Nicholas Ray’s Johnny Guitar is a well written western-thriller film that features a powerhouse and spunky performance from Joan Crawford. The Blu-ray released by Olive Film’s new Signature line offers great video, good audio and a solid selection of bonus material.
Johnny Guitar
(1954)
Genre(s): Drama, Western
Olive Films | NR – 110 min. – $39.95 | September 20, 2016
Date Published: 10/10/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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PLOT SYNOPSIS
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| Vienna (JOAN CRAWFORD) is a saloon owner with a sordid past. Persecuted by the townspeople, Vienna must protect her life and property when a lynch mob led by her sexually repressed rival, Emma Small (MERCEDES MCCAMBRIDGE), attempts to frame her for a string of robberies she did not commit. Enter Johnny Guitar (STERLING HAYDEN), a guitar-strumming ex-gunfighter, who once was — and perhaps still is — in love with Vienna. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5 |
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This is the latest release of Olive’s Signature collection. The clear Blu-ray case side-slides into a matted slip cover and inside is 6-page a essay and picture booklet. Introduction by Martin Scorsese (3:28; HD) – In this old intro (probably from the 1990s), the legendary filmmaker offers his views of Johnny Guitar and its director. Audio Commentary – Film Critic Geoff Andrew Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other (17:29; HD) – Critics Miriam Bale, Kent Jones and B. Ruby Rich discuss the various elements of the film. Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western? (14:33; HD) has the same group analyzing the movie and the female roles. Tell Us She Was One of You: The Blacklist History of Johnny Guitar (10:23; HD) features interviews with Film Historian Larry Ceplair and Screenwriter Walter Bernstein. Free Republic: Herbert J. Yates and the Story of Republic Pictures (6:01; HD) – Archivist Marc Wanamaker discuss the history of the studio. My Friend, the American Friend (11:07; HD) – Memories of Nicholas Ray with Tom Farrell Chris Seivernich. Johnny Guitar: The First Existential Western – Essay by Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. Theatrical Trailer (2:50; HD) |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Olive Films, through their Signature line, releases Johnny Guitar presented in its original 1.66 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer made from a new 4K restoration. The video quality, as with the other Signature titles that I’ve watched, looks fantastic featuring vibrant colors and detail looks sharp and nicely defined. The transfer itself is clean, free of artifacts, aliasing and other flaws. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| The DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track is a bit on the loud side especially when the score kicks in, but at least dialogue sounded crisp and clean throughout and ambient noises come through the center speaker well enough. It may not be a dynamic track but for its age, not at all bad. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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Overall, Nicholas Ray’s Johnny Guitar is a well written western-thriller film that features a powerhouse and spunky performance from Joan Crawford. The Blu-ray released by Olive Film’s new Signature line offers great video, good audio and a solid selection of bonus material that, unlike some of their standard stuff, might be worth the price. |
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.