The Professionals
Studio: Sony/Columbia Year: 1966 Rated: PG-13 Program Length: 117 minutes Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080p AVC/MPEG-4 codec Languages: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, French Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, Bahasa |
The Program
Maybe there’s only one revolution, since the beginning. The good guys against the bad guys. The question is: Who are the good guys?
The Professionals is a classic, star-studded western in the tradition of The Magnificent Seven. Three mercenaries, Fardan (Lee Marvin), Ehrengard (Robert Ryan), and Jake (Woody Strode), are summoned to a meeting with a wealthy American cattle baron, J.W. Grant (Ralph Bellamy). Grant’s Mexican wife, Maria (Claudia Cardinale) has been kidnapped by a Mexican revolutionary, Raza (Jack Palance). Grant offers the three men $10,000 apiece to cross the border into Mexico and rescue his wife. Fardan, who has been selected to lead the mission, agrees to take the job, but only if he can take along Dolworth (Burt Lancaster), an explosives expert. Fardan and Dolworth know Raza personally from their days fighting with the Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa.
The men begin an expedition across the desert of northern Mexico, where they encounter banditos and oppressive heat while enroute to Raza’s hacienda. Their plan is to create the illusion that Raza is under attack by the Mexican Army, and to spirit Maria away during the ensuing confusion. If that part of the plan succeeds, they will then face the daunting challenge of getting back to the United States alive. Underlying the brisk action is a troubling dilemma which they must deal with when they learn that the situation at Raza’s hacienda is not exactly as they were told.
In addition to the obvious star power, The Professionals benefits from tight direction and a clever script by director/screenwriter Richard Brooks, the stunning cinematography of Conrad Hall, and a sweeping score by composer Maurice Jarre. Brooks received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, and Hall was nominated for Best Color Cinematography. It is a totally engaging and thoroughly enjoyable action film.
The Video
The 1080p Blu-ray widescreen transfer is spectacular. As we saw with the Blu-ray transfer of A Passage to India, Sony has wisely resisted the temptation to scrub the image clean of grain, thereby preserving a look which is pleasingly film-like. Color fidelity is superb throughout and the picture is sharp and crystal-clear. The stunning vistas (the exteriors were filmed in Death Valley and Valley of Fire in Nevada) are shown off to the best advantage possible. Black levels are excellent and shadow detail is generally very good, although there are a few night scenes in which I had difficulty seeing anything in the darkest parts of the image. Overall, however, this is a first-rate Blu-ray transfer which you will be find to be immensely satisfying.
The Audio
The Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 audio is very good and does an excellent job of reproducing the film’s soundtrack. If the various explosions do not quite have the punch of current films, their impact is still very impressive. The dialogue is always clear and intelligible, and Maurice Jarre’s majestic musical score is beautifully rendered.
The Supplements
This Blu-ray release of The Professionals includes the same extras which can be found on the 2005 Special Edition DVD.
First up is a 6-minute featurette entitled “The Professionals – A Classic” in which the film’s significance is discussed by film director Martin Campbell, Burt Lancaster biographer Kate Buford, Lancaster's daughter Joanna, and Claudia Cardinale (the only major cast member who is still alive).
Next is a 12-Minute featurette about the life and career of Burt Lancaster. Author Buford again appears, but most of the screen time is given to Lancaster’s daughter, Joanna. A number of interesting still photos are included, but anyone looking for insight into Lancaster’s often stormy domestic life will have to look elsewhere.
Finally, there is a 23-minute featurette called “Memories from The Professionals.” Claudia Cardinale and Conrad Hall (he died in 2003) speak at length about their experiences while working on the film. There also are some interesting insights from the Mexican actress Marie Gomez, who has a supporting role (and a semi-nude scene) in the film.
Trailers for First Sunday, 21 and Starship Troopers 3: Marauders also are included on this disc.
The Packaging
The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keepcase.
The Final Analysis
The Professionals has always been one of my favorite westerns, and I am pleased to report that it has lost none of its appeal since it was released 42 years ago. It combines the talents of a half-dozen charismatic actors with a literate, witty script, terrific action and sensational cinematography.
The Professionals also features one of the great lines of dialogue in movie history. At one point Lee Marvin’s character, Fardan, is called a “bastard.” His retort, which I will not spoil by repeating here, is what used to be known as a "perfect squelch."
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD10A DVD Player
Sharp LC-42D62U LCD display
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: June 10, 2008
