The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) - 4K Ultra HD Evaluation

      The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976.

      Directed by Clint Eastwood.

      Featuring Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, and John Vernon.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Clint Eastwood's 1976 classic, The Outlaw Josey Wales, is now available in 4K Ultra HD for the first time. The presentation is visually impressive, and it includes a selection of bonus features alongside a code for a digital copy.

      Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) suffers the loss of his wife and son at the hands of a paramilitary group led by Captain Terrill (Bill McKinney), who is aligned with the Union during the Civil War. In pursuit of revenge, he joins another group of paramilitaries, engaging in raids until the conclusion of the war.

      After his fellow fighters are killed by Terrill's Union troops following their surrender in 1865, Wales escapes with another soldier (Sam Bottoms). His former commander, Captain Fletcher (John Vernon), is coerced into working with Terrill to hunt down Wales, who now has a bounty on his head.

      Throughout his journey, Wales encounters an older Native American, Lone Watie (Chief Dan George), and later saves a young Native American woman, Little Moonlight (Geraldine Keams). The group expands when he helps Sarah Turner (Paula Trueman) and her granddaughter, Laura Lee (Sondra Locke), after their wagon train is assaulted by Comancheros.

      As Wales continues, he must evade bounty hunters while knowing that Fletcher, Terrill, and their men are close behind. He also faces the wrath of Comanche chief Ten Bears (Will Sampson), who is angered by the deaths of the Comancheros. The stage is set for a climactic confrontation that will determine whether Wales can escape into the sunset.

      The Outlaw Josey Wales is adapted from the book Gone to Texas, written by Forrest Carter, a pseudonym for former KKK leader Asa Earl Carter. While I acknowledge that the pro-Confederate themes may be uncomfortable, Wales himself is not portrayed as a racist, and I recognize that all wars contain their darker aspects, even among the victors. I appreciate this narrative for what it is: the story of a complex anti-hero navigating the tumultuous aftermath of a significant conflict.

      This 4K Ultra HD release, which is also offered in an attractive Steelbook edition, marks the film’s debut in the format. It meets all expectations for quality from a 4K disc, establishing it as the definitive version of the film. A code for a digital copy is included, but consistent with Warner Bros.' handling of many archival releases, there is no Blu-ray included.

      This is my first experience with The Outlaw Josey Wales on home video. From what I gather, all the content from the 2011 Blu-ray has been carried over, with the exception of the theatrical trailer, which is a bit puzzling.

      However, the studio has produced two new featurettes, An Outlaw and An Antihero, and The Cinematography of an Outlaw: Crafting Josey Wales, totaling around 15 minutes. The former leans more toward “film school on a disc,” featuring various academics and writers discussing the film within the context of the 1970s revisionist Western trend. The latter serves as a tribute to cinematographer Bruce Surtees, who collaborated on many of Eastwood’s films and passed away in 2012.

      Continuing the “film school on a disc” theme is an audio commentary by film critic Richard Schickel. Although it carries over from a previous edition, it remains valuable for its extensive and insightful information. Other returning features include Clint Eastwood’s West (29 minutes), Eastwood in Action (8 minutes), and Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales (29 minutes), all of which are engaging.

      The final bonus feature, Reinventing Westerns (17:36), originates from the 2021 series Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy. While it is considered old because of its original release date, it appears to be new for home video in connection with this film. As one might expect, many of Eastwood's collaborators and admirers celebrate his impact on the Western genre with admiration.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      Brad Cook