'Scarecrow' (1973) Blu-Ray Review - Gene Hackman & Al Pacino Bring Emotional Honesty To Road Movie
Just out of jail after serving time on an assault rap, Max (Gene Hackman) is headed for Pittsburgh to open a deluxe car wash. Back from five years at sea, Lion (Al Pacino) wants to hit Detroit and visit the child he's never seen. The dreams may not be glorious but you'll want Max and Lion to fulfill them, because Scarecrow, cowinner of the 1973 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize, has a heart as big as its cross-country journey. Its hard-luck drifters drift permanently into our souls. This is due to teamwork of a high order: The moving performances of Hackman and Pacino, the sensitive direction of Jerry Schatzberg and the glowing landscape cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond. Hit the road with these two. You'll find the trip unforgettable.
For thoughts on Scarecrow, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Warner Archive provided Scarecrow with a strong 1080p master transfer in 2.39:1 when it was released in 2017 sourced from a new 2K scan of the Interpositive. The cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond is handled with care thanks to the retention of the natural film grain. The transfer unveils great detail and clarity in many background elements and costumes. Black levels are fairly deep, and highlights stay firm with nothing blown out. The film is primarily clear of shortcomings with little damage or dirt lingering. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues are avoided in this transfer. The film presents complex colors within the costumes and the environments that are not overly vibrant yet appear natural. Warner Archive has done a nice job with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that is accurate to the intended soundscape of the feature. The film is not overly reliant on a score, but the diegetic and non-diegetic music comes through with respectful fidelity. Dialogue emanates clearly to capture all of the nuances of the exchanges. The more bustling moments are handled favorably and give the track a bit of texture. There is no serious age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. The audio presentation matches the quality established by the video side of things. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.
Special Features
On The Road with Scarecrow:
A four-and-a-half-minute archival featurette that gives a promotional overview of the production of the film.
Trailer (3:21)
Final Thoughts
Scarecrow is a really engaging road movie that finds two distinct, complicated characters fumbling their way across a number of states, making poor decisions while in search of redemption. With two of our greatest performers in the spotlight, the acting craft on display is unbelievable. These two are able to bring an emotional honesty to the characters even when you find some of their actions baffling. This film is not as known as it should be in the pantheon of '70s cinema, but hopefully it will get the respect it deserves at some point. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that sports a lovely A/V presentation and a brief selection of special features. Recommended
Scarecrow can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
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