Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Young Mr. Lincoln Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 4, 2018

Nominated for Oscar Award for Best Writing, John Ford's "Young Mr. Lincoln" (1939) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include archival interviews with John Ford and Henry Fonda; archival radio adaptation of the film; exclusive new audio commentary by author Joseph McBride; and more. The release also arrives with a 30-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Geoffrey O'Brien and a reprinted homage by by Sergei Eisenstein. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Honest Abe

The wisdom of his words is almost impossible to ignore. Even when he jokingly insists that his office is in his hat there is something in the way he delivers his words that forces people to take a moment and ponder their meaning. They are never rushed or chaotic, misleading or disrespectful. He uses simple but meaningful words that instantly allow him to connect even with complete strangers.

The crucial event that makes it painfully obvious that Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) was born to be a leader comes toward the middle of the film. After an exhausting cycle of Independence Day festivities, a man is accidentally killed in a fierce brawl and two more are immediately arrested and put in jail. An angry mob quickly gathers and a few loudmouths then demand that the ‘killers’ are lynched so that justice is instantly served. Lincoln stands up in front of the mob’s leaders and with only a few sentences quickly forces them to reconsider their plan. The jailed men are eventually taken to court where Lincoln defends them and the truth about their actions during the tragic night is revealed.

It is important to clarify that John Ford’s Oscar-nominated film was never intended to be an accurate biographical summary of Lincoln’s entire life and legacy. Naturally, it focuses only on a specific period of time and actually reconstructs a series of key events primarily as imagined and understood by Ford and screenwriter Lamar Trotti. Now, this isn’t to imply that by doing so the film is free of factual information and therefore the profiling of Lincoln isn’t credible, but rather to emphasize that the focus is actually on the socio-cultural environment in which Lincoln emerged and established himself.

The narrative is structured in a way that basically makes it inevitable that a small dose of cinematic melodrama sneaks in, but it is not of the type that could degrade or even collapse an entire film. On the contrary, in this case it actually gives the film a vintage quality that feels rather necessary. The bulk of the melodrama is most noticeable during the trial where it is easy to see that Ford is carefully highlighting some of the key beliefs that would later on define President Lincoln’s vision of a free, caring and prosperous America.

At first Ford was apparently reluctant to take on this project and Fonda also had some serious reservations, but both reconsidered for different reasons. Over the years their portrayal of Lincoln and certain aspects of Fonda’s performance in particular have been the subjects of some quite interesting debates that have produced legitimate criticism, but it is difficult not to agree that Ford and Fonda’s collaboration actually remains one of the very best of its kind. (This reviewer likes a lot Adrian Moat’s made-for-TV docudrama Killing Lincoln, though obviously its treatment of historical facts, style, and goal are very different).

Ford worked with cinematographer Bert Glennon, who also teamed up with the great director for such classic westerns as Stagecoach, Drums Along the Mohawk, Wagon Master, and Rio Grande.

Young Mr. Lincoln Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital restoration was undertaken by Twentieth Century Fox and the Criterion Collection, primarily from a 4K scan of an original 35mm nitrate print. In addition, a safety 35mm fine-grain was used for sections of the film where the print was damaged or missing footage. The nitrate print, held by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, was scanned on an Oxberry wet-gate film scanner at Cineric in New York. The fine-grain was scanned on a Lasergraphics film scanner at Roundabout in Burbank, California. The original monaural soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic tracks. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX."

The entire film has a very stable and very healthy appearance. There are a few segments where it becomes clear that density can be a tad better, but there are no dramatic fluctuations that would affect your viewing experience. In fact, a lot of the darker footage where source limitations can be most obvious actually looks very strong and boasts the type of proper depth that only very high-quality 4K restorations can deliver. There are no traces of problematic digital work. The grading is also very convincing -- the primary blacks and whites are solid and nicely balanced and there is a great range of gray nuances (see screencapture #5). Image stability is very good. Finally, traces of age-related imperfections have been thoroughly removed and now the film looks virtually spotless. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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).

Young Mr. Lincoln Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are no technical issues to report. Also, if there were any serious source issues prior to the 4K restoration it is now impossible to tell. Stability, balance, and fluidity are very good. Dynamic intensity is also as good as one can expect a film of this caliber and age to have.

Young Mr. Lincoln Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Omnibus: "John Ford", Part One - this television program focuses on the legacy and cinematic style of director John Ford, and features various clips from archival interviews with John Wayne, Harry Carey Jnr., Lefty Hough, and Robert Parish, amongst others. It was written and presented by Lindsay Anderson (If....) for the BBC arts program Omnobus, and was first broadcast on December 1, 1992. In English, not subtitled. (43 min, 1080i).
  
  1. Unique
  2. Early years
  3. Themes
  4. Style and success
  5. America
  6. Two icons
  7. Perfect subjects
  8. Midway

• Parkinson: "Meets Henry Fonda" - presented here is an archival episode of the BBC talk show Parkinson in which Henry Fonda discusses his career and collaborations with John Ford. The episode was broadcast on November 1, 1975. In English, not subtitled. (50 min, 1080i).
  
  1. A Joy
  2. Early years
  3. Zanuck and Ford
  4. Westerns
  5. Family
  6. A favorite
  7. The heavy
  8. Satisfied

• Dan Ford Interviews - presented here are two archival audio interviews with John Ford and Henry Fonda that were recorded by the director's grandson, Dan Ford, as part of his research for his book Pappy: The Life of John Ford (1979). The two men recall their collaboration on Young Mr. Lincoln. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. John Ford (1973). Illustrated with archival images and stills. (8 min, 1080p).
  2. Henry Fonda (1976). Illustrated with archival images and stills. (5 min, 1080p).

• Academy Award - presented here is The Academy Award radio adaptation of Young Mr. Lincoln which was originally broadcast on July 10, 1946. It stars Henry Fonda and Ward Bond. In English, not subtitled. (31 min, 1080p)
  
  1. Introduction
  2. Blood spilled
  3. A fresh water
  4. Abigail Clay
  5. Testimonies
  6.Intermission
  7. Guarantee
  8. Almanac
  9. "Smell of the country"
  10. Closing

• Commentary - in this brand new audio commentary, author Joseph McBride (Searching for John Ford: A Life) offers a very interesting analysis of the film by placing a lot of different events in a much bigger context and even discussing some rather curious theories and myths (including one that addresses the President's sexuality and moodiness). The commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2017.
  
  1. Fate, fact, and fiction
  2. Magical sequence
  3. Fonda and Ford
  4. Different personalities
  5. Reviewing history
  6. Symbolic
  7. Multiple Lincoln
  8. Lynchings
  9. Eisenstein and Welles
  10. Political potential
  11. "Dixie"
  12. Nostalgia for the dead
  13. Ending the relationship
  14. Francis Ford
  15. World War II
  16. "Favorite horse's ass"
  17. Sadistic tendencies
  18. Idealized America
  19. "Sacrificial celibates"
  20. Ford and dialogue
  21. Long take
  22. Addressing the people
  23. "Tears of the multitude"

• Booklet - 30-page illustrated booklet featuring "Hero in Waiting" by critic Geoffrey O'Brien, "Mr. Lincoln by Mr. Ford" by Sergei Eisenstein, and technical credits.

Young Mr. Lincoln Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is plenty of fiction in John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln, but there is probably a lot more truth in it than in some of the overhyped films that in recent years have explored the life and legacy of the great American president. As odd as it may sound, there are also some very good lessons -- especially in regard to how the provincial lawyer and his ability to understand and connect with ordinary people is either misjudged or intentionally dismissed by his competitors before he heads to the nation's capital -- in it that can be quite useful to contemporary political pundits and ambitious figures. Criterion's recent release is sourced from an excellent new 4K restoration of the film that was completed with Twentieth Century Fox's involvement. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.