The Retrieval Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Retrieval Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 4, 2015

The American Slave experience on film tends to follow a set course of merciless violence and dramatic despair. “The Retrieval” makes a valiant effort to remove itself from customary images of plantations and seething white characters, electing for an intimate tale of connection between lost souls, taking the action to the forests and creeks of the country. It’s a Civil War picture that’s barely about combat, instead working to find other corners of history to mine as it builds a powerful relationship between its main players and explores their unique bond during a time of constant threat. Spare and heartfelt, “The Retrieval” is exceptional work from writer/director Chris Eska, who takes time with his script to extract as much self-examination as possible, deepening the personalities as they struggle with the reality of the changing nation, fighting for their lives along the way.

The year is 1864, and young Will (Ashton Sanders) struggles to make money selling tobacco for pennies, dealing with his fatherless experience. Trailing his uncle, Marcus (Keston John), the only family he has, Will participates in a string of traps masterminded by bounty hunter Burrell (Bill Oberst Jr.), working to gain the trust of runaway slaves before they’re recaptured and often killed for their crimes. Tasked by Burrell to lure Nate (Tishuan Scott), a seasoned slave, back to a neutral location, Marcus and Will hit the trail, anticipating their largest payday yet. Working through Civil War conflicts and troubling terrain, the pair finally catches up to Nate, using a story about his dying brother to bring him back home. While Marcus treats the target with hostility, Will warms to his fatherly ways, building a bond with the stoic but vulnerable man, reconsidering his participation in the deadly plan.

Armed with very little money to realize the full scope of Will’s awakening, Eska still manages to create an evocative understanding of Civil War isolation and intimidation. Battles do appear on occasion, marked by noisy gunfire and chaotic troop scattering, but the majority of “The Retrieval” remains on the faces of these conflicted characters and their arduous journey through untamed land, battling dense forests, chilly temps, and muddy waters to arrive at their destination without attracting any outside attention. Using natural lighting and interesting locations, Eska creates a visually arresting feature that welcomes deeper inspection, taking its time (the effort is 16 minutes old before the main titles arrive) with storytelling, allowing viewers to soak up the juices of the era and realize the arduous path ahead.

Physically, the trail is overloaded with peril, from environmental setbacks to threats from outsiders hoping to cash in on the value of three ex-slaves. However, “The Retrieval” is primarily interested in the psychological churn of the main characters, studying Marcus’s hostility and basic instinct of monetary survival, Will’s welcoming of a positive role model, and the burn of Nate’s past mistakes, including the abandonment of loved ones (Christine Horn is terrific as Nate’s lost wife). Guilt plays a critical role in the screenplay, finding the pain of loss and the unknown weighing heavily on the travelers, haunting their decisions and impulses. As “The Retrieval” unfolds, focus is narrowed down to Will and Nate, observing their relationship as it transforms from dishonesty to respect, with the young man finding the father figure that’s always eluded him. Nate is also open to the pairing, teaching Will discipline and self-defense, and the duo eventually make their way to therapy, confessing sins and fears that complicate the original trap scheme, altering the plan in dangerous ways.

This wealth of introspection and tension is brilliantly handled by the cast, with Scott and Sanders (making his film debut) particularly skilled with the communication of doubt as it leaks out of Will and Nate’s hardened exteriors, creating a sense of trust that neither characters expects. The ensemble is gifted and genuine, with varied personalities contributing hearty emotions and menace to the movie, finding Oberst Jr. landing a precise amount of terror from simple looks. However, the picture depends on the chemistry between the leads, helping to believe that such comfort could grow between strangers, developing into a parent/son dynamic. Scott and Sanders are extraordinary to watch at times, securing the proper tone of disquiet that Eska is searching for, making the climax, a brutal question of will he/won’t he, all the more gut-wrenching.

The Retrieval Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation manages the movie's HD cinematography to satisfaction, with a sharp, clean look that brings out the particulars of facial responses quite well, supporting Eska's quest for subtle emotionality. Detail is also welcome on tattered costumes and locations, making the forest environments dimensional. Colors are intentionally muted, but hues remain distinguishable, holding to greenery and blue skies, while skintones are natural. While faced with evening excursions, delineation is favorable, preserving distances.

The Retrieval Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dealing with a local dialect, the often mumbled dialogue exchanges aren't always easy to pull out of the 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix. Language is periodically garbled, while scoring intrudes ever so slightly, making it difficult to hear conversations (the disc's lack of subtitles is another unfortunate problem). Clarity is a challenge, but the majority of the listening experience comes through as intended, supporting dramatic intent. Surrounds are reserved but good with atmospherics, finding blowing wind, chirping birds, and twig snaps pushing out to envelop the listener. Heavier action, with cannons and guns, adds some low-end heft.

The Retrieval Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Chris Eska.

• Deleted Scene (4:07, HD) highlights an encounter between Will and Nate and a dying Civil War soldier in the middle of the forest, an event which brings up additional questions of personal responsibility along the journey. It can be viewed with or without commentary by Eska.

• "SAG Foundation Interviews" (49:08, HD) is a 2013 gathering with Eska, Tishuan Scott, Keston John, Bill Oberst Jr., Christine Horn, and Alfonso Freeman. With the evening's interests tied to the celebration of performances, emphasis during the chat is placed on character motivations and interpretations, along with Eska's insistence on rehearsal.

• "Interview at the Leeds Film Festival" (3:50, HD) returns to Eska, who gives a brief overview of the picture and his intentions. Enthusiastic festival audiences are also featured, sharing their high opinion of the movie post-screening.

• Press Booklet is a BD-ROM file.

• Stunt Rehearsals (5:57, HD) offer a look at the creation of a few violent interactions, comparing home video footage of practice with final sequences from the film. Eska provides narration, explaining the effort required to pull off vigorous physical activity.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:26, HD) is included.

The Retrieval Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Retrieval" does have a tendency to periodically spin its wheels with monologues and campfire exchanges, but usually such repetition is employed to secure climatic motivations, understanding the complexity of Will's final decision as the trail leads to an inevitable place of conflict. A few redundant moments aside, the picture doesn't lose an ounce of potency, delivering a stunning odyssey of heart and mind that carries throughout. "The Retrieval" uses history to dissect humanity, and Eska summons encouraging confidence to secure difficult emotions and tone, allowing the audience access to the characters as they find hope in the midst of endless suffering and betrayal.