Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Rage Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 20, 2021

Gilberto Gazcón's "Rage" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include remastered trailer for the film; new visual essay on the acting and modeling career of Stella Stevens; and exclusive new audio commentary by critic Toby Roan. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The alcoholic

It is too obvious that Doctor Reuben (Glenn Ford) is trying to drink himself to death. But how long would it take to do it? A few weeks? A few months? Or a couple of years? In this unbearably hot Mexican border town, a few weeks could very well be enough to get the job done.

But when a truck full of happy prostitutes arrives in town, Reuben bumps into Perla (Stella Stevens), one of the ‘working girls’, and she instantly falls in love with him. He attempts to make her realize that she is the type of distraction he no longer needs in his life, but the more he turns down her advances, the more determined she becomes not to give up on him.

Around the same time, Reuben is accidentally bitten by a dog carrying El Mal (rabies), which means that unless he reaches the closest town on time and gets a shot that neutralizes the decease, the poison will reach his brain and he would die. At first, he wonders whether letting El Mal wreck his system would be a much better way to end his misery that drinking himself to death, but Perla changes his mind and he asks an engineer from the nearby construction site to loan him one of the few working jeeps in the area. However, to drive the jeep through the desert and get a life-saving shot falls apart when an old friend named Pancho (David Reynoso) begs him -- and then tells him that if needed he would even put a built in his head -- to help his pregnant wife who is about to give birth to their first child.

For years, Gilberto Gazcón’s Rage was incredibly difficult to track down and see because it did not get an official North American home video release. So, this recent addition to Via Vision Entertainment’s Imprint Collection is actually rather special.

Ford’s real-life drinking problem was one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood, so the fact that he plays the alcoholic doctor with such authority is anything but surprising. Indeed, some of the best footage in Rage is the one where the camera simply pauses on Reuben’s face for as long as possible and his big sad eyes begin revealing how badly scarred his soul is. Before Perla arrives in the border town, Reuben truly does look like a man who has given up on life.

Instead of turning into a miserabilist ode documenting Reuben’s final moments, however, Rage chooses a direction that forces the viewer to embrace him as he is and then root for him while he is running out of time to get the precious life-saving shot. This isn’t as easy to accomplish as it may sound because initially Reuben is just an annoying drunkard who gets irritated even by the slightest sign that another human being might want to ease his pain. At the time, the bottle is his best friend and he is determined to protect it as he best as he can. Needless to say, Rage is very much a film of two contrasting halves in which Reuben and his misery are examined from two completely different angles.

The sense of optimism that gradually builds up after Perla and the rest of girls appear in town is unmissable, but it coexists with the equally easy to detect feeling that the way forward may turn out to be so dangerous that Reuben’s transformation could be meaningless. Once the action moves to desert, in particular, it seems like all bets are off.

The film is most vulnerable, and perhaps even disappointing, during a relatively short sequence where a group of children begin pushing a big, old and broken bus so that Reuben can continue his journey. It is needlessly melodramatic and hurts the integrity of an otherwise very solid film.

*If you enjoy Rage, consider tracking down a copy of Yves Allegret's The Proud and the Beautiful. In it, Gerard Phillipe also plays a doctor trying to drink himself to death in a small Mexican town when a beautiful tourist played by Michelle Morgan changes his mind.

Rage Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rage arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The master that was used to produced this release apparently came from Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures. It is immediately obvious that it is not new, or at least it does not have the all-around clean appearance that older masters from the major's vaults do. However, Rage did not get an official North American DVD release, so it could very well be that the master is rather recent and was simply struck from the best available element. A lot of the titles in the Sony Choice Collection, which is an MOD line, like Kill Me Quick, I'm Cold and The Burglar, are actually done from such fairly recent masters.

The opening credits are shaky and look dirty. However, after the film looks quite nice, in many areas even surprisingly good. From time to time some density fluctuations are noticeable, but close-ups and larger panoramic shots are usually quite pleasing. The best news is that there are no traces of problematic digital work, so the fluctuations I mentioned above are either part of the original cinematography or inherited source limitations. Quite predictably, while a few areas can look a bit dated, the entire film has a solid organic appearance. The color scheme is very nice. Yes, in some areas it is easy to see that select nuances should be expanded, but the primaries are convincing. I even think that saturation levels are right around where they should be. Image stability is good, but a few shaky transitions remain. Minor spots and marks can be seen, but overall the master looks healthy. So, while the film does have a somewhat dated appearance, what we have on this disc is a fine organic presentation that makes it easy to enjoy it. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Rage 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 are provided for the main feature.

The audio is stable and easy to follow. I would say it is clean too, though if you turn up the volume a lot, like I did, occasionally you will notice just a tiny bit of background hiss trying to sneak in. Dynamic intensity is very good, at times even surprisingly so because there are plenty of dynamic nuances that are usually lost on older masters. There are no audio dropouts, distortions, or other encoding anomalies to report.

Rage Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a remastered vintage U.S. trailer for Rage. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• "Stella: A Visual Essay - this new video focuses on the lengthy acting and modeling career of Stella Stevens. It was produced by critic Kat Ellinger for Via Vision Entertainment in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, critic Toby Roan discusses the production history of Rage and its themes, and shares plenty of interesting information about the careers of the people that made the film. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Via Vision Entertainment in 2020.

Rage Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is a mystery why Rage never made it to DVD in North America. I think that it is a very fine film with some terrific performances and fantastic visuals from old rural Mexico. There is a part of me that is absolutely convinced that Glenn Ford isn't trying too hard to be the miserable drunkard Dr. Reuben, which is both sad and at the same time pretty remarkable, really, considering what an iconic star he was. Of course, Stella Stevens looks gorgeous. This recent release is sourced from a slightly rough but still very fine organic master and has a couple of excellent bonus features. (Kat Ellinger's visual essay is researched really well and covers Stevens' entire career as a model and actress). It is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.