Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Last Sunset Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 31, 2021

Robert Aldrich's "The Last Sunset" (1961) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Nick Pinkerton and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

In Mexico, Bren O’Malley (Kirk Douglas) is a free man, but up North he is wanted for murder. It is why Sheriff Dana Stribling (Rock Hudson) has crossed the border and started tracking down O’Malley - he intends to arrest the fugitive and then lock him up until he is tried in court, or put a bullet in his head.

The two men meet at a secluded ranch whose owner, John Breckenridge (Joseph Cotton), plans a cattle drive to Texas and is looking to hire a few experienced cowboys to assist him along the way. Neither Stribling nor Breckenridge realize that O’Malley has arrived in the area because he has discovered that his old flame, Belle (Dorothy Malone), has married and now lives there with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Missy (Carol Lynley). O’Malley still loves her, which is why he is going ask her to leave Breckenridge and start a new live with him.

Despite Stribling revealing before everyone that he has a warrant for O’Malley’s arrest, Breckenridge asks the latter and then the former if they would like to go North with him and get paid. Much to his surprise they agree to be part of the cattle drive, but O’Malley demands that he gets one fifth of the herd, and after his wish is granted asks Breckenridge to bring his wife alone. Stribling concludes that getting paid to go home with the fugitive is just a one hell of a deal.

But along the way Stribling begins to fall in love with Belle, while Missy suddenly realizes that she is attracted to O’Malley. Then the family permanently falls apart when at a popular saloon Breckenridge annoys the wrong guy and gets a bullet in his heart. A decision is made to finish the journey to Texas, but new problems slow down the travelers and repeatedly force them to change their plan.

Directed by Robert Aldrich, The Last Sunset is one of those old-fashioned westerns whose understanding of the human condition is actually vastly superior than that of many contemporary films. The simplicity of this understanding is just as impressive as well because there is a lot in its story that not only could have been seriously mishandled, but turned out quite problematic.

At the center of the film are two conflicts. Behind the first is personal drama that has turned O’Malley and Stribling into mortal enemies that are bound to clash in a deadly duel. Instead of simply pushing them down the path that would lead them to the duel, however, the film offers the two men a range of opportunities to change their minds and avoid it. In the lawless West, a man like O’Malley should not have trouble picking the right opportunity to get rid of an opponent like Stribling, but he sticks around and instead heads up North. Why does he do it? Because even the cynic in him concedes that the easy way out is unacceptable. (Right and wrong have a lot to do with his decision, but you won’t guess the exact reason until O’Malley’s mind is already made up). Behind the second conflict is the struggle to move on while it seems like life is repeatedly trying to bring you down. At different points in the film each of the four characters comes to the realization that moving forward would mean sacrificing something, or someone, special. It is often the harsh reality of life -- you must be willing to give up a lot in order to get what you are after.

The characterizations were obviously crafted to impress an audience from a particular era, but they reveal depth and maturity that would work perfectly in a contemporary western. The other key quality of the production is Aldrich’s ability to control the glamor that might have been trying to break free. Indeed, the star power in this film is tremendous and yet it never looks like the camera is working hard to make the best of it. There isn’t a shortage of breathtaking visuals from old rural Mexico either, but they never shift the focus away from the drama.

The Last Sunset 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, The Last Sunset arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

I was very, very impressed with the technical presentation. The release is sourced from a wonderful exclusive new 2K master that handles the unique qualities of the film's original cinematography really well, which isn't at all easy because there are all kinds of different native fluctuations. To be honest, folks, I think that aside from density improvements the current visuals look as good as they should. Delineation and depth for instance range from very good to excellent, though I must warn that there are quite a few areas with naturally softer material. Clarity is very pleasing too, but you will see the typical unevenness that pops up before or after transitions in these kinds of films. Color balance is outstanding. On my system the primaries and supporting nuances looked simply beautiful and as a result some of the outdoor footage was just flat-out gorgeous. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Image stability is very good. I noticed a few very small blemishes and a couple of white specks, but there are no large distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. (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 Last Sunset Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. The dialog is very clear, stable, and easy to follow. Balance is good too. There is mass footage and some action sequences with good dynamic intensity, but as always you need to keep in mind that the film has its production limitations. Is theer any room for improvement? I don't think so. While some cosmetic adjustments are possible, I think that the current lossless track is rock-solid.

The Last Sunset Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - a predictably solid exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critic Nick Pinkerton. If you have listened to any of Mr. Pinkerton's previous commentaries on Kino Lorber releases -- and there are quite a few of them so chances are you have -- then you should know what to expect from this commentary. He shares plenty of interesting information about the production of The Last Sunset, the careers of Robert Aldrich and its stars, the key conflicts in the film, its visual style, etc.

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

The Last Sunset Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

With a different director behind the camera The Last Sunset almost certainly would have turned out a conventional western about the harsh realities of life in the Old West as perceived at the time of its production. To be clear, The Last Sunset is an old-fashioned western, but its understanding of the human condition is actually vastly superior than that of many contemporary films. The big stars are outstanding, but while beautiful this isn't a glamorous western that takes advantage of them. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a very impressive exclusive new 2K master and features a predictably good commentary by critic Nick Pinkerton. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.