Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The Falcon and the Snowman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 3, 2015

1985’s “The Falcon and the Snowman” is a tale of spying, but approached on an intensely personal level. The subjects are two young men who, for various reasons, decided to carry out a plan to sell American secrets to the Soviet Union during the mid-1970s, entering a dangerous game of espionage without fully understanding the true price of such a crime. Directed by John Schlesinger and scripted by Steven Zaillian, the effort struggles to wrap its arms around the enormity of the situation, preferring to cherry pick offenses as it details character breakdowns in the face of increasing danger and paranoia. It’s strongly acted work, spotlighting the quicksand sensation of poor decisions, but it’s often difficult to follow the bigger picture, as the feature often abandons supporting characters and urgent motivations to hold close to recognizable elements of the spy game. It’s not a failure, but “The Falcon and the Snowman” feels unfinished, with liberal editing or dramatic indifference working to shave down a story that demands a wider scope of consideration, allowing a full understanding of choice.

After leaving his seminary education, Christopher Boyce (Timothy Hutton) is left with no direction, clinging to his love of falconry to provide some direction to his wayward, yet privileged, life. After his father (Pat Hingle) calls in a few favors, Christopher is offered a civilian defense contractor job, finding his way to the “Black Vault,” an office shared with Gene (Dorian Harewood) and Laurie (Mady Kaplan) that manages secure communications between secretive U.S. Government operations around the globe. Growing to understand that his country is engaging in troublesome actions that go beyond the requirement of national security, Christopher engineers a plan to steal secret codes and sell them to the Soviet Union. Requiring a middle man, Christopher recruits old friend Daulton Lee (Sean Penn), another rich kid who doesn’t have his act together, attempting to become a powerful drug dealer. Triggering the interest of the Russian Embassy in Mexico, meeting with a representative, Alex (David Suchet), Christopher and Daulton commence a fragmented system of negotiation and delivery of information, testing their resolve as complications arrive and motivations grow clouded.

What keeps “The Falcon and the Snowman” compelling is its opening act, which crisply sets up Christopher’s journey from sensitive young man to itchy spy. Living in the shadow of President Nixon’s downfall and his own father’s defiant patriotism, Zaillian (in his first produced screenplay, adapting a 1979 book by Robert Lindsay) gives Christopher an askew sense of world balance, with his introduction to secretive communications opening his eyes to underhanded American business around the world. There’s corrosion within the character that’s understood, easing the launch of the spy business as a mission of retribution, not just financial reward. Zaillian also colors the Black Vault experience with a healthy sense of humor, showcasing the tiny corner of government as a party zone where drinks are miraculously mixed with a paper shredder, dance parties frequently break out, and post-shift activities include drunken confrontations at strip clubs. With these people in charge of protecting American interests, Chris’s ability to swoop in and mastermind collection of information is completely believable, establishing a Pandora’s Box situation that challenges the young man’s moral core.

Daulton is shaded with equal care, establishing an unhinged coke dealer who’s lived a life of mistakes and family shame, building his self-esteem through financial gain. He’s squirrely but understands the art of smuggling, making him a valuable asset to his longtime friend. The majority of the movie concerns Daulton’s dealings with Alex and his suspicious comrades, working out the particulars of information exchanges while the American threatens Christopher’s anonymity, losing focus on the crime at hand to a burgeoning heroin addiction, which sends his paranoia levels into the red. Daulton is the wild card, a feral creature out to protect his own interests while pledging loyalty to his pal. This erosion of trust plays an important part in the story, with drama emerging from a lack of honest communication and Daulton’s recklessness, casually sharing the spy game with women and friends to boost his desirability, driving Christopher to consider dumping his partner once he begins to feel the heat.

Less successful is an articulation of relationships, finding Christopher and Daulton’s history of companionship solidified at the end of the movie in flashbacks, not at the beginning. Instead, Schlesinger delivers fragments of this toxic bond through acts of parental disapproval, keeping a secure understanding of the pairing at a frustrating distance. Love lives also seem trimmed down to the basics, finding Christopher’s romance with Lana (Lori Singer) devoid of meaning, only positioned to give the character an outlet beyond spying. Lana is just ornamentation, along with Christopher’s family, who should play a more critical part in the crumbling of his life. The film only provides pieces of his father’s influence, while Daulton’s parents are regulated to one-note exasperated types who can’t communicate with their careless son. “The Falcon and the Snowman” feels like a larger feature trimmed down to a more commercial length, with significant sections of backstory and personal business likely removed to concentrate on the routine of espionage, with its feverish file searching and micro-camera usage.

Perhaps most damaging to the effort is the removal of Christopher’s Catholic guilt, or at least his training, which is positioned early on as a major component to his character. It’s scrapped completely by the end, watching the production avoid religion as a reason for Christopher’s eventual breakdown, leaning more toward political motivations (likened to an admiration of predatory behavior) instead of personal ones. There’s a strange gap when it comes to addressing his moment in the seminary, causally brushed off as a shallow experience of growth instead of a crucial building block to his personality.

The Falcon and the Snowman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Age is visible in the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. With some baked-in filtering smoothing out the viewing experience, filmic texture isn't quite where it should be, missing the comfort of grain, replaced here with an ever so slight video-esque appearance. Colors are missing snap, but offered some life through visits to Mexico and nightclubs, while skintones remain true. Blacks are prone to crush, losing depth in low-lit scenes, while contrast finds occasional challenges. Print isn't perfect, with speckling and scratches, but nothing provides a severe distraction. Some banding is detected.

The Falcon and the Snowman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't offer much in the way of extremes to the viewer, keeping to a humble routine of dialogue exchanges, finding argumentative behavior tastefully managed. A few muffled spots during the listening experience are detected, but it's difficult to tell if this is inherent to the original track. Scoring is supportive but rarely influential. Mexican atmospherics are available, along with sweetened sound effects for typewriter activity.

The Falcon and the Snowman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:04, SD) is included.

The Falcon and the Snowman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Acting is strong throughout "The Falcon and the Snowman," with Hutton assigned subtlety and intense introspection while Penn is permitted a wilder interpretation of a weasel working all the angles. The pairing makes sense, creating required tension between Daulton and Christopher as their arrangement sours in the face of confrontation. Schlesinger has commendable control of gradual panic, and the picture does feature fine moments of horror as both players are challenged by their own scheme of duplicity. At 130 minutes in length, "The Falcon and the Snowman" should feel like a full meal, yet it's missing vital information and gravity. While acting and the general outrageousness of the tale holds it together, there's an empty feeling to the film that never goes away. The spy show is fascinating, but more details about these men are necessary when it comes to an understanding of such drastic behavior.