Putney Swope Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Putney Swope Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 4, 2019

While developing his skills as an irreverent moviemaker with an interest in experimental film, Robert Downey hit a special creative peak with 1969’s “Putney Swope.” While it’s a comedy, interested in giving viewers a full sense of the absurd and the silly, the feature isn’t a simple joke-a-minute experience, going above and beyond mere bits to challenge the world of marketing in the 1960s, also focusing on shifting racial attitudes of the decade. Downey does some serious barnstorming with the picture, which is all over the place, yet somehow doesn’t feel chaotic, showing immense playfulness while remaining sharp, picking up on distinct personalities and corporate buffoonery while Downey conducts a bizarre cinematic symphony of impulsiveness, idiocy, and condemnation.

Times are getting tough at a top NYC advertising agency, with the owner of the business suddenly dying during a meeting. The executives need a new leader, and they select Putney Swope (a dubbed Arnold Johnson, with voice provided by Downey), trusting the fallibility of the lone black employee. However, Putney isn’t about to fold, firing the white men and rechristening the business Truth and Soul, Inc., taking the business in a bold new direction where money from war toys, alcohol, and tobacco is rejected, electing to approach the industry using a distinct vision of style and absurdity. Stockpiling cash and burning through underlings, Putney manages to turn his plan into a success, but personal issues get in the way, with poisonous personalities and creative blockage threatening to topple his newly empowered kingdom.

The boardroom breakdown sequence opens “Putney Swope,” with Downey presenting the distinct tone of the picture without any delay. We meet the employees of the marketing firm, greeting men only out for themselves during a critical time in the history of the business. They’re fearful, jockeying for position, but when the owner dies right in the room, they vote Putney into power, putting the weight of responsibility on the last man they expect to accept it. Instead of buckling under pressure, Putney claims power, clearing the room of white guys and filling it with black power, using the opportunity to change the focus of the company, which now deals in cash, stays away from unsavory clients looking to poison the world, and offers little bargaining power to freelancers, giving poor saps a “take it or leave it” option when they overcharge for work. The first act of “Putney Swope” benefits from such speed and turns of fate, with Downey getting the endeavor into a full gallop with remarkable ease, showcasing Putney’s authoritarian ways with heavy emphasis on comedy and culture shock, generating an irresistible level of screen insanity.

“Putney Swope” is shot in B&W, using color only during commercial sequences, where Truth and Soul, Inc, showcases their unique approach to selling products to customers. Downey doesn’t arrange broad satire here, instead using these breaks in the story to be mischievous, toying with sexual imagery and twisting depictions of innocence. The company pushes cereal, an electric fan, pimple cream, and an airline (with bouncing topless women drawing viewers in), and the asides are quite amusing, adding dimension to a feature that’s always in danger of becoming one- note. However, “Putney Swope” isn’t exactly calm between the commercials, with the titular character dealing with an insistent mistress, power plays from underlings, and pressure from President Mimeo, a little person with pushy handler trying to get Truth and Soul, Inc, to sell a crappy car. Throughout the feature, Putney develops into a dictator, using his inner ice to deal with others, but Downey isn’t satisfied with the mere suggestion of abusive power, soon dressing the character like Castro in the final act. It’s not always subtle, but the film is never boring.

Putney Swope Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray with help from restoration work from The Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation, "Putney Swope" looks gorgeous during the AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation. It's a very film-like viewing experience, with stable grain and interesting detail, supplying satisfactory views of period outfits and skin textures, with close-ups getting in as tight as possible at times. Professional offices are open for survey, and locations are dimensional. While largely shot in B&W, with secure delineation, color sequences carry sharp hues, finding bold reds and blues, and greenery is equally vivid. Skintones are natural. Source is in excellent condition, without significant points of damage.

Putney Swope Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is slightly hounded by hiss, but dialogue exchanges are distinct, gifting clarity to the bizarre range of performances in the picture. Emotionality and emphasis is ideal, while dubbing efforts are easily identified. Scoring is crisp and supportive, contributing the wily mood, and soundtrack selections are equally appealing, including defined instrumentation. Office atmospherics are appreciable.

Putney Swope Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features writer/director Robert Downey.

• Commentary #2 features film critic Sergio Mims.

• Interview (16:08, SD) features Downey from 2001, reflecting on his early start in advertising, with sketchy bosses inspiring him to create his own satire of the marketing world. Character origins for Putney Swope are discussed, with Downey going into detail concerning lead actor Arnold Johnson's inability to remember his lines, requiring a full dubbing of his voice. The picture's initial reception is recalled, boasting unlikely supporters such as Jack Nicholson, who was just beginning his starring career at the time. Downey discusses his relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson and his "A Prince" screen credit. The satiric reach of "Putney Swope" is analyzed, with Downey downplaying the feature's relevancy, and the helmer offers advice for up and coming filmmakers.

• Interview (11:32, SD) returns to Downey in 2008, where he resists the legacy of "Putney Swope," unsure how important a picture it really is. Career origins are recounted, along with distribution concerns for the feature, which emerged with charged poster art and a surprising endorsement from Jane Fonda, who urged viewers to see the movie while guesting on "The Tonight Show." Downey explores the feature's legacy, and shares his considerable disappointment with 1980's "Up the Academy," which represented a low point in terms of creative freedom in the industry -- a job with potential was quickly turned into a money gig.

• Q&A at the 2005 Philadelphia Film Festival (25:13, SD) finds Downey in partially filled theater after a screening, fielding inquiries from admirers, sharing amusing anecdotes concerning the making of "Putney Swope."

• Audio Interview (19:41) with cinematographer Gerald Cotts covers his initial meeting with Downey and the extent of production freedom on "Putney Swope," making for a tight collaboration with the director. Cotts examines the Arnold Johnson situation, clarifying reasons for the full dubbing, and he mentions his reunion with Downey for 1970's "Pound." The legacy of the feature is explored, along with a summary of personal inspirations and creative challenges.

• Article and Promotional Material Galley (6:00) includes poster art, along with extensive newspaper ads, interviews, and reviews.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:31, HD) is included.

Putney Swope Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For movie fans, "Putney Swope" showcases numerous scenes that've influenced other filmmakers, most noticeably Paul Thomas Anderson, who uses a lot of the picture in "Boogie Nights." And respected editor Bud Smith lifts the "Face Off" acne cream for his directorial debut, 1988's "Johnny Be Good," in a scene where the characters are understandably baffled by the lovely, but filthy, screen duet. Such references and pulls are fun to spot, adding to the whirlwind viewing event, as Downey really lets loose with "Putney Swope," trying to capture the pulse of the 1960s while commenting on the strange ways of business and race. And somehow, miraculously, it never falls apart.