Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Way West Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 14, 2018

If the famous computer game “The Oregon Trail” was based on the events depicted in 1967’s “The Way West,” there would be an entire generation forever scarred by the stark realities on life on the migratory trip west. A lot more than dysentery rises up to challenge the settlers gathered in Andrew V. McLaglen’s picture, which takes a hard look at the mistakes made and sacrifices required to find a fresh start in Oregon. It certainly helps to have a talented cast along to boost the dramatic potential of the material, but the basics of betrayal and loss are communicated vividly in the movie, which maintains an epic widescreen posture but stays amazingly pitiless when to comes to the fates of many of the characters.

Requiring an expert guide to help survive passage on the Oregon Trail, Senator Tadlock (Kirk Douglas) hires Summers (Robert Mitchum) for the job, pulling the ailing man out of retirement. Determined to begin a new life out west, Tadlock leads a team of wagons into the open rage, taking with him all the drama that comes with various families filled with unsatisfied people. Disaster strikes often, testing Tadlock’s control as entanglements with Native Americans and human temptation threaten to derail his plans for a bright future in a new land.

“The Way West” remains true to the filmmaking era, with McLaglen arranging a big screen epic that welcomes audiences into the ways of settler spirit, which isn’t as wide-eyed and eager as expected. Most on the Oregon Trail are there out of obligation, giving the screenplay (adapting an A.B. Guthrie Jr. novel) space to explore emotional ruin and doubt, with most trouble caused by Mercy (Sally Field, in her movie debut), who ends up the object of desire for multiple men during the journey. Tadlock’s drive to make it to his final destination in a hurry also causes trouble with Native Americans, resulting in an eye-for-an-eye resolution to one cruel situation that’s remarkably cold-blooded, offering a refreshingly honest (and highly dramatic) overview of frontier justice.

The Way West Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation comes through with a slightly aged but somewhat clear look at the cinematographic achievements of "The Way West." A picture that favors wide open spaces and steely close-ups, detail is generally acceptable with period limitations, picking up on sweaty facial particulars and make-up achievements. Wagon decoration is also open for study, along with dimensional distances, offering a feel for environmental changes. Colors remain stable, and while costuming favors a muted palette, greenery pushes through. Skintones are natural. Delineation is comfortable. Source has some speckling and a few mild scratches.

The Way West Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't offer the wear and tear typical with this type of catalog release, offering a clear listening experience that packs some punch. It's a chaotic track to begin with, but distortive extremes aren't an issue, with the general yelping, battling, and bustle easy on the ears. Dialogue exchanges are satisfactory, handling emotions with care and confrontations with authority. Scoring is pronounced with adequate instrumentation, supporting the action without overwhelming it. Sound effects register as intended, even at their most cacophonous.

The Way West Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (3:28, HD) is included.

The Way West Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Way West" offers slugfests, chases, warring factions of settlers, and plenty of river crossing, delivering a hearty feel for travel in untamed America. It also features a typically energized lead performance from Douglas, who bites down hard on every close-up, while Richard Widmark and Mitchum offer fine support, working to keep up with the sheer scale of the effort. "The Way West" doesn't take it easy on its characters, which is part of its appeal, highlighting tremendous struggle with the elements and one another as the settlers try to remain enthused about an arduous trip. It's a lively movie, and spectacle is capably managed by the production, but the real value of the work remains with its sense of tragedy, never refusing a chance to deliver a few gut-punches of personal loss along the way, gifting the potentially candied endeavor some needed weight.