Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Outlaw Josey Wales Blu-ray Movie Review

"Not a hard man to track. Leaves dead men wherever he goes..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown June 6, 2011

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."

Pegging The Outlaw Josey Wales as a simple tale of revenge would be a grave mistake. Wales' chief motivation may be singular in focus, but Eastwood's film and performance are not. It's a tale of one man's revenge, yes, but it's also a foray into an oft-overlooked period of post-Civil War history, a character-driven revisionist western with unexpected bursts of levity, and a carefully constructed, briskly paced, intuitively balanced anti-war film. The same could be said of Josey himself. Tormented and torn, Wales is a haunted man of principle, conscience and pragmatism, but also an uncompromising gunslinger willing to put a hole in anyone and everyone who dares stand between him and his vengeance. He doesn't favor impulse over intelligence, nor does he ride off into the sunset when the killin's done. There's far more going on behind his narrow gaze than you might initially suspect, far more to his wry verbal jabs and tobacco-stained spit than it may seem, and far more to his strategy than running and gunning. The friendships he develops over the course of the film draw out his humanity, tattered by tragedy as it may be, and breathes new life into a fading spirit. It only helps that Eastwood has such a firm grasp on both Josey Wales and Josey Wales. In front of the camera, Eastwood the Actor delivers one of his most magnetic genre performances. Behind the camera, Eastwood the Director walks a fine tonal line without stumbling, skirts convention with gritty grace and shatters expectation with wit, humor and charm.

Even Josey's wartime loyalties are handled with skill and matter-of-fact dignity. Geography, not philosophy, dictates his bonds of brotherhood, granting Wales a brash but believable detachment from the Civil War. The Union is his enemy because, well, they're the ones pointing guns at his fellow countrymen; because they're the ones who've shown themselves deserving of his disdain; because somewhere in their ranks lurks the same blue-n-brass Jayhawkers who slaughtered his family. And it's refreshing. Civil War films typically pit moralistic Yanks against short-sighted Rebs, losing sight of the countless farmers, fathers and sons who didn't have the luxury of debating ideals and dissecting social causes; men who simply picked up rifles and put on uniforms, gray or blue, to protect their families, homes and land. Josey is no more a traditional Confederate Border Ruffian than his wife's killer, Captain Terrill (Bill McKinney), is a traditional Union Jayhawker. Both Josey and Terrill's self-interest outweighs any political allegiance or moralistic position they might hold (other than that born from the decades-old strife coursing through their veins, of course). Eastwood stares down the barrel and doesn't flinch, shrugging off any controversy the narrative could have stirred up and refusing to gloss over his character's roots.

The one thing Eastwood does avoid is soggy sentiment. Wounded as he is, Eastwood's Josey Wales is chiseled out of iron and resolve, making the ragtag companions he attracts while on the run from Terrill and corrupt senator James Lane (Frank Schofield) the only available windows into Josey's soul. As much as he tries to remain a loner, he can't escape the loving family man he once was; the kind-hearted man he still is. It would be easier if he could cast aside everything save his thirst for revenge, but Josey is incapable of descending to Terrill's depths. (No doubt the reason screenwriters Sonia Chernus and Philip Kaufman chose to infuse Wales with such a sharp sense of humor.) Ultimately, he blames more than Terrill for the death of his wife and son. The war, the Union, the world, heaven... anyone but the other victims of fate and circumstance he encounters on his travels. Even when he claims his revenge, he isn't relieved; just unsure of what to do next. Without retribution to consume him, without a war to distract him, without a taste for blood to sustain him, Josey is left with nothing but his grief. For the first time, he's adrift and truly alone, finally surrendering to a long-fought conclusion: "I guess we all died a little in that damn war." Unforgiven still sits atop the list of Eastwood's best westerns -- and films, for that matter -- but The Outlaw Josey Wales isn't far behind.

The Outlaw Josey Wales Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Outlaw Josey Wales Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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.

• Audio Commentary: Film critic, historian and Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel once again takes the stand in place of Eastwood, separating fact from fiction, delivering another impassioned account of one of Eastwood's finest, and analyzing the development, production, performances, slowburn intensity, initial reception and enduring appeal of The Outlaw Josey Wales. He pauses a bit too often (and for a bit too long), but Schickel is a veritable storehouse of information, an engaging speaker and clearly the foremost authority on Eastwood and his films.
• Clint Eastwood's West (HD, 29 minutes): An in-depth look at Clint Eastwood; quintessential screen cowboy, Western icon and one of the genre's most beloved actors and directors. From Rawhide to Josey Wales to Unforgiven, Eastwood and a notable lineup of actors and filmmakers discuss his Western canon, shooting philosophies and style.
• Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales (SD, 30 minutes): While the John Milius-narrated "Hell Hath No Fury" isn't a new Josey Wales documentary, it is an extensive one, digging into the adaptation, development, casting, realization, message and anti-war sentiment of The Outlaw Josey Wales.
• Eastwood in Action (SD, 8 minutes): This dated vintage featurette is aimed at completists. Still, some brief behind-the-scenes footage makes it worth watching.
• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 minutes)

The Outlaw Josey Wales Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.