Broken Trail Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Set in 1897, Print Ritter (Robert Duvall) and his estranged nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church) become the reluctant guardians of five abused and abandoned Chinese girls. Ritter and Harte's attempts to care for the girls are complicated by their responsibility to deliver a herd of horses while avoiding a group of bitter rivals intent on kidnapping the girls for their own purposes.
We're all travelers in this world, from the sweet grass to the packing house, from birth till
death,
we travel between the eternities.
While they certainly don't make 'em like they used to, Broken Trail succeeds at
hearkening back to the classic, slow-paced, good versus evil epic Western, a genre on the
whole that seems revitalized and on the upswing over the past two decades, with the likes of the
Oscar-winning Unforgiven, the
critically-acclaimed Lonesome Dove,
Open
Range, Tombstone, and 3:10 to Yuma
representing "new classics" in the once, now, and probably always storied genre. This
made-for-television 2006 epic originally aired on American Movie Classics in June 2006 and
makes its Blu-ray
debut some two yeas later (and just in time for Father's Day), hopefully sparking a renewed
interest
in this fine film that, despite its slick production values and decidedly "new" look, the story itself
and the characters that tell it are timeless and classic, much like the Western genre itself.
The excellent cinematography of 'Broken Trail' succeeds at placing the viewer in the movie.
The year is 1898. The United States is fighting in the Spanish-American War and the British
Empire is engaged in the Boer War (see Breaker Morant), and
horses are in high demand by both Western powers. Prentice Ritter (Robert Duvall, The 6th Day) has
recently inherited his sister's holdings, while his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Spider-Man 3)
received nothing. Ritter
personally visits Harte to tell him of the news of his mother's death and the issue of the
inheritance.
Ritter proposes that they herd some 300-500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming for a handsome
fee
provided by the British Empire in exchange for the herd that is needed for her wartime
endeavors. The journey is complicated when Ritter and Harte become unwitting
guardians of five young Chinese girls sold into slavery for a short life of prostitution and shame.
Both Harte and Ritter become attached to them, as does their new fiddle-playing companion,
Henry "Heck" Gilpin (Scott Cooper, Gods and Generals).
Matters are further complicated when the group accidentally runs into the woman who originally
purchased the girls, "Big Rump" Kate (Rusty Schwimmer, The Perfect Storm).
Trailed by outlaws bent on killing the men and returning the girls to their "owner," taking on
two more tagalongs, and facing the difficult terrain between Oregon and Wyoming, Ritter and
Harte
must come to terms with their new lot in life and do all they can to defend not only themselves
and the herd, but also their newest and most precious of cargo: innocent human lives.
One of the best things about watching nearly any Western is witnessing the wide open spaces of
God's country. For my money, there is no better shot in cinema than the long-distance,
panoramic, luscious vista that is the American West, replete with crystal-clear streams; snowy
mountain peaks; green, fertile fields; and maybe even some grazing animals; a covered wagon;
or a cozy log cabin with a plume of smoke rising form its chimney. Such shots are seen in
abundance in Broken Trail, and as beautiful as they are, the movie in which they reside
is just as good. The story is simple yet in it are a series of complex, down home, real characters,
and the movie's three-hour runtime allows us to get to know them all the more, understand and
accept their decisions, and care for their well-being perhaps more than we normally would in a
standard 90 to 120 minute movie. The movie also benefits from the standout performances by
Duvall, Church, Cooper, and the five Chinese girls (whom we come to affectionately know as #1,
#2, #3, #4, and #5). Aside from the wonderful cinematography of the landscapes, the film's
standard shots fare just as well. Every shot is well-composed and meaningful, each frame filled
to make us feel like part of the group. There are several shots where the camera is placed just-so
to make us feel like we're there, sitting around a campfire, listening from off to the side at a
seated level as crucial dialogue is heard, and through all these shots, the authentic Old West feel
is brought to life.
Broken Trail rides onto Blu-ray with a wonderful 1080p, 1.78:1 framed high definition
transfer. This is a most impressive image. Some grain is present over the movie, and the print
exhibits some very minor blemishes, notably black and white speckles, but these are only visible
on rare occasions. The picture reveals excellent detail: the worn leather of saddles and holsters;
frayed rope; trail-depleted clothing; lines and finer nuances seen in human faces; and even the
horse's manes all look authentic. This transfer exhibits wonderful and remarkably clear imagery
from its first frame
to its last. Black levels are nearly impeccable, as are flesh
tones. Some dank, poorly lit indoor shots, like a bar scene in chapter 4 and the sale of the
Chinese girls at the start of the movie, can look a bit hazy and washed out, but the outdoor
shots, and even most of the indoor shots, represent a remarkable achievement. Colors are
impressively rich and sharp: the red outfits worn by the Chinese girls; the green and blue of
Harte's shirt sleeves; the many colors (especially the beautiful greens) of the numerous fields;
the browns, whites, and blacks of the horses; or the cracking, faded browns of the leather
holsters and saddles, all appear remarkably vibrant and natural. This transfer is truly a sight to
behold. Many daytime outdoor shots represent some of the finest, most pleasing imagery I've
yet witnessed on Blu-ray. Sony once again delivers the goods, making this transfer for
Broken Trail a remarkable one.
Presented in a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack, Broken Trail is almost as good a listen
as it is a watch. The film's score permeates the front of the soundstage but doesn't blend into the
rears with authority, although on occasion it rings true from the back. It's decidedly front-heavy,
but it sounds great. The stampeding of horses, combined with the old west themed music makes
for a pleasant, "authentic" Western soundtrack. The stampeding of horses creates the right
amount of bass, rattling our seats just enough to make us feel part of the herd, but never
overpowering and making the experience anything less than enjoyable. Many of the quieter outdoor
scenes have a nice, realistic atmosphere with the rustling of weeds, chirping insects, the crackle of a
campfire, howling coyotes in the distance, or almost any natural outdoor sound you can imagine.
Sounds pan effortlessly around the soundstage as wagons, horses, and the like cross from one part
of your room to another. The film's major shootout doesn't ring as true or as loud as I had hoped,
but it's an exciting listen anyway. The strength and drama of that scene and the fine performances
of the actors does more to make it (and the movie as a whole) standout. The soundtrack is simply
an accessory, "icing on the cake," so to speak, that sounds fantastic, but the movie never relies on
its sound to carry the story. Well done.
Unfortunately, Sony has failed to corral an extensive set of supplements for this Blu-ray release of
Broken Trail. The only extra feature on this disc is 'Broken Trail': The Making of a
Legendary Western (480p, 23:17). This standard piece allows the cast and crew to discuss
their ideas behind the themes of the movie and the Western genre itself. Many of the film's
technicalities, from working with a herd of horses to the authentic wardrobe choices for
each actor, this short feature packs a lot of information. Trailers for 21, Vantage Point, and Close Encounters of the Third
Kind are also included.
Broken Trail is an excellent film with no striking flaws. Despite listing the length of
the
movie as
a strength insofar as getting to know the characters, there are one or two sequences that drag
on
just a bit too long, but I wouldn't have cut more than a few minutes here and there. Once part
one
of the story ended (viewers have the option of watching the film straight through, or watching
one
93 minute half and viewing the second 91 minute half separately, a nice touch) I was more than
eager to resume the film after a short break, hearkening me back to the days of LaserDisc when I
couldn't jump out of my chair fast enough to swap out platters. Technically, this excellent film
rarely
feels like it was made for television; nearly every frame is worthy of a big budget studio epic and
befitting of a theatrical run. The Western is one of my favorite genres, and Broken Trail is
yet
another fantastic entry. Despite its lack of supplements, this disc is deserving of a spot in the
Blu-ray collection of every Western enthusiast. With its breathtaking visuals that are almost
perfectly
rendered on this disc, and a very pleasing, high quality lossless sound mix, Broken Trail
makes for one of the better looking and sounding Blu-ray discs available. Heartily recommended.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that a trio western films are being released on Blu-ray, all due to hit store shelves on June 10th, just in time for Father's Day. First up is the 1966 Burt Lancaster film 'The Professionals'. Video will be presented ...
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