Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

The Delinquents Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 17, 2017

Robert Altman's "The Delinquents" (1957) arrives on Lu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original theatrical trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The scapegoat

The Delinquents should be of interest only to long-time admirers of Robert Altman that have been curious about the evolution of his style. It is a crime drama disguised as feature-length documentary that delivers a dated social message while allowing Altman to try some interesting things with his camera.

Scotty (Tom Laughlin, The Complete Billy Jack Collection) is madly in love with Janice (Rosemary Howard) but her parents are convinced that they are “too young to be going steady”. So they ask Scotty to stop seeing Janice and urge him to look for a different girlfriend that he can have a meaningful relationship with. While trying to decide what to do, the frustrated Scotty is approached by Cholly (Peter Miller, Crime in the Streets) and his gang of rowdy pals who invite him to have some fun with and later on vow to help him reunite with Janice. But Cholly’s right-hand man, Eddy (Richard Bakalyan, Chinatown), immediately concludes that Scotty isn’t cut to be one of them and during the party repeatedly humiliates him. Scotty attempts to ignore Eddy but when later on he and Cholly also target Janice all hell breaks loose.

The narrative really is as transparent as it appears. After Scotty and Cholly meet there are basically a series of party sequences and brawls with the type of meaningless exchanges that one would expect from real troublemakers with limited IQs. There is nothing particularly interesting about the relationships the film focuses on there -- the boys are determined to hurt each other while their parents remain shockingly apathetic.

Some of the more violent material has the type of organic fluidity that would eventually become prominent in Altman’s big films, but plenty of it is also awkwardly cut. With some it seems like the intent was to allow the intensity to build up gradually, but the inexperience of the actors easily shows and some specific cuts were likely made to remove the worst. On the other hand, there are some unusually good prolonged close-ups that work great for the desired atmosphere. (See the scene where Cholly forces Scotty to get drunk in the house).

Ultimately, this film really has a lot more in common with the type of films Jack Hill directed during the late 60s, though it was clearly done with a much smaller budget and with Altman essentially experimenting with too many ideas at the same time. It is a decent time capsule but not quite the ignored minor classic some critics have argued it is.

The Delinquents Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Robert Altman's The Delinquents arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

I do not have any specific technical information to share in our review, but I am convinced that this upcoming release is sourced from a recent remaster. Indeed, excluding a few minor fluctuations during quick transitions density remains very good throughout the entire film. Fluidity also has the type of consistency that newer and properly done remasters ensure. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. Rather predictably, grain is visible throughout the entire film, though I have to say that it does appear slightly overexposed. (This leads me to be believe that an interpositive might have been accessed when the remastered was prepared). Contrast levels appear slightly elevated but the overall balance is still very good. There are no stability issues to report. Finally, there are no distracting large cuts, debris, damage marks, stains, or other serious age-related imperfections. (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 Delinquents 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.

The audio is stable and free of distracting age-related imperfections. Clarity is good, but depth does fluctuate a bit. However, the film is shot as a quasi-documentary feature and a lot of the mass scenes actually have that familiar raw organic ambience. In other words, the minor fluctuations that you are likely to notice as well as the fairly modest dynamic activity are indeed inherited.

The Delinquents Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original U.S. trailer for The Delinquents. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

The Delinquents Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Altman's directorial debut, The Delinquents, is a low-budget experimental film that is probably most effective as a time capsule. It has its moments, especially towards the end, but it is definitely not a diamond in the rough. This upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from a solid and very healthy remaster and I think that it will be the definitive presentation of the film on the home video market. RECOMMENDED.