Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Pursuit Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 19, 2019

Michael Crichton's "Pursuit" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary with film historian Lee Gambin and artist/writer Tristan Jones, as well as vintage trailers for the other releases. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The nervous watchers

What are the two things that the great American thrillers from the 1970s have in common? Fearless attitude and memorable atmosphere. These films tackled all kinds of risky subjects and took their time to build a special atmosphere in which their protagonists then roamed free. This is the exact reason why so many iconic cinematic characters emerged from the 1970s, and quite a few seem like even bigger rebels now than they did all those years ago.

Michael Crichton’s thriller Pursuit also comes from the 1970s but does not have a conventional star character. However, it is so bold and so atmospheric that it is a mystery why it is not recognized as a genre classic.

Sunny San Diego, a few days before the President is set to attend the Republican Party’s national convention and address delegates from all across the country. Federal agent Steven Graves (Ben Gazzara) is ordered to track down and apprehend James Wright (E.G. Marshall), a dangerous wealthy radical who is suspected of stealing sensitive government information. But Graves isn’t convinced that his superiors have enough to put their target behind bars and asks for extra time, and much to his annoyance gets less than a day.

While following Wright across the city, Graves’ people pick up Timothy Drew (Martin Sheen), an ex-army officer with a background in computers who has assisted him in accessing the stolen information, carrying a suitcase full of money. When shortly after Graves begins interrogating Drew, he reveals to him that the information contained the full details for a military transfer of ‘binary 75/76’ as well as the complete psychological profile of a top government operative whose last name is Graves.

By the time Wright is located a very concerned Pentagon official confirms that ‘binary 75/76’ is a code name for a highly lethal nerve gas, and that 500 pounds of it has been stolen. Wright is then followed to a hotel in the heart of the city where he has assembled a sophisticated device that can launch two bombs carrying the nerve gas. Soon after, fully aware that he has been monitored by Graves and his people, Wright exits the hotel room and surrenders. Then he announces to Graves that the bombs in the room are set to detonate just as the President arrives at the convention, and that any attempts to enter the room or cut the power of the devices that control their timer will activate ‘safeguards’ that will prematurely unleash hell.

Crichton directed seven films throughout his career and the consensus appears to be that he was most impressive with Coma, but this made-for-TV production, which was his directorial debut, might be his best work. It just looks and feels incredibly relevant, and it does not really have any flaws.

The film hits the ground running and never slows down, which is very unusual for a 1970s project. It is very direct too, as if it was prepared for a group of future secret government agents that are expected to develop crucial instincts that will later on allow them to be successful in real life while dealing with situations like the one that is chronicled in the film. This isn’t entirely surprising because many of Crichton’s novels actually follow a similar blueprint where attention to detail is exceptional, but the authority with which different events are staged and scenarios discussed is unexpectedly impressive. Needless to say, the atmosphere and tension in the film feel remarkably authentic.

Gazzara leads with supreme confidence, but he does not become a star. The supporting actors are equally great and in fact many crucial sequences work as well as they do because of the little things they do. Marshall exudes the coldness and determination that real psychopaths do as well. Top film.

Pursuit Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Crichton's Pursuit arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a new, near flawless 2K remaster. There are a few areas where I feel nuances could be slightly better, but the difference would be marginal at best. Density and especially fluidity are very nice. There are few areas where density levels fluctuate a bit -- obviously when the archival convention footage is used and then when occasionally the timer pops up -- but these are inherited source fluctuations, not a byproduct of questionable digital work. Depth is also very pleasing, and on a larger screen close-ups and wider panoramic shots look lovely. The color grading is very convincing. It promotes solid primaries and strong supporting nuances, all with great organic qualities. Overall image stability is excellent. There are no large distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, warped or torn frames to report, but I noticed a couple of tiny blemishes and white specks. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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).

Pursuit 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.

The audio is stable and clean. Jerry Goldsmith's music makes some good appearances, but you should not expect to hear great dynamic contrasts as it is quite clear that it was meant to have a supportive role. The dialog is easy to follow. There are no age-related anomalies to report, such as hum, background buzz/distortions, pops, etc.

Pursuit Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - film historian Lee Gambin and artist/writer Tristan Jones have some good things to say about the era and political climate in which Pursuit emerged, the career of its creator, and the cast that made teh film.

• Trailers - a collection of trailers for other Kino Lorber Blu-ray releases.

Pursuit Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pursuit is a hugely impressive directorial debut, but in a way not a surprising one because it follows the blueprint that so many of Michael Crichton's great novels relied on. I am actually willing to argue that even tough it was made for TV it is better than the other six films Crichton directed. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a new, near flawless 2K remaster. For what it's worth, I think that Pursuit is one of their best acquisitions this year. Don't miss it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.