The Visitors Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Visitors Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 10, 2025

Elia Kazan's "The Visitors" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Kat Ellinger and Martyn Conterio and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

A truth-telling cynic would argue that naivety and stupidity should have identical definitions because a behavior influenced by the former is only slightly easier to excuse than any behavior defined by the latter. A truth-telling cynic will then explain that the stupid actions of a very young person are easy to validate with the claim that he is a naïve person lacking sufficient life experience, while the same actions committed by an older person would be described for what they are. It will not be impossible to argue that an older person could be naïve too, and therefore the questionable logic behind his actions is in some flawed way understandable. But the truth-telling cynic will insist that nine out of ten times this scenario is simply an awful excuse that only another very naïve person would consider valid.

Elia Kazan’s The Visitors could be one of the truth-telling cynic’s favorite films because it provides ample evidence supporting the rationality of his arguments -- but after it adds a crucial detail. The detail is politics. The Visitors argues that an older person’s politics can effectively override the significance of any amount of life experience he may have amassed over the years.

Somewhere in the frozen Heartland, Bill (James Woods) and Martha (Patricia Joyce) have been enjoying the peace and quiet that Mother Nature has unconditionally provided to them. Each day is as beautiful and uneventful as the one before it, so the two often feel like time is moving slower than it should. They are only occasionally annoyed by the antics of the owner of the house they call home, Harry (Patrick McVey), Martha’s drunken father, who sporadically emerges to take a break from writing novels no one would pay to read.

But during a week when Bill ramps up his efforts to land a job in a nearby factory, their repetitive cycle of existence is altered. It happens while Bill is away and his two old army buddies Mike (Steve Railsback) and Tony (Chico Martinez) unexpectedly show up at their front door, hoping to see him, and choosing to stay after Martha invites them in. During the next several hours, with Bill present, and then Harry joining the reunion, the men share stories about the Vietnam War, the significance of knowing how to deal with the enemy, and the unstable socio-political environment in America. But as the sun goes down, it gradually becomes clear that their real feelings for each other are anything but friendly.

It does not take long to realize that The Visitors will reach the same boiling point and evolve into the same ugly circus that is Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, which was released a year before it. However, in The Visitors a good portion of the narrative is dedicated to two completely different takes on the socio-political environment in America during the Vietnam War, and for this reason, this film does not have the same dominant exploitative genes Straw Dogs does.

The key element in the narrative that disables the friendly behavior is a hideous act from the past that Bill has reported and his army buddies have served time for. A closeted pacifist, Bill has argued that the enemy is still human, so whenever possible it deserves to be treated humanely. To help Bill grasp the massive flaw in his assumption, his ‘buddies’ then temporarily evolve into the enemy and scar him and his wife for life. Before they leave, they make sure Bill understands that the final phase of their lesson could have provided closure to his misery, too.

Woods made his acting debut in The Visitors and over the next several years landed parts in such cult films as The Gambler and Night Moves. By the early 1980s, he was under the spotlight in the likes of Videodrome and Once Upon a Time in America.

Railsback also made his acting debut in The Visitors.

The Visitors 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 Visitors arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

It is pretty easy to tell that at some point The Visitors was remastered because its visuals have strong organic qualities. Yes, they could look a bit rough at times too, but quite a bit of this roughness can be misleading as well. Why? There are a few areas where stability can be improved and density levels strengthened. However, there are inherited fluctuations, too. For example, a lot of the indoor footage features natural and restricted lighting, so delineation, clarity, and depth tend to fluctuate. Also, at the moment the film has the type of appearance I would expect to see from a master that has been struck from an interpositive, which means that in a few areas shadow nuances can be somewhat inconsistent, too. Color balance is very good. All primaries and supporting nuances are lush and healthy, nicely balanced as well. A few lighter supporting nuances can be more convincing, but there are no troubling anomalies. Also, I spotted a few blemishes, but there are no large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. (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 Visitors 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 does not have a diverse soundtrack. All meaningful dynamic contrasts are produced in a natural environment without any serious action footage. There is no prominent music material either. Unsurprisingly, dynamic intensity is very modest. All exchanges are clear, stable, and easy to follow. However, from time to time, some minor thinning can be noticed.

The Visitors Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Kat Ellinger and Martyn Conterio.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Visitors. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

The Visitors Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is easier to treat the enemy humanly, as those who have never fought and won a war require, when it is already defeated. But if you are dropped in the middle of a raging war, who would you trust with your life? The man next to you who believes the enemy must be defeated at all cost and therefore cannot be spared any of the ugliness and pain that war produces, or the man on the opposite side who insists that the enemy must be treated humanly? And how do you always know who your enemy is, what it looks like, what is going on in his head? If you choose to treat the enemy humanly, will you be treated the same way? If your 'humanity' is exploited by the enemy as a weakness and many of your brothers in arms perish while losing a battle you could have easily won, what are you? A humane soldier or a delusional coward responsible for the death of men that should be alive? Elia Kazan made The Visitors during the final and most intense phase of the Vietnam War. It channels pure anger coming from different sides, wrapped with timeless questions about what it means to fight and survive a war. It becomes as disturbing as Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs, but it does not have the same dominant exploitative genes. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.