The Fugitive Kind Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Fugitive Kind Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 10, 2020

Sidney Lumet's "The Fugitive Kind" (1960) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival interview with Lumet; archival documentary featuring scholars Robert Bray and R. Barton Palmer; and archival television presentation of one-act plays directed by Lumet. The release also arrives with a 20-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Thomson and technical credits. Region-A "locked".

The wanted man

Do opposites attract? Absolutely. There are countless examples that one can pull out of real life that prove so. But what happens if there are a few that are engaged in the same process at the same time? Does the attraction between them have the same dynamic, or is it actually a byproduct of something entirely different?

Sidney Lumet’s film The Fugitive Kind is based on a very interesting play by Tennessee Williams that explores this exact scenario -- having multiple opposites that are gravitating toward each other -- and what the nature of such a compound attraction might be. This is one way to quickly summarize it. The other, which is the much more simplistic and perhaps even discriminating one, is to say that it is only about a group of adults with dreadful misconceptions about love.

Bad weather forces the handsome drifter Snakeskin (Marlon Brandon) to seek shelter in a small southern town without secrets. When the storm dies down, Snakeskin decides to stay there and start a new life. Lady Torrance (Anna Magnani), who is running a small shop and taking care of her ill husband, reluctantly gives him a job, but then warns him that she already has enough drama in her life and If he turns out to be a burden, she would let him go on the spot.

The grateful Snakeskin vows not to disappoint Lady, but the beautiful alcoholic Carol Cutrere (Joan Woodward) immediately goes to work to prove him wrong. The public posturing and flirting that come after that then begin to erode Snakeskin’s relationship with Lady, but in the process also reveal that she would not be opposed to an intimate relationship with him. The frustrated Vee Talbot (Maureen Stapleton) also finds Snakeskin’s presence in the sleepy town inspirational, which eventually gives her husband, Sheriff Talbot (R.G. Armstrong), who also happens to be a good friend of Lady’s ill husband, the legit reason he has been looking for to teach the newcomer a good old-fashioned lesson in southern hospitality.

Lumet’s cinematic adaptation of Williams’ play incorporates quite a bit of new material that alters the dynamics of certain relationships, and the melodrama also has a fresh new flavor, but it is still quite interesting. Ironically, it is not so much the ‘improved’ progression of the relationships that makes the film interesting, but the fact that its main characters are played by a few big stars that are clearly incompatible. (The chemistry between Magnani and Brando, for instance, is unquestionably problematic, and both have to do a lot to make their romance appear legit). So, the film’s exploration of the complex scenario that the narrative introduces actually unfolds on two different levels -- within the narrative where the original characters engage, and within the group of actors that are tasked to play them.

This unplanned overlapping could truly make one wonder how much of the attraction that emerges between multiple opposites is authentic, and how much of it is in fact reactive. In the film love has a key role in the bonds that link Snakeskin to Lady and Carol, but then gradually it begins to look like the attraction that is behind it is simply a reaction to a wide variety of issues and personalities the two women wish to reject, with Snakeskin simply functioning as its catalyst. So, much like the actors carefully do their parts to sell their characters, the characters in the film carefully do their parts to sell emotions to each other that are rarely, if ever, authentic. It is not as complicated as it appears. Opposites do attract, but perhaps the entire process where two or more sides come together is severely misunderstood and therefore quite often, like in this film, destined to produce tragic events.

The film has a modest yet very stylish rustic period look that feels very much in sync with the poetic qualities that define Williams’ work. It was lensed by Oscar winner Boris Kaufman (On the Waterfront, L'Atalante).

The Fugitive Kind Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Fugitive Kind arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

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

"Approved by director Sidney Lumet, this high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit DataCine from a 35mm fine-grain master positive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI Film's DRS. Them monaural soundtrack was remastered from the optical track of the 35mm fine grain using Avid's Pro Tools and iZotope RX.

Transfer supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern VideoFilm, Los Angeles."

I like how the film looks in high-definition, though it is a bit softish at times and in some of the darker areas nuances are not as well defined as they should be. Density levels are very good and stable, so if you view your films on a larger screen or project I am quite confident that you will pleased with their consistency. (Obviously, the bigger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to recognize the marginal softness that masters struck from interpositives/positives inherit). The grading job is solid. The blacks are stable and there are good ranges of grays and whites. There are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or other conventional 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 Fugitive Kind 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.

Early into the film, during the court session, I noticed a bit of extremely light background hiss, but it could be an inherited effect of some sort that was created by the recording equipment. I can't quite tell. The rest of the film has solid audio. The dialog is very clear and easy to follow and there are no balance issues.

The Fugitive Kind Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Sidney Lumet - in this archival interview, director Sidney Lumet discusses some of the qualities, themes, and characters that define Tennessee Williams work as well as the cinematic adaptation of The Fugitive Kind. There are also some very interesting comments about the giant fee that Marlon Brandon was paid and some of the expectations that various people had once production started. The interview was conducted for Criterion in 2009. In English, not subtitled. (28 min, 1080i).

• Hollywood's Tennessee and "The Fugitive Kind" - in this archival program, scholar Robert Bray and film historian R. Barton Palmer, co-writers of the book Hollywood's Tennessee, discuss the various cinematic adaptation of Tennessee Williams' plays that Hollywood produced during the 1950s and early '60s, as well as the production of The Fugitive Kind. In English, not subtitled. (28 min, 1080i).

• Three Plays by Tennessee Williams - in 1958, Sidney Lumet directed three one-act plays by Tennessee Williams -- Moony's Kid Don't Cry, The Last of My Solid Gold Watches, and This Property Is Condemned -- for an evening of the Kraft Television Theatre series. That hour-long program, featuring performances by Ben Gazzara, Lee Grant, Thomas Chalmers, and Gene Saks and an introduction by Williams, is presented here. In English, not subtitled. (55 min, 1080i).
  
  1. Tennessee Williams
  2. Moony's Kid Don't Cry
  3. The Last of My Solid Gold Watches
  4. This Property Is Condemned
  5. Presented by Kraft
  
  

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet David Thomson's essay "When Sidney Went to Tennessee" and technical credits.

The Fugitive Kind Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Many people have written over the years that Anna Magnani's presence in this film simply does not feel right. I only partially agree. Yes, she was not the right actress to face Marlon Brando, and once they meet before the camera it is quite easy to see that the chemistry between the two is problematic. However, I find their struggle to make their characters and emotions appear authentic incredibly similar to the one that produces all the drama, which then makes the complete film and its themes a lot more interesting to deconstruct and analyze. So, yes, The Fugitive Kind is a flawed film, but it has the unintended ability to engage the mind in some quite intriguing ways. Criterion's upcoming release is sourced from an older but very good master. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.