blu-ray is unfortunately devoid of supplements and features lackluster video and audio. Recommended only the strength of the film, and it'll make a great double feature with Race.