Lonesome Dove (2-Disc Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]
by Simon Wincer
![Lonesome Dove (2-Disc Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]](/images/Lonesome-Dove-2-Disc-Collector-Edition-Blu-ray-B0018RWMNM-L.jpg)
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Blu-ray details
Actor: Angelica Houston, Danny Glover, Diane Lane, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee JonesDirector: Simon Wincer
Brand: UNIVERSAL MUSIC VIDEO DIST.
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 373 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2008-08-05
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 81453
Studio: Genius Entertainment
Product features:
- Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones star as Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, a pair of longtime friends and former Texas Rangers who crave one last adventure before hanging up their spurs. After stealing over a thousand head of cattle from rustlers south of the border, they recruit an unlikely crew of hands to drive the herd 3,000 miles north to the grasslands of Montana. Featuring an unforgettable cast
Blu-ray Reviews of Lonesome Dove (2-Disc Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]
Blu-ray Review: A classic finally gets its due on Blu-ray
Summary: 5 Stars
This is principally a review of the Blu-ray Disk. There is little to say about the film that hasn't already been said. It's a classic -- not just a great Western, but a great movie, one of those very rare films that perfectly captures the tone of the book it's derived from. (The book was originally a screenplay for Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, and John Wayne. That's another story.) But I /will/ say a few things.
Though Robert Duvall's performance has been universally lauded -- he utterly nails Gus -- not enough has been said for Tommy Lee Jones', which is arguably even better than Duvall's. Woodrow F. Call is a loyal, hard-working, but dismally dull human being, highly asocial and devoid of (and largely incapable of understanding) basic human feelings. This is fairly clear in the novel, and made all-too-clear in the two (quite unnecessary) prequels. When Maggie throws hot corn meal in his face, you're glad she did.
What's amazing about Jones' performance is his ability to bring complexity (and even some warmth) to what is essentially a "dishwater" character, while not losing Call's fundamental cluelessness. This is particularly notable in the scene where Po Campo explains why he doesn't ride animals: "You are an animal. Would you like another animal riding you?" Jones portrays Call's utter inability to see things from any point of view other than his own shallow, parochical perspective, in an amazing piece of facial acting. Ditto for the scene where he gives Newt his father's watch. * The expression on his face is indescribable, as is his inability to articulate his feelings. And then there is Gus's death scene, as great a piece of acting (from both men) as you'll ever see anywhere. It never fails to reduce me to tears. As fine an actor as TLJ is, I've yet to see a performance from him to equal this one.
Though the mini-series was shown in prime-time on CBS, I should warn parents that "Lonesome Dove" includes "adult" subject matter that is treated bluntly, and there are a few scenes of appalling violence. It is not suitable for pre-teens.
As for the BD transfer... Until now, "Lonesome Dove" has never looked very good. It wasn't particularly impressive in its original broadcast, and neither the LaserDisk nor the DVD did much to improve it. The image was so soft and grainy I suspected the film was shot on 16mm -- which made no sense.
Why? Because it would most-likely have been shot in widescreen on 35mm stock, in anticipation of producing a shorter theatrical version for European distribution. It turns out that "Lonesome Dove" /was/ shot in 35mm widescreen (1.85:1), and that's what's on this disk. The difference is a revelation, an extremely sharp image with gobs of beautiful (but not exaggerated) detail. I'd give the image quality a solid B+. (If there weren't even better BDs out there, it would get an A-.) You will not be disappointed.
The cinematography is outstanding. Not only are scenes shot at the appropriate time of day (a rarity for any film), but the lighting is perfectly balanced. For example, indoor shots look as if they're lit by indoor (or window) lighting, but the outside (as seen through windows and doors) is /not/ "blown out". That's not easy to do, especially in a long film with a short shooting schedule.
My only complaint about the transfer is that some of the night scenes (indoor and outdoor) are extremely grainy (probably because they were underexposed, due to an obvious attempt to use only lanterns, desk lamps, etc), and nothing appears to have been done to reduce the grain. Worse, some of the outdoor night shots show white horizontal streaks, as if the negative had been damaged. Most of this could have been fixed, but it wasn't.
A wonderful film that you can now see as it was meant to be seen. Unreservedly recommended.
* Call is so asocial, even to the point of being somewhat feral, that one wonders how he could ever have /had/ a father.
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