Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

Reflections in a Golden Eye Blu-ray Movie Review

Huston, we have a problem.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III April 18, 2020

Released in the waning days of the Hays Code and just one year before the MPAA's rating system, John Huston's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) was met with mixed reviews from critics and audiences who weren't ready for its frank depictions of voyeurism, infidelity, and sexual repression. It's a southern-fried soap opera that puts a half- dozen or so subjects under its microscope, letting us watch all the juicy drama unfold in a similar fashion to Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window. Starring Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor with support from Brian Keith, Julie Harris, and the late, great Robert Forster (in his big-screen debut, no less), Reflections in a Golden Eye was seen then and can still be seen now as a pretentious slog of a film -- an almost total waste of its otherwise talented cast and crew.

It's often tough to discern bad acting from bad characters, but not here: Reflections in a Golden Eye features an almost fully-stocked roster of unlikable, underdeveloped souls. Chief among them are Major Weldon Penderton (Brando) and his wife Leonora (Taylor), whose marriage has worn so thin that it's practically translucent. They live together on a U.S. Army post somewhere in the deep South but might as well be on separate planets: Leonora has been seeing Lt Colonel Morris Langdon (Keith), whose own marriage to mentally unwell wife Alison (Harris) is perhaps even more distant. But that's not all: in the shadows, Leonora is being watched by Private L. G. Williams (Forster), a stable hand who Weldon himself secretly admires. Given the double whammy of Army life and 1940s social norms, however, ol' Weldon pushes his feelings as far down as humanly possible. He's so deep in the closet he may never find his way out.

Unfortunately, Reflections in a Golden Eye doesn't even come close to treating its subject matter or characters with care. Everything and everyone wildly careens off one another and almost nothing feels like a good fit, while the paper-thin plot is full of predictable twists and laughably convenient timing. This is the kind of film that's so tonally off the mark that it's hard to put into words; a true misfire with very few redeeming qualities. In fact, the only real points it earns -- aside from its vaguely valiant attempt to normalize lifestyles that are now much more fully accepted -- are for the outstanding score by Toshiro Mayuzumi (a virtuoso in several genres, from operas to electronic music) and the cinematography, which creates something of a hazy, haunting atmosphere and might just save the whole production if you're in a forgiving mood. As for the lead and supporting performances? The jury's still out: while everyone is at least up to the challenge of going almost completely over-the-top, the film takes itself way too seriously to consider that a definite mark in the win column. While there was one major behind-the-scenes development that obviously crippled Reflections in a Golden Eye from the start (the unfortunate death of actor Montgomery Clift, whose role eventually went to Brando), it's doubtful that his presence would have fundamentally changed much for the better.

During its original theatrical run, Reflections in a Golden Eye was infamous for another reason: its color palette. Director John Huston originally added a golden haze over the entire film (which was originally shot in full color), giving it an almost monochromatic appearance with occasional splashes of muted color for stylistic purposes. Roughly one week after its lukewarm release the studio reverted back to full-color prints, although the wide majority of easily-available home video releases since then have featured the "golden" cut. Warner Archive's brand-new Blu-ray is notable for being the first to offer both versions, and in wonderfully restored condition to boot. Say what you will about Reflections in a Golden Eye, but it looks like a million bucks here...and while this one's certainly not for all audiences, die-hard fans will be pleased to finally have a definitive package for this odd but occasionally alluring film.

Reflections in a Golden Eye Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

No stranger to top-tier 1080p transfers, Warner Archive has pulled out all the stops to give Reflections in a Golden Eye one of their finest and most complete visual presentations to date. As mentioned earlier, director John Huston originally applied a heavy golden tone over the entirety of this full-color production for artistic purposes, which also extended to most home video editions during the past few decades (including its last official release on DVD, Warner Bros.' 2006 Marlon Brando Collection boxed set.) However, the original full-color version -- mandated by the studio roughly one week into its original theatrical run -- obviously survived but has rarely been seen since, and Warner Archive has seen fit to include both versions for this special release. They're presented on two separate dual-layered discs with the studio's usual attention to detail, which includes excellent compression and a consistently high bit rate.

Even without the clear evidence of a side-by-side comparison, it's easy to see that both the original "gold" and full-color versions of Reflections in a Golden Eye look similarly fantastic here and boast a nearly identical amount of image detail and texture. Warner Archive has applied their usual light touch to restoration, as each version has been given a fresh 2K scan from separate interpositives with careful manual cleanup to remove dirt and debris while preserving plenty of film grain. The only cursory differences here lie in brightness, black levels, and contrast, which are more pronounced in the full-color version for obvious reasons; in comparison, the "gold" version can't help but look a little darker and less dynamic, with a somewhat smoother appearance overall. This is simply due to the nature of its intended style and, all things considered, both versions look proportionately strong and very stable in their respective categories. I've also gone ahead and given this release a courtesy bump into five-star territory for the simple fact that Warner Archive restored two separate versions of this film to give die-hard fans the best possible presentation for the format. In short, this goes well above and beyond what we usually get for the wide majority of vintage catalog releases.

Like this release itself, I've attempted to give equal attention both versions with the included screenshots: a dozen are included from each one, along with a bonus studio disclaimer that plays before the "gold" version.

Reflections in a Golden Eye Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's less to say about the DTS-HD 2.0 Master audio mix, which is identical on both versions of the film. This basic but very faithful track preserves Reflections in a Golden Eye's original one- channel source audio and boasts very clean and crisp dialogue (assuming you're good at deciphering Southern drawl, of course), a solid dynamic range, and well-mixed background details that make their presence known without fighting for attention. Toshiro Mayuzumi's terrific score sounds excellent as well, with a very robust amount of weight during key moments. While the overall sonic experience still clearly sounds like a product of its time (very little LFE and somewhat thin on the high end), it's a very authentic presentation that features no discernible defects and does its job perfectly well from start to finish.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature; these are formatted perfectly (not ALL CAPS, like the majority of newer WAC Blu-rays) with no sync issues and sit snugly inside the 2.35:1 frame.

Reflections in a Golden Eye Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc set is packaged in a dual-hubbed keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and no inserts. The extras, which are included on the "gold" disc, first appeared on Warner Bros.' 2006 Marlon Brando Collection boxed set.

• Vintage Behind-the-Scenes Footage (23:09) - A loose but interesting collection of candid black-and- white clips filmed during production, paired with cues from Toshiro Mayuzumi's original score.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:41) - This is presented in full color, which as far as I know was the only version created for the film. Watch it on WAC's YouTube channel here, as well as a full color HD clip and the "gold" opening.

Reflections in a Golden Eye Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Director John Huston's Reflections in a Golden Eye is a maddening misfire, a clear waste of talent that attempted to tackle taboo issues but failed to score with audiences and critics alike during its original run. It's still very problematic due to fundamental flaws including a sluggish pace, unlikable characters, and far too many convenient and predictable plot elements that don't sit well with its ultra- serious tone. But it's not a total disaster thanks to an excellent score, fine cinematography, and a solid cast that at least makes their characters memorable (if not for some of the wrong reasons, of course). While this obviously doesn't make Reflections in a Golden Eye a recommended blind buy, Warner Archive's two-disc Blu-ray package should thrill established fans: it serves up two fully-remastered versions of the film, lossless audio, and a few small extras to boot. An outstanding release for this flawed but fitfully fascinating film.