The Young Americans Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Young Americans Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 26, 2024

Danny Cannon's "The Young Americans" (1993) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Danny Cannon; new program with cinematographer Vernon Layton; new program with actor Craig Kelly; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Identifying the two groups of viewers who will find Danny Cannon’s film The Young Americans quite problematic is incredibly easy. The first group will gather viewers with a proper grasp of London’s crime scene during the 1990s, which they will claim was nothing like the one that Cannon presents. They will almost certainly claim that Cannon, who is not a Londoner, did not know it well enough and therefore was not the right director to make a film about it. The second group will gather viewers who will recognize that Cannon made a film desperately wanting to appeal to a large international audience, primarily an American one, which limited its chances of appearing authentic, too. But are these legitimate arguments?

Harvey Keitel plays John Harris, an American detective who lands in London to assist a local task force investigating the executions of various prominent crime bosses. Soon after, Harris reveals to his British counterparts that their main target could be, and almost certainly is, drug tsar Carl Frazer (Viggo Mortensen), whom the D.E.A. has followed across America and located in London. While more prominent crime bosses and a couple of dirty cops are taken out, Harris's description of Frazer’s modus operandi is quickly proven correct -- he manipulates naïve young men to do his dirty work and, at the right time, as their heads are filled with delusions of grandeur, eliminates them. To get closer to Frazer, Harris uses Chris O’Neill (Craig Kelly), another young local hoodlum with a conscience, who agrees to risk his life to avenge the execution of his father, an old-timer with a murky past.

Despite being predictably excellent, Keitel is in a foreign playground where he sticks out like a sore thumb for all the wrong reasons. For example, he displays street machismo and instincts that instantly transform his British colleagues into awkward amateurs who cannot read the significance of very obvious developments. Also, he is allowed to roam free by his hosts and the local criminal elements for so long that it becomes impossible not to conclude he is intentionally protected by the screenplay. Needless to say, Keitel quickly begins to look like a conventional American supercop in an all-American film, not a visitor with a police badge in an all-British film.

In the second half, however, the focus of attention is routinely on Kelly, who undergoes a tremendous character transformation. Two incidents permanently reset his read on the reality he is part of, and while the transformation is underway, the crime material is frequently overshadowed by melodramatic material. What happens here is not entirely unrealistic, but as it is shot it does not look right for an authentic all-British crime film.

Mortensen, the only young American in the entire film, causes the most substantial damage. His performance is so over the top and so out of synch that it single-handedly redirects the film toward a place where similar Hollywood projects go to self-destruct. He is that badly miscast. (For what it’s worth, Mortensen is equally disappointing as a Russian gangster in David Cronenberg’s crime drama Eastern Promises).

London’s crime scene has been explored by various films over the years and the best ones, like John Mackenzie’s The Long Good Friday, all share the same crucial strength. They see and deconstruct it properly, which allows them to introduce authentic characters and place them in an appropriately authentic environment. In this film, there are interesting characters and interesting locations, but their connection to the London crime scene is problematic, which is why authenticity is a major issue in it.

Cannon used director of photography Vernon Layton, who in the early 1980s lensed Tom Clegg’s cult crime film McVicar.

The Young Americans Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Young Americans arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The entire film has a very attractive organic appearance. In fact, I liked what I saw on my system so much that I will go on record and state that there isn't any room for significant improvements. A few highlights can be managed slightly better and some supporting nuances should be a tad more convincing, but everything else is already either very good or excellent. If the surface of the visuals is healthier, which it could be, I do not think that there will be a noticeable difference in quality even on a very large screen, where minor improvements are easier to appreciate. Delineation, sharpness, clarity, and depth are very nice. Any encoding optimizations will not make a significant difference either. Image stability is good. (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 Young Americans Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: 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.

The lossless track is excellent. All dialog is clear, sharp, and easy to follow. During the action footage, dynamic intensity is terrific, too. When music is used, some minor unevenness can be noticed, but it is obvious that this is how the soundtrack was finalized. I did not encounter any hiss, pops, cracks, or similar anomalies to report.

The Young Americans Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Outsider" - in this exclusive new program, Danny Cannon explains how he was offered the opportunity to direct The Young Americans and what he tried to accomplish with it. There are some particularly interesting comments about his interactions with cinematographer Vernon Layton, Craig Kelly, and Harvey Keitel. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• "Young Blood" - in this exclusive new program, Craig Kelly explains how he entered the film industry and earned his part in The Young Americans, and recalls what it was like to work with Danny Cannon and fellow cast members. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• "No London I Recognize" - in this exclusive new program, production designer Laurence Dorman, a native Londoner, discusses his collaboration with Danny Cannon on The Young Americans and the type of look they wanted to give the film. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• "The Lighting American" - in this exclusive new program, cinematographer Vernon Layton recalls his initial discussions with Danny Cannon about the visual style of The Young Americans and discusses some particular lensing choices he made. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• "The Young Producer" - in this exclusive new program, producer Paul Trijbits explains how he discovered a young Danny Cannon and how The Young Americans came to exist. Also, there are some interesting comments about the type of crime films that were made in Britain at the time. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Bilge Ebiri.

• Trailer - a remastered original trailer for The Young Americans. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Booklet - a 60-page illustrated booklet with essays and technical credits.

The Young Americans Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

London's crime scene has been explored by various films over the years, and the best ones all share the same crucial strength. They see and deconstruct it properly, which allows them to introduce authentic characters and place them in an appropriately authentic environment. The Young Americans is impossible to place among these films because it behaves like a visitor that has been told where to go and what to look for, not like a native that has the proper knowledge of the scene. This recent release has a fine selection of exclusive new bonus features and is Region-Free. It is included in Film Focus: Harvey Keitel, a six-disc box set.