Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Jericho Mile Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 7, 2018

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.

Larry (Peter Strauss) is serving a life sentence in Folsom Prison for murder -- a crime he freely admits to committing, prepared to serve out his time by attracting as little outside attention as possible. He focuses on running, circling around a makeshift track in the exercise yard, keeping to himself as he travels at impressive speeds, catching the attention of Dr. Bill (Geoffrey Lewis) and Warden Earl (Billy Green Bush). Sensing something special about Larry’s endurance, prison officials bring in Coach Jerry (Ed Lauter) to help educate the inmate on the finer points of long- distance running, with plans to test his abilities against the pros, teasing a possible future in the Olympics if Larry decides to play along with the training peacefully. Larry is interested in the possibility of running his way out of Folsom, but his reputation needs work with officials, while his only friend, Stiles (Richard Lawson), is eager to hold his newborn daughter, getting caught up in prison gang business run by Dr. D (Brian Dennehy) and Cotton Crown (Roger E. Mosley) to win his shot at a family reunion.

What’s immediately striking about “The Jericho Mile” is its use of the actual Folsom Prison as the setting for Larry’s story. Mann seems to be amazed he’s been permitted access to the site for the shoot, making sure that most areas on display in the film are covered in full, taking the most time with the prison exercise yard, which is home to various gangs and inmate activity that Larry attempts to block out during his makeshift mile runs. Mann doesn’t make a stylish feature, but it remains a potent look at the community, studying its inhabitants and especially its art, with a large mural returned to on multiple occasions, displaying creative life that remains in the midst of confinement. Mann doesn’t go verite with “The Jericho Mile,” but he maintains commitment to the racial divide that’s given birth to gangs, along with casual interactions between prisoners, highlighted via the creation and distribution of a newspaper delighting the felons, while Larry permits Stiles into his life, creating a friendship in the midst of antagonisms.

Scripted by Mann and Patrick J. Nolan, “The Jericho Mile” gives off the impression it’s going to be another underdog story, tracking Larry’s emergence as a man of pure speed, making him valuable to a prison looking for some positive publicity, and to the sport itself, with Coach Jerry recognizing an amazing thing in the inmate’s skill, finally providing leadership to a runner who will actually do something with it. There’s plenty of race and training sequences, but the majority of “The Jericho Mile” is a character study, watching Larry’s resolve to maintain isolation worn down by the deadliest weapon in prison: hope. He’s a lifer with rage issues, perfectly willing to accept the punishment for a crime he doesn’t regret committing (we learn about the offense late in the tale), with running long distances creating a world within the prison, permitting him comfort with his future behind concrete walls.

Hope also comes for Stiles, a decidedly weaker man who resides next to Larry, newly frustrated with the remaining 90 days on the sentence after the birth of his daughter. Stiles is ready to leave Folsom by any means necessary, with his eagerness to reach out and hold his child clouding his judgement, making him a potential puppet for white supremacist/drug dealer Dr. D, who orders up a scam to capitalize on the new father’s enthusiasm. “The Jericho Mile” is gritty stuff, especially for ABC, but Stiles and his subplot of delusion comes across as the most T.V. movie-esque angle of the screenplay, with a few melodramatic detours to motivate Larry into position, while Dennehy is painfully miscast as a sassy manipulator, trying out character tics to transform into an ill-fitting part. Mann gets past the stickiness in a hurry, returning focus to Larry and his pained submission to the training process, which offers him release, but the price for such optimism is exploitation, with prison officials trying to downplay his thinly veiled behavioral issues as Olympic glory is envisioned.

The Jericho Mile Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Jericho Mile Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Lee Gambin.

• And a Trailer (:26, HD) is included, but contains no sound.

The Jericho Mile Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"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.