7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A prisoner serving a life sentence for murder begins distance running to pass the time. This leads to an opportunity to train to be eligible to compete at the Olympic trials.
Starring: Peter Strauss, Richard Lawson, Roger E. Mosley, Brian Dennehy, Geoffrey LewisSport | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Michael Mann we know today is a beloved craftsman of sleek, violent tales of masculinity and world disorder. His reputation is monolithic, amassing a passionate fanbase that’s been willing to forgive his recent career missteps. It’s hard to image a helming legacy that’s grown into event movie status started off so small, but 1979’s “The Jericho Mile” is the first feature-length endeavor from Mann, who made his debut with a modest but potent television movie that was created for ABC, but often plays like something prepared for PBS. Early obsessions with imprisonment and boiling points are present here, but Mann is working on a much smaller scale, confined to a single prison location, challenging him to get into the heads of his characters, using such intensity of thought to propel the effort, keeping a film about running as claustrophobic as possible for network television.
The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation essentially deals with a single location, and there's a good level of clarity to help appreciate the finer points of the prison setting. Detail is capable throughout, working with a large assortment of grizzled faces, keeping creases and facial hair open for extended study. The concrete environment also retains textures, with Mann periodically focusing on architecture and decoration. Colors are slightly muted, with flatter stretches, but mostly retain some vibrancy, emphasizing prison blues and grays, while red is also a dominant hue throughout the viewing experience. Skintones run a little hot, even purple-ish, at times, but remain in the realm of normal. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in good shape, with a few single-frame chemical blotches and speckling.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a straightforward assembly of dramatics, highlighting numerous performances that often rely on vocal quirk to be noticed. Dialogue exchanges are secure, delivering measured emotional surges without triggering distortion. Prison atmospherics add to the mood, offering industrial sounds and exercise yard commotion. Musical efforts maintain appealing instrumentation, with crisp percussion taps.
"The Jericho Mile" has a wonderful lived-in sense of place, with prisoner lingo flying fast and strange corners of the property visited, creating a foundation of reality for the drama, which is also examined with care. Mann keeps up the pace with numerous challenges for Larry to navigate, and he pulls fine performances out Strauss (who appears to relish the chance to bury himself under long hair and burning resentment), Mosley, and Lewis, who adds some gravity to intimate scenes between Dr. Bill and Larry. Mann also employs a sound-alike version of the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" to help keep the beat of the effort alive, using an instrumental version to power the race sequences, while adding in dabs of synth that will later become mother's milk to the helmer. "The Jericho Mile" is a satisfying debut for Mann and a compelling feature, though one that's slightly better soaking up atmosphere than delivering finely sharpened drama, with the director showcasing an early love for screen details when it comes to the mistakes hardened men make when pressed up against the wall.
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