Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Sergeant York Blu-ray Movie Review

Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 17, 2020

Based on the life of decorated American soldier Alvin C. York, who killed more than 25 enemy soldiers during World War I and captured 132 more, Howard Hawks's Sergeant York was a box office success released to theaters several times during America's involvement in WWII. Although its patriotic story and heavy religious overtones give it a strong aftertaste of propaganda, the lead performance by Gary Cooper is one of his most memorable and earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor, while the film itself also won Best Editing and was nominated in nine other categories. Also featuring great production design and a strong attention to detail for its realistic portrayal of early-19th Century rural Tennessee (very rural), Sergeant York feels like an epic but actually breezes by in just over two hours.

Although it shares almost nothing in common with Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Sergeant York is likewise a war drama with two distinct halves; the first drops us into the backwoods of Tennessee's Cumberland Mountains. Alvin York (Cooper) spends many nights drinking and his most recen escapade involved shooting his initials into a tree...much to the dismay of Pastor Rosier Pile (Walter Brennan) and Alvin's family, who can't seem to enjoy their church service with all those pesky bullets flying outside. Simply put, ol' Alvin doesn't seem like he'll amount to much.

He is a great shot, but not with Cupid's arrow: when out hunting one day, Alvin runs into lovely Gracie Williams (Joan Leslie) and his marriage proposal isn't met kindly. Assuming the rejection is due to his lack of land and money, Alvin decides to save up for a fertile patch of farmland using his shooting skills but is continually bested by Gracie's other suitor Zeb Andrews (Robert Porterfield). In anger, Alvin gets rip-roaring drunk and, while riding through the forest during a nighttime rainstorm, the poor guy is struck by lightning. He takes this as a sign from above and seeks shelter in a nearby church, eventually converting to Christianity and burying the hatchet with anyone on his bad side, including Zeb. It's right about then that Alvin is drafted into World War I; he was hoping to avoid it due to his newfound status as a conscientious objector, but his argument is rejected and it's not long before Alvin is winning the attention of commanding officers with his shooting prowess. While Alvin's brain sides with patriotic duty, his heart doesn't always agree...but he's got to justify his place in combat anyway, because soon enough his unit is sailing for France.

The history books might spoil Sergeant York for newcomers, but it's still an enjoyable production that mostly coasts by on the strength of Gary Cooper's earnest performance. (Legends has it that the real York hand-picked Cooper for the role, it was actually the urging of producer producer Jesse Lasky.) On a personal note, I am not a religious person but, while Alvin's "lightning strike conversion" did very little to move me -- not to mention his scripture quoting, which conveniently ignores all those endorsements for slavery and murder in favor of ultra-safe "Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John" sentiments -- Sergeant York is still a very enjoyable production from more than just a fundamental perspective. The action is well-shot, performances are great across the board, and Max Steiner's score sets the mood nicely. Its overall atmosphere is top-notch and the first half's recreation of rural Tennessee feels as authentic as it gets: from the accents to the vernacular, any outsider will need to make use of this Blu-ray's optional English subtitles.

Of course, the main attraction of Warner Archive's brand-new disc is a fantastic new 4K-sourced 1080p transfer, which offers loads of support for Sol Polito's attractive (and mostly outdoor) cinematography, not to mention a terrific lossless audio track. The collection of DVD-era bonus features isn't too shabby either. It all adds up to one of the year's most impressive and well-rounded vintage catalog releases, at least from any studio not named Criterion.

Sergeant York Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I'll admit, part of me just wants to link this "4K Restoration Comparison" video from Warner Archive and call it a day... but in case it's not obvious enough, this brand-new 1080p transfer is outstanding and represents a giant leap beyond previous Region 1/A home video editions, the last being a 2006 Special Edition DVD by WAC's parent company. Gone are the persistent judder, dirt, and faded black levels, revealing a very rich and film-like image with plenty of grain, incredibly strong textures, and much-improved depth that greatly highlights Sol Polito's excellent black-and-white cinematography. Even the opening text looks razor-sharp. At the risk of repeating myself, this is simply another home run that checks all the boxes for a top-tier catalog release: a careful restoration, no contrast boosting or heavy noise reduction, and great disc authoring, all of which adds up to another Blu-ray that will absolutely thrill purists.

Sergeant York Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix perfectly supports the film's one-channel roots. Overall fidelity is excellent with a surprisingly wide dynamic range. Dialogue and sound effects are both very clear and the rousing score by Max Steiner comes through with no problems at all. It's another best-case scenario for purists, as Sergeant York sounds as good as its source material and age will allow. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only; they're formatted perfectly and, like the audio itself, contain no glaring sync issues.

Sergeant York Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All on-disc bonus features listed below are taken from Warner Bros' 2006 two-disc Special Edition DVD.

• Audio Commentary - This enlightening commentary features Jeanine Basinger, film historian and the founder and curator of Wesleyan University's Cinema Archives. Topics of interest include parallels between York's life story and 1940s America, World War I history, York's outstanding marksmanship, creating an accurate period-specific atmosphere, establishing an idea of war, the film's commercial and critical reception, and more.

• Theatrical Re-issue Trailer (2:01) - A vintage promotional piece trumpeting the film's success that played sporadically at theaters during WWII. Watch a rough-looking version here if you're interested.

• Lions for Sale (9:00 - A 1941 color short about lion training for movies and TV shows, partially filmed at Gay's Lion Farm in El Monte, California. Interesting stuff... unless you're an animal activist, of course.

• Porky's Preview (6:50) - Tex Avery -- credited under his real name "Fred" here -- directs this memorable 1941 Looney Tunes short, largely drawn with squiggles and other kid-friendly shapes.

• Sergeant York: Of God and Country (38:59) - This 2006 piece, written and directed by John Mulholland, bridges the gap between pre-1941 and the 21st century by offering a brief biography of the real Alvin York, a candid look behind the scenes of the film, and then-recent interviews with surviving cast members including Joan Leslie and June Lockhart. (Incidentally, the latter is still alive and presumed kicking at age 95!)

Absent from this release, unfortunately, is Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend, a 1989 retrospective piece written and directed by Richard Schickel (and hosted by Clint Eastwood) that provided a surface-level overview of the Hollywood legend's life and times with film clips from his vast body of work including Wings, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and Meet John Doe. It's likely due to a rights issue, but the remaining extras are all great and worth watching.

Sergeant York Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Howard Hawks' Sergeant York earned Gary Cooper his first of only two Oscars for Best Actor, but this slice of good old-fashioned propaganda is worth revisiting for more than just a great lead performance. Staged like an all-out epic while barely crossing the two-hour mark, it features excellent cinematography and a compelling story that travels from rural Tennessee all the way to the Western Front. Although its romantic subplot rarely carries its own weight, the positives far outweigh the negatives and make this a largely enjoyable period drama. As usual, Warner Archive's Blu-ray serves up an immaculate new transfer and its DVD-era extras offer plenty of support. Highly recommended!