7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Captain Nathan Brittles, on the eve of retirement, takes out a last patrol to stop an impending massive Indian attack. Encumbered by women who must be evacuated, Brittles finds his mission imperiled.
Starring: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr.Western | 100% |
Romance | 25% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Director John Ford initially refused to cast John Wayne as the aging Captain Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, because he didn't think Wayne was a good enough actor for the part. He changed his mind after seeing the Duke in Red River, which famously prompted Ford to remark: "I didn't know the big son of a bitch could act!" Wayne's performance in Yellow Ribbon became one of his signature roles, and the film further secured Ford's reputation as a master painter of iconic Western landscapes. The Warner Archive Collection is bringing the 1949 film to Blu-ray with the full depth and intensity of its Oscar-winning cinematography, captured from the original three-strip Technicolor negatives.
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon was Ford's second film in color (after Drums Along the Mohawk) and
his first with cinematographer Winton Hoch, who would re-team with Ford for The Quiet Man
and The Searchers. Using the paintings of artist Frederick
Remington as a guide, the pair evoked
visions of the American frontier so powerful that, consciously or not, they have informed the
look of almost every Western that has come after. Hoch had already won an Oscar for the
Technicolor images in Victor Fleming's Joan of Arc, and he would win his
second for Yellow Ribbon.
Yellow Ribbon was photographed in the three-strip Technicolor process used from 1935 through
1953, which is famous for both its vivid hues and its logistical challenges. For the film's Blu-ray
debut, the Warner Archive Collection generated a new interpositive from the three separate
negatives recorded during filming. The IP was created by YCM Laboratories, which, as the name
suggests, is noted for their expertise in handling three-strip negatives (YCM is an acronym for
"yellow, cyan, magenta", the portions of the spectrum separately captured by the three-strip
process). After the IP was scanned, alignment of the three layers was further fine-tuned in the
digital domain.
The result on this 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray is an image of both exceptionally sharp detail
and beautifully delineated shadings of color that breathe new life into Ford's and Hoch's iconic
images. Bright blue skies and mountainous rock formations in variegated shades of brown and
red frame Captain Brittles and his troops as they snake through the landscape. The rich navy
blues and bright yellows of the cavalry uniforms stand in sharp contrast to the intense reds that
identify their Native American attackers. Fine detail is so good that you can make out the coats
on both horses and the herd of buffalo encountered by Brittles and his men. You can even spot
the makeup in an occasional closeup.
Following its usual standards, WAC has mastered Yellow Ribbon at a high average bitrate of
34.92 Mbps.
The film's original mono soundtrack has been encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0, with fidelity and dynamic range that are appropriate for the period. Dialogue is clear, and the track is free of distortion or interference. Depending on one's personal taste, the score by Richard Hageman (Angel and the Badman) is either classic or stereotypical.
Warner first released She Wore a Yellow Ribbon on DVD in 2002, with reissues in 2006 and
2007. The Blu-ray extras have been ported over from the DVD, with the trailer remastered in
1080p.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon is almost seventy years old, but because Ford chose to focus on the
relations among soldiers and their commanders, it hasn't dated. What's new on this Blu-ray is the
vivid Technicolor presentation by WAC, which is highly recommended.
Signature Edition
1950
1948
1962
1941
1960
1951
2015
1959
1972
Limited Edition to 3000
1955
In Old Oklahoma
1943
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1939
1959
Roadshow Edition
1946
1958
2024
2015
1939
1972
2017