6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
In 1856, the first U.S. Consul General to Japan discovers hostility to foreigners, as well as the love of a young geisha.
Starring: John Wayne, Eiko Ando, Sam Jaffe, Sô YamamuraDrama | 100% |
History | 97% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
When you think of John Wayne, you probably think of white hat versus black hat westerns. A gunslinger with a moral code. A sheriff of decisive, spur of
the moment action. A man with a plan and nothing to stop him from seeing it through. Diplomatic, then, isn't the first word—or even the
fiftieth—you'd normally use to describe him, so it's a bit of a shock to see Wayne as an American envoy to Japan in John Huston's 1958 historical
melodrama The Barbarian and the Geisha. You keep waiting for him to pull out a six-shooter or bust some skulls, but for the most part, his role
here is simply to be patient, to bide his time. He spends much of the film idly waiting for the Japanese powers that be to make up their minds about his
presence. And obviously, waiting is not what most audiences wanted or want from a John Wayne movie.
Unsurprisingly, Barbarian tanked at the box office and debuted to mostly dismissive reviews from the likes of The New York Times'
Bosley Crowther, who wrote that Mr. Wayne "appears a little bewildered and repressed, being much more accustomed to action." What Crowther
missed is that Wayne's restrained and uncomfortable "other-ness" as a gaijin in Japan is essential to story. With his cowboy swagger and deep
commanding drawl, Wayne typifies every Japanese stereotype about brash, take-charge Americans, and Barbarian's specific frisson comes from
seeing his character stumped and stymied by a culture that values group-think over individualism.
Whatever your thoughts on the story, there's no denying that The Barbarian and the Geisha is a beautiful film, with lushly colored Cinemascope photography that strikingly captures the on-location-in-Japan scenery and Toho Studios interior set design. A quick comparison between the Blu-ray and the included DVD shows a clear difference between the high and standard definition versions, most notably in terms of clarity. The 1080p/AVC-encoded image might not be exceptionally sharp by today's standards, but detail is strong in the areas where you normally look for it—facial features, clothing, in-focus props—and overt blurriness only occasionally affects the far edges of the 2.35:1 frame. Most importantly, the transfer seems entirely faithful to source, with a natural-looking grain structure—though a bit chunky at times, especially during fades between scenes—and no signs of edge enhancement, DNR, or any excessive filtering. Color and contrast look appropriate too, with balanced skin tones, decently deep blacks, and a gorgeous palette of distinctly Japanese hues. I'm not sure how much restoration work Fox did on the digital intermediate, but the print itself is in good shape here; you'll only spot infrequent white specks, and no heavy scratches, stains, or tears. No noticeable compression issues either. An all-around faithful, accurate-looking transfer.
20th Century Fox has given The Barbarian and the Geisha a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 track that's often surprisingly immersive. Of course, dynamically, the mix delivers about what you'd expect from a 1950's film—no real low-end and slightly thin highs—but the response is wonderfully clear and there's an appreciable sense of separation between the four channels. In the rears, you'll often hear carefully placed ambient sounds—lapping waves, crackling flames, tweeting birds—and the effects are suitably potent. It's the music that'll really catch your ear, though. Hugo Friedhofer's orchestral score is large-scale and memorable, if maybe a bit too stereotypically "oriental," with pentatonic scale melodies and clanging percussion. Throughout it all, dialogue is clear and easily understood, and there are no distraction-level pops or crackles. (Though you might notice a low-level tape hiss from time to time.) For those that need or want them, the disc includes optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles, along with French and Spanish Dolby Digital mono dubs.
If you're expecting a "John Wayne" movie, The Barbarian and the Geisha will inevitably disappoint. If you step back, though, and see the film for what it is—an insightful East-meets-West story and a tender, if undercooked, romance—it's much more enjoyable. Yes, not much happens, and yes, John Huston's original vision for the film was tainted by studio intervention and recutting, but Barbarian is a cinematic curiosity that deserves a second look. Fox's Blu-ray release features a faithful high definition transfer, a surprisingly immersive lossless stereo track, and four short but fascinating time-capsule news reels from the film's various worldwide premiers. Recommended for John Huston collectors, forgiving John Wayne fans, and unabashed Japanophiles. Do note that the film is currently a Walmart exclusive, but it should be available from other retailers soon-ish.
1956
1942
Fox Studio Classics
1969
1966
1942
1971
1976
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1958
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1947
Limited Edition to 3000
1993
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2019
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Warner Archive Collection
1960