The River Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The River Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 22, 2021

Mark Rydell's "The River" (1984) arrives on Bu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film and new audio commentary by critic and filmmaker Daniel Kremer and film historian and biographer Nat Segaloff. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The Garveys

I tried to imagine what I would do if I was facing the same dilemma Tom Garvey (Mel Gibson) does in The River. The first thought that went through my mind was that perhaps the most logical option would be to walk away from the farm land because at the end Mother Nature always wins. If she does not get me this year, she would do it next year, or maybe the year after that. So, I would limit my loses and relocate my family. This option made perfect sense to me.

But then I started thinking about the bigger picture. Tom does not want to sell his land because for generations his people have had a sacred bond with it. His other reason is even clearer -- selling won’t change his situation. The sale will simply transfer his misery to a new, completely unfamiliar location. And then what? What would a farmer like Tom do in the big city? The most likely scenario is the one where he goes through multiple cycles of lousy temp jobs, like the one he gets during the violent strike, which will slowly convince him that he has wasted his life. He would start drinking, doing drugs, and eventually walk away from his family. So, having figured out the future, like Tom I almost certainly would have stayed and fought for the survival of my family where I know we belong.

But in the film Tom faces yet another foe. It is his old friend Joe Wade (Scott Glenn), a much wealthier farmer, who has teamed up with some big sharks and plans to change the entire area. How does he do it? He drives the corn prices down and bankrupts the local farmers, and as they attempt to save their families, he buys their land and then builds a large dam that benefits him and his agricultural business. So, if Tom wants to stay, he has to battle the river that floods his land each time it rains and expose Joe’s dirty dealings that are making it impossible for him to grow his corn and feed his family.

But how exactly does Tom take care of Joe? He does not have any good options, which is actually the very sad truth that emerges at the end of the film. He could convince enough desperate farmers like him to turn against Joe, but unless an entire group of important public servants is replaced, Joe’s plan will only be put on hold. After the next big flood and the next round of bankruptcies, Tom will be back and actually accepting offers from farmers trying to get anything for their land. So, the end isn’t just close, but inevitable.

I started pondering again what I would have done if I faced a man like Joe, determined to break me and willing to wait for the right time to do it. I could not come up with a decent strategy that would change his mind. You see, the problem is that if the local politicians determine that you and your business are expendable, there really isn’t much that you can do to avoid your demise. Even if you take down Joe there will be another one exactly like him that will take his spot and continue to work against you, so you will be right back where you started. In the film, Joe and his ‘partners’ are trying to destroy Tom with fixed corn prices that make it impossible for him to generate any profits. In the big city, guys like Tom can run the same scheme while playing with all sorts of different taxes. You can’t avoid them if you want to do business, so you have to play by their rules.

I think that right at this moment The River is an incredibly relevant film. Sadly, I know people exactly like Tom and his wife (Sissy Spacek) who each day struggle to survive in an awfully unfriendly environment. They are not farmers, but they have small businesses that are on the verge of collapsing, and if they do, they would lose absolutely everything. The film ends with a chilling statement from Joe while he looks at Tom, his wife, and the other desperate farmers who have gathered to help them. He has a smirk on his face because he isn’t going anywhere. He does not have to. He represents a different class of people that have determined what the farmers’ future will be, so he is going to wait until they no longer have the strength to be rebels.

The River Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The River arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The master that was used to produce the release isn't new but has very strong organic qualities. Depth and clarity, for instance, are very pleasing and the the density of the visuals actually range from good to very good. There are a few segments that can look slightly softer than I would have preferred, but the lack of problematic digital adjustments ensures that there are still plenty of native details and nuances. The color scheme is lovely. A few highlights could have been managed better, but you wont see any serious anomalies that will affect your viewing experience. Can improvements be made? Yes, but saturation levels will remain very similar. Image stability is very good. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, torn or warped frames to report in out review. (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 River Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the lossless 5.1 track. I did not detect any technical or age-related anomalies to report in our review. The dialog was very clear, stable, clean, and nicely balanced. During the flooding footage there was plenty of good dynamic intensity as well, though this isn't a film that will test the muscles of your audio system.

The River Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage U.S. trailer for The River. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - new audio commentary recorded by critic and filmmaker Daniel Kremer and film historian and biographer Nat Segaloff.

The River Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I could not stop thinking what I would do if I was facing the same dilemmas Mel Gibson's character does in The River. The film made my blood boil and scared me, and it made me think about friends that right at this moment are fighting for their survival as well. It is another pearl lensed by Vilmos Zsigmond, but it is full of ugly truths about the lives of ordinary people in America. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but very nice organic master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.