The Fisher King Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Fisher King Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 31, 2015

Winner of Oscar Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Terry Gilliam's "The Fisher King" (1991) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; deleted scenes with optional commentary by the American director; two new documentaries; new video interview with Jeff Bridges; archival interview with Robin Williams; and a lot more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet/poster featuring Bilge Ebiri's essay "In the Kingdom of the Imperfect". In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Jack

When one of his regular listeners goes on a killing spree, popular shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart) quits his job and becomes a walking shadow on the outskirts of New York City. It is there that Jack meets Parry (Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting), an ex-academic who has lost his wife and suffered a serious nervous breakdown that has effectively detached him from the real world. Perry tells Jack that he is on a mission to find the Holy Grail.

The two men eventually decide to enter the lavish home of a Manhattan billionaire, where apparently the Holy Grail is hidden. Before they do, however, Parry shows Jack a lonely geeky girl (Amanda Plummer, My Life Without Me) who has stolen his heart without knowing that he exists. Convinced that the girl can help Parry recover, Jack encourages his new friend to gather the courage to ask her out. He also introduces him to his girlfriend (Mercedes Ruehl, Married to the Mob), a jaded video store owner and a former serial dater who know exactly what lonely women want.

Richard LaGravenese’s smart script gives the film two completely different identities. The first makes it easy to see it as a hilarious adventure tale about two people who embark on a journey through a mysterious city of extreme contrasts. This is classic Terry Gilliam territory -- a place where fantasy and reality constantly overlap and the extraordinary becomes ordinary. (It may look like New York City, but it isn’t the same gritty place Martin Scorsese’s films have visited over the years).

The second identity is that of a witty drama about grown-ups whose lives have been filled with bitter disappointments. The film, however, isn’t particularly interested in the specific events that have triggered these disappointments. They provide only a point of departure which is effectively used to deliver a series of excellent observations about true love and happiness.

How much one enjoys The Fisher King will likely be determined by one’s willingness to accept the fact that Gilliam does not favor one of the two identities. What this means is that the film is allowed to evolve without any fear of how the silly and the serious or the sad and the funny would coexist. They just do and Gilliam does not attempt to logically explain why.

In this borderline surreal environment, the actors do the best they can with the characters they are asked to play. In some sequences, they delight, but elsewhere they struggle with lines and attitudes that feel foreign to them. (The late Roger Ebert described the double-date sequence as “embarrassing”, and rightfully so).

The visuals, however, are absolutely striking. Gilliam and cinematographer Roger Pratt repeatedly transform New York City from a modern metropolis into a Gothic kingdom in which knights and yellow cabs look perfectly normal. One could even be fooled to believe that there are a few castles hidden amongst the giant skyscrapers.

George Fenton’s lush orchestral score effectively enhances the film’s unique atmosphere. Some of the most memorable sequences also feature classic tracks by Harry Nilsson (“How About You?”), Ray Charles (“Hit The Road Jack”), and John Coltrane (“I Wish I Knew”).

The Fisher King Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"Approved by director Terry Gilliam, this new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a Spirit DataCine film scanner from a 35mm interpositive. The 5.1 soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the original 35mm 6-track magnetic tracks.

Transfer supervisors: Grover Crisp, Rita Belda.
Colorist: Mike Underwood/Technicolor, Los Angeles."

The basic characteristics of the high-definition transfer are extremely similar to those of the high-definition transfer Image Entertainment used for their Blu-ray release in 2011, but this should not be surprising as their release was also sourced from a master prepped by Sony Pictures. The few notable discrepancies appear during darker footage -- where light is restricted and a few of the nighttime outdoor scenes -- where sharpness is marginally better on the Criterion release. Elsewhere it is difficult to see any sizable discrepancies as contrast, depth, and fluidity are virtually identical (compare screencapture #18 and screencapture #25 from our review of the first release). Detail and clarity are excellent throughout the entire film. Grain is evenly distributed and always visible. There are absolutely no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Image stability is excellent and there are no transition issues. Finally, there are no torn frames, large cuts, debris, or stains. To sum it all up, this is an excellent organic presentation of The Fisher King that makes it easy to appreciate the unique vision of its creator. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

The Fisher King Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles have been provided for the main feature.

Depth and clarity are excellent throughout the entire film. When the red knight appears separation is also impressive, making it very easy to identify specific sounds and noises. I also liked the dynamic intensity, though you should not expect the type of activity modern blockbusters deliver. George Fenton's score easily breathes and there are no balance issues to report. The dialog is very clean, stable, and easy to follow. Finally, there are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in this review.

The Fisher King Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - original trailers for The Fisher King. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).
  
  1. Domestic Trailer 1
  2. Domestic Trailer 2
  3. Domestic Trailer 3
  4. International Trailer 1
  5. International Trailer 2
  

• Deleted Scenes - presented here is a gallery of deleted scenes which were selected by director Terry Gilliam and transferred from a work print. Each scene includes surrounding footage from the finished film to indicate its original content. Optional audio commentaries (for each scene) by Terry Gilliam are included as well. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Jack and Sondra's Love Life. (2 min, 1080p).
  2. Lydia Dances (silent). (2 min, 1080p).
  3. Jack Locates Lydia. (2 min, 1080p).
  4. Beth, Jack's New Girl. (3 min, 1080p).
  5. Jack Revisits Parry's Friends. (2 min, 1080p).
  6. Jack Hallucinates. (2 min, 1080p).

• The Tale of "The Fisher King" - presented here are two new short documentaries that focus on the production history of The Fisher King (as well as the initial casting ideas and suggestions), its visual style/design, and key themes. Included in them are interviews with Terry Gilliam, producer Lynda Obst, Mercedes Ruehl (Anne), Jeff Bridges (Jack), Amanda Plummer (Lydia), and screenwriter Richard LaGravenese, amongst others. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. The Fool and the Wounded King (30 min, 1080p).
  2. The Real and the Fantastical (31 min, 1080p).

• The Tale of The Red Knight - in this new video piece, artists Keith Greco and Vincent Jefferds recall how The Red Knight came to exist and discuss some of the big technical dilemmas they faced while working on it. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Jeff's Tale - during the shooting of The Fisher King, Jeff Bridges took various photographs with his Widelux camera. In this new video piece, the actor shows and discusses some of his photographs. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Jeff and Jack - in this new video piece, Jeff Bridges recalls his work with acting coach Stephen Bridgewater, who taught him how to be a shock jock. Included in it is archival footage from the improvisation sessions in Jack Lucas' studio. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080i).

• Robin's Tale - in this archival video interview, the late Robin Williams discusses his initial impressions of the script for The Fisher King, Terry Gilliam's working methods, the shooting of various scenes across New York City, Jeff Bridges' sex appeal, etc. The interview was conducted in 2006. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080i).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, director Terry Gilliam explains in great detail how various parts of The Fisher King were shot, and discusses New York City's presence and role in the film, the delicate balance between comedy and drama, the main characters and their dilemmas, the framing of select sequences, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 1991.

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet/poster featuring Bilge Ebiri's essay "In the Kingdom of the Imperfect". (The author reviews and writes about film for New York magazine. His work can also be found in Rolling Stone, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Nashville Scene, and elsewhere).

The Fisher King Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I think that fans of Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King will be delighted with Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release as the film looks lovely in high-definition and there are some outstanding new supplemental features with various cast and crew members. There is a lot of especially good new material with Jeff Bridges, who recalls his work with the late Robin Williams and discusses the film's fascinating production history. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.