Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Front Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 14, 2017

Martin Ritt's "The Front" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival interview with cinematographer Michael Chapman; promotional material for the film; and more. The release also arrives with a 36-page illustrated booklet featuring writings on the film, archival interviews, and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The accidental genius

Here’s yet another film that remains quite relevant today, but in a way director Martin Ritt most likely would have never imagined possible. It is too bad that he is no longer with us because it would have been fascinating to hear his thoughts on the current winds that are blowing through Hollywood.

The film is set during the 1950s in New York City where Woody Allen plays a restaurant cashier named Howard Prince who has turned his life into a huge mess while working as a part-time bookie. Now he has also ran out of cash, and knowing that it was only a matter of time before he does, a lot of his customers have started asking that he finally pays what he owes them.

The schmuck is unexpectedly pulled out of his self-inflicted misery when his high-school friend Alfred Miller (Michael Murphy), a talented but blacklisted writer, offers him an unusual deal: If Howard agrees to be a front for him and a couple of other banished writers and promotes their work, he would get a nice chunk of their earnings. Desperately needing money to pay off his debts, Howard enthusiastically accepts the deal and the writers begin handing him their scripts. Soon after, Howard’s work catches the eye of TV producer Phil Sussman (Herschel Bernardi) and during an impromptu meeting he assures him that he is about to have a spectacular career in the business. And this is precisely what happens -- Howard’s career quickly takes off and he begins cashing some big fat checks that impress even the typically indifferent clerk at his local bank. The former loser even meets the perfect girl, a very liberal editor named Florence Barrett (Andrea Marcovicci) who is convinced that he is a genius that will leave a lasting imprint on the industry, and the two begin dating. But Howard's idyllic new world slowly begins to crumble when actor Hecky Brown (Zero Mostel), who has become a target because of his past leftist activities, agrees to begin spying on him for some political hacks following direct orders from the loonies at the very top of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

The film attempts to shed light on the dangerous socio-political vacuum that McCarthyism created during the late 1940s and early 1950s and how many people’s lives were essentially destroyed while being trapped in it. Amongst the top talent that made it there were actually a number of real targets, including director Ritt, writer Walter Bernstein, and actor Zero Mostel. (The disillusioned character Mostel plays is based on a real-life character whose life also ended in a similarly tragic fashion).

The blending of comedy and drama, however, is largely ineffective. The bookie’s antics really do not jibe with the film’s desire to expose and condemn the dangerous politics that have legitimized the witch hunt that is underway and the whole thing ends up looking like a mediocre parody. On top of this there is a rather elaborate romantic subplot that further muddies the waters, and in the process adds a large dose of sugary sentimentality to the narrative that feels very inappropriate. (It is probably safe to speculate that this was one of many reasons why during the pre-production process Allen reportedly had major reservations about contributing to the film).

The main message of the film feels relevant again because more than forty years after its release Hollywood is once more stuck in a similar vacuum where artists are being blacklisted, only this time around the purge is initiated from within the film industry and the targets are people with political beliefs that its elitist leaders are not willing to tolerate.

The Front 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, Martin Ritt's The Front arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from a 4K master that was prepared by Sony Pictures in the United States. Aside from a few areas where I feel that the color grading could have been a bit better so that depth is even more convincing -- as it appears that some light crushing sneaks in -- the rest of the film looks lovely in high-definition. I should mention that some minor density fluctuations exist during the indoor footage, but it clear that they are inherited as it is primarily the manner in which light is captured by the camera that is responsible for them. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Image stability is outstanding. Lastly, there are no distracting damage marks, debris, cuts, stains, or other traditional age-related imperfections to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

The Front Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film has a stylish score by jazz legend Dave Grusin, but its original sound design is fairly modest. Indeed, there are only a couple of segments where the music does make its presence felt; the long exchanges between the various characters are a lot more important for the type of atmosphere that Ritt desired for the film. There are no pops, distracting background hiss, cracks, or other age-related or digital imperfections.

The Front Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original restored trailer for The Front. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Image Gallery - a large collection of promotional materials for The Front.

• Behind the Front - in this archival video piece, cinematographer Michael Chapman discusses his involvement The Front and specifically his decision to lit the film as a 1950s television show. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Isolated Score - presented as an LPCM 2.0. track.

• Audio Commentary - this audio commentary features actress Andrea Marcovicci (Florence Barrett), Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman. The same audio commentary was also included on Twilight Time's North American Blu-ray release of The Front.

• Booklet - 36-page illustrated booklet featuring professor Gabriel Miller's essay "The Front", extracts from an archival interview with dierctor Martin Ritt conducted by Pat McGilligan in 1986, an extract from an interview with writer Walter Bernstein conducted in 1987, an archival interview with Woody Allen, and technical credits.

The Front Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The creators of The Front clearly aimed to blend comedy and drama in a way that many years after its theatrical release Roberto Benigni did in his award-winning film Life Is Beautiful. There are a few segments where its stars shine bright, but I don't find the end result as effective as it could have been. On the other hand, I must say that the message of the film feels relevant again because Hollywood is once more stuck in a dangerous vacuum where artists are being blacklisted, only this time around the purge is initiated from within the film industry and the targets are people with political beliefs that its elitist leaders are not willing to tolerate. The Blu-ray release comes from British label Indicator/Powerhouse Films and is sourced from a very solid 4K master that was prepared by Sony Pictures in the United States. RENT IT.