Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

The Outsider Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 26, 2016

Tony Luraschi's "The Outsider" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. There are no supplemental features on the disc. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Yank

Tony Luraschi’s The Outsider is one of the very best films that I have seen about The Troubles. It did not get a home video release during the DVD era, which is why I consider this new Blu-ray release from Olive Films to be amongst the most important ones this year.

Michael Flaherty (Craig Wasson, Body Double) is a young American man from Detroit who has left his home and family to fight the ‘enemy’. His father (Sterling Hayden, The Killing), an Irish immigrant, has told him stories about the ‘cause’ and now he is ready to kill for it. He is also willing to risk his life for it.

The yank is picked up by IRA members and driven to a small town where commanders from Belfast have gathered to discuss their strategy. Some of them think that it is best to move him to Belfast and use him in a big operation, but a few are concerned that his presence there can cause problems. Some even worry that a serious mistake can force the American government to choose a side in the conflict. .

In Belfast, Michael is welcomed into a ‘safe home’ and told to wait for orders. But after an army patrol kills a boy and IRA members rush to respond, he concludes that the time to engage has finally come. In the ensuing chaos, however, Michael discovers that loyalty can mean a lot of different things and that he will always be an outsider.

The bulk of the film looks like it came from an archival documentary shot by a man who was brave enough to enter Belfast during The Troubles, trick some really dangerous people to let him shoot for a few days, and walk out of the city with his footage alive. Michael was just someone that caught his attention along the way because he looked and sounded different. So while a lot of the big events are seen from Michael’s point of view, the film does not treat him like a star. There is plenty happening around him that ultimately frames the chaos in the city in a manner that actually makes it possible to understand. It is really a very smart concept because in a way the viewer is given the same role Michael has -- that of an outsider that has to go through the same confusion, frustration and anxiety before the big picture becomes clear. .

The film can be incredibly cynical, but it never feels like it is trying to push buttons to get specific reactions. This is undoubtedly one of the big reasons why it is so effective. The hits, the backstabbings, and the brutal executions are not used to enhance the drama; they just happen and people move on with their miserable lives. It is madness, really, but everyone has gotten used to it. .

The finale is bold and brilliant. And its message isn’t at all dated. In fact, it sums up perfectly the ‘logic’ that is responsible for some of the biggest conflicts the world is facing today. .

Lurashi shot the film with acclaimed Argentine cinematographer Ricardo Aronovich, whose credits include such masterpieces of world cinema as Missing, Murmur of the Heart, Le Bal, The Most Important Thing: Love, and The Family.

The Outsider Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 and granted a 1080p transfer, Tony Luraschi's The Outsider arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

As far as I know this film did not get an official DVD release in the United States. The master that was used to produce the Blu-ray release, however, must have been struck a while ago, possibly during the DVD era. I assume that some sort of an interpositive was used, but I don't think that this actually matters much.

There are some obvious density fluctuations -- with the most prominent ones appearing during the final act -- and a few spots with light fading. Obviously, depth and fluidity are not optimal. Colors stability is rather good, but saturation definitely can be improved. There are nuances that are missing, especially in areas where it is easy to tell that highlights are elevated, but it is quite easy to tell that there are stylistic preferences that suppress some nuances as well. Despite the limitations, however, the film does retain a fairly decent organic appearance. There is some sporadic softness and during the darker footage shadow definition clearly can be improved, but there are absolutely no traces of compromising digital tinkering. This clearly makes a huge difference. So, what you get here is a dated but pleasing authentic presentation that fits somewhere between the 3.25/5.00 and 3.5/5.00 mark. (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 Outsider 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.

The film has a pure organic sound design that places greater emphasis on fluid sounds and noises than it does on Ken Thorne's music score. Unsurprisingly, dynamic movement is fairly modest. This being said, there are various segments where the action is quite intense and depth is excellent. The dialog is stable, clean, and easy to follow.

The Outsider Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this release.

The Outsider Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have to say it again: without Olive Films the Blu-ray scene would have been incredibly boring. The American label continues to release classic, important and cult films that have either been forgotten or have been missing from the market since the VHS era. This new Blu-ray release of Tony Luraschi's masterpiece The Outsider is a real gift for film lovers. It is one of the best films about The Troubles that I have seen, but it was never legally released on DVD in America. Consider adding it to your collections, folks. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.