Pale Rider (1985) - 4K Ultra HD Evaluation

      Pale Rider, 1985.

      Directed by Clint Eastwood.

      Featuring Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Christopher Penn, Richard Dysart, Sydney Penny, Richard Kiel, Doug McGrath, and John Russell.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Clint Eastwood’s only Western from the 1980s, Pale Rider, is now available on 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros. The visual quality is impressive, and the bonus materials are equally remarkable. A code for a digital copy is also included.

      Warner Bros. wraps up the release of classic Clint Eastwood films on 4K Ultra HD with Pale Rider, a 1985 film that offers a fresh take on the enigmatic “man with no name” archetype Eastwood popularized in Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns.

      The character known as the Pale Rider, or The Preacher (Eastwood), appears in a camp of gold prospectors during the late 1800s or early 1900s. He encounters mining mogul Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart), who intends to drive the prospectors away to seize their land for his own gold mining endeavors.

      LaHood’s son, Joshua (Christopher Penn), commands a group that includes the imposing Club (Richard Kiel), prepared to use violence to intimidate the prospectors and their families. The Preacher’s arrival helps quell the escalating violence as he demonstrates his skill with various weapons. However, the arrival of Marshal Stockburn (John Russell) and his deputies reveals a complicated history between him and The Preacher.

      The Preacher develops a friendship with a small family: Sarah Wheeler (Carrie Snodgress), her daughter Megan (Sydney Penny), and her potential second husband, Hull Barrett (Michael Moriarty). He inadvertently causes a rift as he inspires Hull to stand up to LaHood's men, while Sarah wishes for them to leave peacefully. Teenager Megan expresses her affection for The Preacher, but he rightly declines, as that type of relationship is viewed quite differently today.

      This was the only Western Eastwood participated in during the 1980s, a decade dominated by science fiction, fantasy films, and raunchy comedies. It ranks highly among his Westerns, despite revisiting familiar themes. The Biblical elements provide a unique perspective, making it a commentary on the decline of the Old West and the struggle against total capitulation to capitalism.

      As anticipated, the film is visually stunning in 4K, thanks to Warner Bros.' choice to utilize a 100GB disc that allows ample space for the film and its outstanding bonus features. A digital copy code is also part of the package.

      The extras kick off with two new featurettes totaling approximately 16 minutes: The Diary of Sydney Penny: Lessons From the Set, where the actress reflects on a role that significantly shaped her career as a teenager, and Painting the Preacher: The Cinematography of Pale Rider, which pays homage to the late cinematographer Bruce Surtees and his remarkable work capturing everything from stunning landscapes to emotionally charged close-ups.

      In line with other recent Eastwood 4K releases, there’s an episode from the 2021 series Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy, titled Reinventing Westerns, running about 17.5 minutes, which focuses on the actor/director’s substantial contributions to the Western genre.

      Additionally, Warner Bros. has included two substantial documentaries previously available in the Clint Eastwood 20-Film Collection Blu-ray set. The first, Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story, runs just over an hour and features numerous notable figures discussing his work, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, and Tommy Lee Jones, among others.

      The second documentary, The Eastwood Factor (98:27), released in 2010, chronicles his extensive and varied career from its beginnings to that point in time. Eastwood is the sole interviewee, with narration by Morgan Freeman and direction by film critic and biographer Richard Schickel. While it avoids delving into past controversies, it remains an insightful work. Given Eastwood’s relentless drive, even at age 94, it seems unlikely that a definitive documentary of his life will emerge after his passing.

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

      Brad Cook