Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Valdez Horses Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 12, 2021

John Sturges' "The Valdez Horses" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; exclusive new video interview with actor Vincent Van Patten; audio commentary by film historian Paul Talbot; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The article below was used earlier this year for our review of Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release of The Valdez Horses.

Screenwriter Stephen Geller describes the production of The Valdez Horses as an incredible nightmare. Apparently, it all started after a meeting where director John Sturges essentially made it clear to him that he did not care about the project. According to Geller, Sturges could not be bothered to understand the nature of the conflicts that are chronicled in Lee Hoffman’s novel, and when it was pointed out to him that he was getting a lot of things wrong, he kept arguing that it would not make a difference even if he did make the necessary corrections. Astonished by Sturges’ indifference, Geller met with producer Dino De Laurentiis and attempted to explain the situation to him, and then warned him that the film Sturges wanted to shoot would be extremely problematic to sell, but nothing changed. After the meeting, Geller walked away, while Sturges went to work but was eventually replaced by Duilio Coletti, a virtually unknown Italian director who had done only a couple of small spaghetti westerns.

Whether absolutely everything Geller says about Sturges in the new interview he recorded for this release is true isn't clear, but even if half of it is, then it seems pretty obvious that a lot of people were simply not on the same page when the production of The Valdez Horses was greenlighted. Now, you may think that this is a big story given that De Laurentiis had booked Charles Bronson for it -- the film was actually part of a ‘package deal’ that De Laurentiis had with Bronson which also included The Stone Killer and The White Buffalo -- but in reality, it is not. The type of chaos Geller describes was very common for the Italian film industry after the end of WW2, and there are many other films De Laurentiis was involved with that had very similar production issues. So, while Geller’s frustration is understandable, his broken relationship with Sturges and De Laurentiis isn’t the sole reason why The Valdez Horses turned out as it did.

Well, how did The Valdez Horses turn out?

You can easily extrapolate from Geller’s comments that his vision for the film was so different that in its current form he considers it a genuine stinker. De Laurentiis thought it was fine and pushed it in the distribution system, but he was a shrewd businessman so this was a logical move to recoup investments. At the time Bronson was big, really big, and any film with his name attached to it would have sold reasonably well. This is the one and only reason why De Laurentiis wanted to work with him -- to make money, not timeless cinematic masterpieces.

As it usually happens when there are big controversies about creative visions, the truth can be found somewhere in the middle, and this is precisely the case with the problematic production of The Valdez Horses. Indeed, while it likely does not accurately reproduce the complexities of the relationships and drama from Hoffman’s novel, this film works quite well, at times even great. Bronson plays an outcast who is trying to make ends meet as a rancher in an area of the West where men of his kind, half Indian half Mexican, quite simply do not fit in the local scene. He tries his best while protecting his property, but eventually a wealthy baron and his men outpower him and he is forced to leave. During his struggles, the rancher befriends a young boy (Vincent Van Patten) seeking work and falls in love with the baron’s cultured sister (Jill Ireland). So, at the heart of the narrative there are two contrasting themes. The first is about a changing environment which essentially refuses to give men like the rancher a chance to survive. (The Indians he visits are a dying breed for the exact same reason). The second has to do with the rancher’s transformation, which is initiated by the boy and completed by the baron’s sister. While it lasts, the transformation awakens certain fatherly instincts as well as passion for romance that previously the rancher did not feel were necessary in his life. The manner in which these themes are intertwined gives The Valdez Horses a very interesting Delmer Daves-esque quality, which no other Bronson film has.

Different theatrical prints of The Valdez Horses apparently have original credits that name different directors, but in the grand scheme of things the distinction is irrelevant. Whether it has Sturges or Coletti’s name attached to it, the film looks professionally done and complete.

The Valdez Horses Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Earlier this year, we reviewed this Region-B release of The Valdez Horses which was sourced from an older master that was supplied by StudioCanal. I did not like this master at all because it was color-graded in a very awkward way. Indeed, there are various primaries on it that are quite simply wrong, which is why the overall color balance/temperature is very problematic as well. In other words, the film does not look as it should. This release is sourced from a new 2K master that was struck from a 35mm print. It has a completely different color-scheme with very nice primaries that are much better balanced. Yes, there are still areas where meaningful improvements can be made, but all of the distracting anomalies that are present on the other master are gone. For example, the odd greens and yellows that destroy the blues and whites are eliminated. Also, there are entire ranges of supporting nuances that are improved and look much better. Now, there is quite a bit of inherited surface damage, but I personally did not find it problematic. Why? Because even though ideally the film should look healthier, it still looks like organic film. On the other release it is painfully obvious that the film has its native color-scheme destabilized, which is why it does not look like organic film. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Image stability is good, but there is room for some small yet meaningful stabilizations. To sum it all up, currently this release has the best technical presentation of The Valdez Horses. My score is 3.75/5.00.

Also included is a different 'version' of the film in the 1.37:1 ratio, which was apparently remastered by StudioCanal. I don't see any real value in it. Not only is the aspect ratio wrong, but it has many of the color anomalies from the Region-B release that is referenced above. (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 Valdez Horses 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 lossless track is surprisingly solid. I was expecting to be quite uneven, but its balance is actually really good. It is clean as well, though I suspect that if one day the film is fully restored in 2K/4K the audio will be remastered as well. So, the current lossless track serves the film very well.

The Valdez Horses Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - film historian Paul Talbot discusses in great detail the production of The Valdez Horses and has some quite interesting comments about Duilio Coletti's involvement with the film, and as usual shares plenty of information about its stars and their careers as well as the specific locations where different scenes were shot. The commentary is included on the 1.37:1 'version' of the film.

• Bronson in Almeria: Interview with Vincent Van Patten - in this exclusive new video interview, actor Vincent Van Patten explains how he was cast to play the character of Jamie Wagner, and discusses his initial encounter with producer Dino De Laurentiis as well as his work with John Sturges, Charles Bronson and other cast members in Almeria. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Unknown Island - archival 8mm short film with Vincent Van Patten and James Van Patten. Without audio. (17 min).

• French Theatrical Trailer - a vintage French theatrical trailer for The Valdez Horses. In French, with English subtitles. (3 min).

• TV Spot - a TV spot for The Valdez Horses. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Alternative Opening Titles - in English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Italian Opening Credits - in English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Cover - reversible cover for Chino.

The Valdez Horses Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While the production of The Valdez Horses was being discussed in Rome, a lot of people apparently rubbed each other the wrong way. In fact, it is pretty clear now that a few egos were seriously and permanently hurt as well. Also, there are different stories floating around about John Sturges and Duilio Coletti's involvement with the film, which isn't surprising because the Italian film industry has always been a chaotic business. I personally do not see any serious flaws in the film. I think that it has a very interesting Delmer Daves-esque quality, which no other Charles Bronson film has. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a somewhat rough but very nice new organic master that I like a lot more than the one that was used for this recent Region-B release. On this release, The Valdez Horses actually looks like film. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.