The Yards Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Yards Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 18, 2023

James Gray's "The Yards" (2000) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with James Gray; exclusive new program with Ellen Burstyn; archival audio commentary by James Gray and Steven Soderbergh; filmed roundtable discussion featuring Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, James Caan, and James Gray; deleted scenes with optional audio commentary; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

History is full of excellent examples that loyalty amongst criminals is seriously overrated. The same can be said about that supposedly very special family bond that criminals love to talk about -- it is overrated, too. If they feel threatened, criminals would betray and even eliminate family members just as easily as they would competitors and foes.

In James Gray’s second film, The Yards, Mark Wahlberg plays Leo Handler, a supposedly loyal troublemaker who has just been released from prison. At a tiny apartment in Queens, Leo is eagerly anticipated by his mother Val (Ellen Burstyn), aunt Kitty (Faye Dunaway), sister Erica (Charlize Theron), her boyfriend Willie (Joaquin Phoenix), and various other relatives and close friends. Also present is a jaded parole officer, who has a few final silly instructions that the law requires him to repeat and some generic paperwork to hand. With excitement growing seemingly by the minute, there is a genuine party atmosphere and Willie has even started describing Leo as the perfect single guy in the neighborhood to an emotionally available ‘dancer’ ready to be in a serious relationship. When Leo eventually appears, he thanks everyone for the warm reception and moments later, in a quiet corner of the living room, apologizes to his mother for the pain he has caused her while his sentence.

On the following day, Leo gets up early and meets Frank (James Caan), Kitty’s second husband, who runs a big company that repairs the city’s subway cars. However, during the prearranged meeting, Leo does not get a job offer. Instead, Frank offers to help him enroll in a training program that in a few years would transform him into an excellent machinist capable of making more than enough to support himself and his future wife. Later that night, in a trendy nightclub, it is Willie that offers Leo what he is looking for -- good work that pays well. Leo kept his mouth shut and did not name Willie or any of his friends when he was arrested by the police, so now it is Willie’s turn to help Leo.

But the good work turns out to be so shady and so dangerous that just days later Leo finds himself stuck in a murder case and then hunted by the police. When the murder case threatens to seriously compromise the public image of Frank’s company and his crooked relationship with several very influential city officials, Leo also becomes a big target that a lot of people want to see taken out.

The Yards is the type of independent project that nowadays seems like a genuine wet dream. It is not only because Harvey Weinstein’s powerful Hollywood machine no longer exists and film distribution has undergone a rather dramatic transformation either. Simply put, it would be an impossible task to attract the same top talent and engage it in a similar independent project as Gray did in the late 1990s. Caan, Burstyn, Dunaway, Wahlberg, Phoenix, Theron, Tony Musante, Steve Lawrence, and even the great character actor Tomas Millian -- this is a seriously impressive cast a major studio would book for a massive summer blockbuster that will then be expected to have a lasting influence on the box office.

Ironically -- or perhaps not ironically at all given how American cinema has evolved since the 1990s -- possibly the greatest strength of The Yards is that it refuses to behave as a massive summer blockbuster. Gray directs The Yards very much as an intimate project of the kind that the late 1960s and 1970s regularly produced, promoting strong characters and authentic drama, seeking to connect with the special personality of the place where these characters exist. In The Yards, all actors contribute to precisely that kind of intimate project as well.

And yet, the drama that flourishes in The Yards is so big and far-reaching that it can quite easily be used to summarize the chameleon-esque nature of New York City. While following Leo’s struggle to stay alive after the botched job, The Yards gradually reveals a city divided and behaving in so many ways that eventually it becomes quite easy to conclude that the only thing that holds it together is its ability to generate wealth. Without it, its inhabitants would instantly abandon it for greener pastures.

Gray sells the crime element of the drama as an unavoidable fact of life, which makes The Yards quite unsettling. In New York City, for guys like Leo -- and Willie too, though this is not immediately obvious -- there are no good options. They can become like the ‘successful’ bad guys around them or spend the rest of their lives just surviving as their underpaid lackeys.

*Via Vision Entertainment's two-disc set features two versions of The Yards: Director Cut, which is approximately 114 minutes long, and Theatrical Version, which is approximately 116 minutes long.

The Yards Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Yards arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

I have only one other release of The Yards in my library, which was produced by Echo Bridge Entertainment in 2011. It is extremely easy to dismiss because it reframes the film in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This release presents the film in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1.

The master that was used to source this release is not brand new. However, it is very, very good and makes revisiting the film at home in its proper widescreen ratio a rather special experience. I viewed the Director's Cut but tested the Theatrical Cut and can confirm that both look equally strong. For example, delineation, clarity, and depth always range from very good to excellent. It is true that the particular stylistic appearance of the film hides exceptionally well some minor inconsistencies that a brand new 4K master will address, but the fact remains that the current master is very healthy and its basic qualities are as good as they could have been. Darker areas can look especially strong because many of the most subtitle nuances are preserved, though some of the indoor footage with proper lighting is just as pleasing. Highlights are difficult to evaluate because some are affected by the stylization, but they never appear problematic. There are no traces of digital manipulation. Colors are lush and stable. The color temperature of the visuals looks exactly as I remember it as well. Image stability is excellent. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Yards 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 LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

I began viewing the film with the LPCM 2.0 track and then switched to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. My old release has only a 2.0 track. The 5.1 track will probably be the one a lot of viewers choose, but I think that the 2.0 track is just as good. Clarity, sharpness, and balance are outstanding. Also, silence and 'small' effects have a crucial role in the film's sound design and the brilliant use of both is very easy to appreciate on the lossless tracks. I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review.

The Yards Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE: DIRECTOR'S CUT

• Commentary One - this audio commentary was recorded by James Gray and Steven Soderbergh. It is an outstanding commentary that addresses the differences between the shorter Director's Cut and the slightly longer Theatrical Cut of The Yards, the outstanding sound design and how it becomes a key element of the film's identity, how specific sequences were shot to establish various characters, Harris Savides' work on the film (and the impact Gordon Willis' legacy had on its visual style), the importance of the very deep blacks throughout the film, etc.

• Commentary Two - this audio commentary was recorded by James Gray. This audio commentary is as good as the one detailed above. Mr. Gray discusses in great detail the visual style of The Yards and the very particular choices he made to capture the essence of the world in which the characters of his film exist, the influence Rocco and His Brothers had on his complete vision of The Yards, the overlapping of good and bad and how both are defined by politics, James Caan's iconic personality/presence before the camera, etc.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO: THEATRICAL VERSION

• "Creating Authenticity" - in this exclusive new program, James Gray recalls how The Yards came to exist and how he recreated a portion of his father's world in the film, the decision to stay and shoot in New York City (as opposed to Toronto), the particular casting choices that were made (and specifically the casting of James Caan at a very particular moment in his career), managing the younger actors and older actors in contrasting situations, and Harris Savides' contribution. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• "Motherhood Through the Method" - in this exclusive new program, Ellen Burstyn discusses her long acting career and her fondness for playing 'mother' parts, some of the great directors and actors she worked with over the years, and her involvement with The Yards and the unknown world she entered via the film. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• "Designing Queens" - in this exclusive new program, production designer Kevin Thompson discusses his romance with New York City and how he was able to channel it through The Yards; the visual research he did while preparing for his work; the crucial synchronicity between James Gray, Harris Savides and himself and how it shaped the film's identity; and his enormous affection for the film. Mr. Thompson also reveals his excitement for Via Vision Entertainment's Blu-ray release of The Yards. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• "Visualizing The Yards" - in this archival featurette, James Gray and Harris Savides discuss the particular visuals style of The Yards and how it was conceived through various colored storyboards and paintings. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• "Behind the Scenes" - in this archival featurette focuses on the production history of The Yards. Included in it are clips from interviews with Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, Faye Dunaway, and James Caan, amongst others, as well as raw footage from the shooting of the film in Queens. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Roundtable Discussion - this filmed roundtable discussion features Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, James Caan, and James Gray. The four participants recall their collaboration on The Yards and share their thoughts on how the film turned out. It is a very interesting and often quite hilarious discussion. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here are eight deleted scenes that can be seen with an optional audio commentary by James Gray. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Trailer - presented here is an original U.S. trailer from Miramax for The Yards. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Booklet - 60-page illustrated booklet with writings on the films in Via Vision Entertainment's After Dark: Neo Noir Cinema Collection Two box set.

The Yards Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even though James Gray and John Dahl's styles are quite different and they discovered success in unique ways, I think that their work evolved similarly. There was something very, very special in the first three films Gray and Dahl directed and after that, sadly, they gradually moved away from it. Gray's Little Odessa, The Yards, and We Own the Night are minor masterpieces that need an urgent reevaluation. It is why I am thrilled to have this terrific two-disc set with the Director's Cut and Theatrical Version of The Yards in their proper widescreen ratio as well as various outstanding exclusive new and archival bonus features. It is Region-Free and part of Via Vision Entertainment's After Dark: Neo Noir Cinema Collection Two, a seven-disc box set. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.