Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Western Union Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 13, 2016

Following up 1940’s “The Return of Frank James” with another western, director Fritz Lang opts to recreate America’s developing communication woes with “Western Union.” While it’s not rooted in any true events, the feature takes a look at the expansion of the telegraph, and how that specialized intrusion on private land plays out with troubled characters all battling for something they can’t have. Lang aims to tell a quintessential American story with heightened dramatic intentions, and he ends up with a curious picture that resides somewhere meditative and cartoon, periodically visiting both extremes.

For a western with seemingly simple narrative goals, “Western Union” has a lot more to offer than the saga of Richard (Robert Young), Vance (Randolph Scott), and Edward (Dean Creighton), three men caught up in ugly territory business with bandits and Native Americans as telegraph lines are erected all over the land. Romantic interest is provided by Virginia Gilmore, but the focus of the screenplay remains on tentative dealing and elaborate scheming by those looking to disturb the expansion of the telegraph. Lang does an excellent job with locations and performances, laboring to give “Western Union” more visual and thespian personality than what’s typically afforded to the genre, and the picture’s sense of gamesmanship between battling sides is intriguing, inflating confrontations.

Western Union Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation deals with the Technicolor ambitions of "Western Union" successfully, bringing out hearty primaries and exaggerated skintones, which truly identify some of the Native American shenanigans that take place in the movie. Hues are bold, but reds are somewhat problematic, finding select costuming unable to process such intensity. Posturization emerges during a few evening sequences. Detail makes an impression with facial close-ups, allowing inspection of every pore and hair, while grader distances are secured, and set decoration is crisp. Source is in decent condition, with some mild speckling and scratches.

Western Union Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is restrained a bit by age and detectable hiss, but the basics are represented here, leading with louder scoring cues to give the feature a sonic scale to match its visuals. Instrumentation is adequate, and music never threatens to squash performances. Dialogue exchanges are tight and intelligible, dealing with accents and brawny displays. Atmospherics and sound effects are a tad too hot, but perhaps inherently so, creating quite the commotion once hostilities graduate to violence.

Western Union Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Western Union Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Violence periodically breaks out, allowing Lang to stage chases and arrange battle zones where men on horseback try to survive certain doom. However, "Western Union" is a stronger picture when focused on character, arranging charged relationships and shadowy intentions, which deliver more engaging turns of plot. It's not Lang's most advanced feature, but as a chewy genre offering, it keeps up with formula and offers a handful of surprises.