The Border Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Border Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 20, 2019

Tony Richardson's "The Border" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; audio commentary by critic and author Simon Abrams; and vintage radio spots. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The border

The truth about our southern border has always been the same. What changed over the years are the lies that corrupt politicians and amoral businessmen whose interests aligned used to hide it. It really is this simple.

At a small factory somewhere on the outskirts of L.A. immigration officer Charlie Smith (Jack Nicholson) picks up two illegal aliens. The man that runs the place chooses them for him because the ‘raid’ is part of an arrangement -- occasionally Charlie gets small perks and arrests a few wetbacks so that he looks good before his superiors and in return he stays away so that the man can continue to operate his profitable business. It is an arrangement that works for both sides. But Charlie’s demanding wife, Marcy (Valerie Perrine), convinces him that they can do a lot better if they move back to El Paso, where she was born and everything is cheaper. In the Lone Star State they will finally be able to replace their trailer with a proper home and even afford many of the luxury items that couples like them ought to have and enjoy.

After he transfer to El Paso Charlie becomes a border patrol agent and begins working with Cat (Harvey Keitel), a tough vet with all sorts of shady friends. Charlie’s happy wife rewards him in the bedroom, but the more he learns about Cat and his dealings with his friends, the more frustrated he becomes with the way the law is bent by him and the rest of the people in the area that are supposed to uphold it. Around the same time Charlie also becomes involved with a young Mexican girl (Elpidia Carrillo) who has her baby stolen from her while trying to illegally cross the border.

The ugly reality that is revealed in Tony Richardson’s film is neither new nor surprising. There are countless other films confirming that not only is the southern border wide open and essentially unprotected, but that the status quo there is actually incredibly beneficial for a wide range of criminal activities. Robert Young's Alambrista! and Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre for instance see illegal immigration from completely different angles, but in both films the border again emerges as something of a meaningless symbol that has been left to survive on its own.

There is a decent dose of melodrama in the film but for the most part Richardson accurately describes the nature of the system that has been crafted to protect the lawlessness. Even in a place like El Paso there is a lot of money to be made from the exploitation of desperate people that are willing to risk their lives, so one either becomes part of the criminal system or gets broken by it. Charlie, who is in outsider, makes the critical mistake of questioning the morality of a system that is completely immune to it.

On the opposite end is Cat, a cynical traitor of the kind that even today continues to damage the reputation of border authorities. There really isn’t any difference between Cat and the people that he deals with on the Mexican side of the border. He is just camouflaged differently and uttering his words with a gringo accent.

The initial cut of the film apparently had a far darker ending in which Charlie becomes totally unhinged and bombs the traitors, but Richardson changed his mind and settled on the current politically correct and safe resolution. It is very unfortunate because an uglier and edgier climax would have made this film stick out like a sore thumb and likely inspired plenty of meaningful discussions.

The Border Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tony Richardson's The Border arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from the same older remaster that the folks at Indicator/Powerhouse Films worked with when they prepared this Region-B release of The Border in 2018. The remaster was licensed from Universal Pictures.

While there are certain source limitations, which I will address below, the overall quality of the remaster is actually quite good. Depth, for instance, ranges from good to very good, and fluidity is consistently pleasing. In certain areas it is easy to see that fine nuances and shadow balance can be better, but there are no traces of digital anomalies and as a result the visuals retain a decent organic appearance. The color grading is good, but saturation levels and balance can be improved. During some of the darker footage there is also very light black crush that a proper newer master would eliminate. A couple of white specks pop up here and there, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Border Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

There are no technical issues to report. Clarity, stability, and balance are excellent. Perhaps a new remix can optimize the middle range a tad better, but I very much doubt that there would be a notable difference. This would be a cosmetic adjustment, at best.

The Border Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original U.S. trailer for The Border. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• Commentary - film critic and author Simon Abrams shares plenty of interesting information about the production history of The Border, Tony Richardson's career, and the various relevant themes in the film.

• Radio Spots - a collection of vintage U.S. radio spots for The Border. In English and Spanish, not subtitled. (3 min, 480/60i).

• Trailers - a collection of trailers for other Kino Lorber Blu-ray releases.

The Border Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are many, many ordinary Americans that always knew exactly what was happening at the southern border. The problem is that the chaos and lawlessness there were, and still are, great for business and the careers of all sorts of different ambitious politicians, which is why a system was created to protect them. In Tony Richardson's film Jack Nicholson plays a border patrol agent who exposes a group of traitors that are part of the system, but quickly realizes that even if they are neutralized not much will change because the system will find a way to repair itself. It is a good film that offers a mostly accurate summation of the crisis, but at the end decides to play it safe without shaming the big shadow figures and institutions that are responsible for it. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but healthy remaster supplied by Universal Pictures that makes it easy to appreciate Richardson's artistic vision. RECOMMENDED.