8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Josey Wales is a peaceful farmer and devoted family man, until renegade soldiers murder his family and destroy his farm. Fueled by hatred and branded an outlaw, he becomes dedicated to seeking vengeance on the people who took everything he had.
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, John Vernon (I)Western | 100% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono
Italian: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Japanese: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Japanese, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The Outlaw Josey Wales doesn't waste any time and neither will I. Before director Clint Eastwood's eponymous Missouri farmer even says a dozen words, his family's brutal fate is sealed, his tale of woe is laid bare before us, and his thirst for revenge is instantly, irreversibly insatiable. Taking up his pistol, he fires at a fence post again and again and again and again and again; firing without end. He isn't a crack shot... yet. But as each bullet inches closer and closer to its intended target, unfettered rage permanently scars Josey's sunburnt brow, hate marries his hand to his gun and a genteel farmer and dutiful father is reborn as a gunslinger hellbent on avenging the deaths of his wife and son. Suddenly, years pass within minutes, and we're soon introduced to a hardened, battle-weary Josey Wales as the Civil War draws to a close. Given the opportunity to surrender, Josey chooses to fight to the bitter end; a decision that puts him in the sights of the ruthless Union Jayhawkers who spilled his family's blood so long ago. Were Eastwood any other director, the film might well be into its second hour. But all of that happens within the first ten minutes of The Outlaw Josey Wales, a sharply penned, earnestly directed classic that ranks among Eastwood's best.
"Dyin' ain't much of a living, boy."
Yes, there will be those who take issue with Warner's altogether immaculate 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. Yes, there will be those who bark about the inconsistencies inherent in Bruce Surtees' original photography, the softness that occasionally intrudes, and the summer haze that hangs low over Eastwood's Missouri. But I can't imagine The Outlaw Josey Wales looking any better than it does here. Simply put, I was blown away. Mild halos haunt some of the film's sunbeat exteriors, but everything else is exactly as it should be. Surtees' heartland hues, pastoral greens and dusty browns are rustic and natural, leathery skintones and absorbing shadows solidify the illusion, and striking contrast (hot as it may sometimes be) and reliable dimensionality lend convincing depth to the exceedingly filmic image. Grain is intact and unimpeded as well and noise reduction hasn't been applied (at least none that can be perceived). Moreover, detail is excellent. Textures are surprisingly, sometimes startlingly well resolved and edges are sharp and distinct. Again, the slightest hint of ringing is visible, but it rarely undermines the integrity of the photography. The encode is also pristine and proficient: I didn't catch sight of any significant print damage, artifacting or banding, smearing or crush, or really anything other than what Eastwood and Surtees intended. And don't even get me started on the comparisons I made between the new Blu-ray release and its 1999 and 2008 DVD counterparts. Suffice it to say, the Blu-ray extinguishes any flame the standard DVD editions had managed to kindle. In the end, Warner continues its quest for catalog dominance, and The Outlaw Josey Wales is all the more remarkable for it.
The Outlaw Josey Wales doesn't split the skies or envelop the listener as readily as more recent westerns and their subsequent Blu-ray releases have (3:10 to Yuma's uncompressed 7.1 mix springs to mind). But as thirty-five-year old catalog classics go, Josey's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is as notable as its video transfer. Dialogue is clean, clear and, more importantly, deeply and naturally entrenched in the mix. In fact, the film's age rarely comes to bear on the overall impact of the experience. LFE output is true to the original tone of the film's sound design, yet doesn't sacrifice power, weight or presence for faithfulness. Likewise, the rear speakers aren't subdued, but still provide a welcome level of immersion for a catalog western. Dynamics are first-rate, fidelity is on point, and Jerry Fielding's score is given full reign of the soundfield (often to great effect). The Outlaw Josey Wales not only retains its distinct '70s temperament, it makes the most of the film's first lossless journey, rejuvenating its weary bones at every stop along the way.
The 32-page Digibook release of The Outlaw Josey Wales is armed with a trio of deadly extras: an extensive audio commentary with Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel, a behind-the-scenes documentary and a tribute to the director's Westerns. It isn't an inexhaustible supplemental package, but it doesn't disappoint either.
Unforgiven may be considered Clint Eastwood's preeminent stamp on the genre (and rightfully so), but The Outlaw Josey Wales remains one of the director's best. Young filmfans should take advantage of its latest release and discover what more grizzled cinephiles have known since 1976. And what a release it is. Warner's video transfer hovers close to perfection, its DTS-HD Master Audio track is a strong one, and its special features add solid value to an already impressive package. If you're familiar with Josey Wales, toss out those old DVDs and prepare yourself for another outstanding catalog presentation from Warner Bros. If you have yet to see the film, though, might I humbly recommend a blind buy. It's that good.
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