Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Crossing Guard Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 27, 2024

Sean Penn's "The Crossing Guard" (1995) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Sean Penn; new program with David Morse; new program with editor Jay Cassidy; archival featurette; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Sean Penn’s The Crossing Guard is about two men whose lives have been irreversibly damaged by a tragic event. Jack Nicholson plays the first one, Freddy Gale, a lonely and disillusioned jeweler who spends most of his time getting drunk and making love to equally lonely and disillusioned women. David Morse plays the second man, John Booth, who has spent the last couple of years in prison.

On the day when John is released from prison, Freddy meets his ex-wife, Mary (Anjelica Huston), to let her know that he is planning to kill him. While they scream at each other, it is revealed why Freddy wants John dead. He’s got a good reason.

Shortly after, Freddy meets John in his trailer, holding a gun. But John is filled with guilt and does not attempt to run away. Without talking much, Freddy tries to shoot him, but his gun jams. Enormously frustrated, he gives John three days to sort out his life and get ready for the inevitable.

During the next three days, Freddy and John’s lives take unexpected turns. For the first time in years, Freddy and Mary talk about the good old days, the dreams they once had. Both realize that they are still very much in love with each other.

John meets a beautiful painter named JoJo (Robin Wright). She immediately falls madly in love with him, but he can’t love her back because his soul is hurting so bad that at times he could barely breathe. When they are alone, the only thing he could think about is guilt.

As promised, Freddy returns to kill John. This time he runs away and Freddy goes after him. During the chase, the two men discover that they have plenty in common.

Dedicated to Charles Bukowski, Sean Penn’s second feature film appropriately blends black comedy and drama, but in this mix there is substantially more of the latter. Its message is about right and wrong, forgiveness and acceptance.

The narrative is simple and free of surprises. Naturally, the entire film depends on Nicholson, Morse, and Houston’s strong individual performances. The high points are the scenes where they clash and argue with each other or let Penn’s camera carefully observe their faces.

Most of the film is raw and gritty. It also has a distinct '90s flavor, but strangely enough, it does not feel dated. One reason why is the fact that it is a dialog-driven, free of political correctness piece. Another reason is its casual, borderline Cassavetes-esque tone.

The film is beautifully lensed by acclaimed cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (Brian De Palma’s Obsession, Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter). Some of the nighttime footage as well as the club scenes are notably beautiful. The soundtrack features original tracks by Bruce Springsteen ("Missing"), Joe Henry ("King’s Highway"), and Dead Can Dance ("Ubiquitous Mr. Love Groove"), among others.

In 1995, The Crossing Guard was nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival.

The Crossing Guard Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Crossing Guard arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

In 2012, we reviewed this Region-B release of The Crossing Guard produced by StudioCanal. It was sourced from an older master that must have been prepared during the DVD era. This recent release appears to be sourced from the same master.

The main issue with this master is its age. I think that it tends to produce decent, occasionally even pretty good visuals, but its limitations are impossible to ignore. For example, it struggles to reproduce various fine nuances, with darker areas lacking proper shadow definition too, which is why delineation and depth can fluctuate quite a bit. Also, contrast is inconsistent. The good news is that it has not been repolished with digital tools, so while all visuals are softer than they should be, they do not have a distracting digital appearance. Color balance is stable. However, this is an area where plenty of significant improvements can be made. At the moment, key primaries are supporting nuances have problematic saturation levels. A few nicks and blemishes can be spotted, but there are no large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report in our review. Ultimately, this is a serviceable release, but the master that was used to source is at least three decades old now, so The Crossing Guard does not have the fresh and attractive appearance it deserves. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your greographical location).

The Crossing Guard Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I chose to view the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. It is a healthy track that easily reproduces the native dynamic contrasts of the original soundtrack. Balance is good. However, I suspect that when The Crossing Guard is remastered in 4K, the audio will be redone as well. Will it sound noticeably better? I doubt it, but some smaller dynamic nuances, especially where the music is prominent, could be tweaked. StudioCanal's original Blu-ray release of The Crossing Guard from 2012 does not have English SDH subtitles, but this release does.

The Crossing Guard Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Sean Penn, Anjelica Huston, David Morse, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, production designer Michael Haller, and playwright David Ray. As you can expect, the commentators offer plenty of information about the original material that inspired The Crossing Guard and its production, the tone and style of the film, the unique qualities of the main characters and the clash of ideas around them, the film's reception, etc.

• Commentary Two - in this exclusive new audio commentary, critic and writer Travis Woods deconstructs The Crossing Guard and discusses its genre identity. Woods believes that The Crossing Guard is not only one of the great neo-noir films of the 1990s, but quite possible one of the all-time greatest. There are some interesting observations about the film's publicity and reception as well.

• Purging Vulnerability - in this exclusive new program, Sean Penn highlights some of the great filmmakers that influenced his directing style, and discusses the conception of The Crossing Guard. Initially, the film was written for David Morse, and Jack Nicholson was not part of it, but Penn explains that a lot changed once the latter committed to it. There is plenty of interesting information about the construction of key sequences and the film's tone and style. At the end of the program, Penn also addresses his big clash with Harvey Weinstein over the final cut of The Crossing Guard. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Tough Character in a Tough World - in this exclusive new program, David Morse recalls his initial encounter with Sean Penn and explains how he irreversibly altered his career and life. Morse also discusses his work Penn on The Crossing Guard and the character he plays in it. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• Emotionally Exposed - in this exclusive new program, Priscilla Barns recalls how she first met Sean Penn -- and explains how Traxx essentially redirected her career -- and earned the part of Verna in The Crossing Guard. Barns also reveals that she visited various striptease clubs and studied different dancers while preparing for her part. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Changing Ways - in this exclusive new program, editor Jay Cassidy discusses his professional relationship with Sean Penn and their collaboration on The Crossing Guard. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Rebels Without Causes: Images of Masculinity in Sean Penn's The Crossing Guard - this new video essay was created by critic Kat Ellinger. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Behind-the-Scenes Fetaurette - an archival EPK. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Theatrical Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for The Crossing Guard. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Booklet - 60-page illustrated booklet featuring multiple essays and technical information.

The Crossing Guard Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Crossing Guard and The Indian Runner are the only Sean Penn films I like, and the more time passes, the easier it becomes for me to write that his best work is in the former. I do not understand why a lot of American critics dismissed The Crossing Guard, but I am not terribly surprised because they did not get numerous films from the great neo-noir renaissance that are now considered genre masterpieces. This release is sourced from the same old master that has been in circulation for a couple of decades and different labels have worked with, but has a fine selection of exclusive new bonus features with many of the people that made The Crossing Guard. It is included in After Dark: Neo-Noir Cinema Collection Three, a six-disc, Region-Free box set. RECOMMENDED.