HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

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

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

This is one of my top ten favorite films of all-time. IMO, I think it's the best written western film ever made. From the first time I watched it during its initial theatrical run until today this film brings complete joy to me unlike any other cinema experience. Thanks for the great review as I patiently await my copy to reach me.





Crawdaddy

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Glad this got high marks, I'm (rather oddly) looking forward to buying this for the umpteenth time.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

I'll have my BRD of this tomorrow and will post my thoughts then, but I'm surprise not more are talking about this release. This is the type of film that would look beautiful in 1080p yet nobody is talking about it. People want more classic films on BRD and have been screaming for high quality action films so I'm taken aback by the lack of discussion around this title. No wonder the studios think that perhaps this consumer segment is not ready for such films on Blu-ray disc. Serves us right for getting such great films like "So I Married An Axe Murderer" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" on BRD.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Thanks for the nice review, Rich.

This release is one of my more anticipated titles. Wasn't sure what I was going to do tonight, but I may have to stop at Fry's and pick up a copy for viewing this evening.

Robert, regarding the other two titles - personally I wouldn't group So I Married An Axe Murderer which is a fun title (and something I will be picking up on Bd) with that other film; but everyone has their opinions.

- Walter.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Every film has its supporters, but I'm just not one of them in regard to either of those two films.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Along with the Sand Pebbles, which I was able to get last week, this is the title I've been most anxious to get all year. In fact, since it was originally announced early on then (thankfully) pulled, it's been one of the titles I've most wanted on the format-period!
Like Robert, this is one of my all time favorite movies. It clicks on every level. It's also the movie that made me seek out more work of Lancaster and Brooks, for which I'm grateful as some of their other films I now count among my favorites as well.

I was counting on bundling this in to a DD sale order today, but for some odd reason neither DD nor DVD Planet even have a listing for the Blu-ray version anymore.
I don't know when I'll be able to get this now.

For those who do have it or will get it soon I would be curious about how manipulated the black levels look- can you still tell that the shadows covering Cardinales breasts (in the US version) are rotoscoped? This has always been apparent on every incarnation of the film I've seen till now, but lately I've noticed that many Sony Bds seem to skew towards crushing the blacks. On Baron Munchausen, for instance, I thought this may have been intentional as a way to mask the grain that was visible on the sd. It does mask the grain, but unfortunately it leaves very little discernable shadow detail and just comes across as trying to be something it isn't.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

I'm a huge fan of the film and am eager to upgrade my DVD but I've grown so accustomed to waiting for price drops on Blu-ray that I don't even pay attention to release schedules anymore. This certainly isn't a hugely overpriced disc but the ridiculous pricing for most BD has so altered my mindset that a "new" title only registers when it hits the Fry's sales circular.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Just finished watching the Bd release. What fun it was to see this again.

I've always maintained that one of the great things about owning a front projector has been the ability to approach theatrical presentations of older films that I have only been able to view via home video. DVD enabled this to occur to a large degree, and the High Definition formats have improved the experience substantially.

Watching The Professionals on Bd this evening was just a terrific experience. There is a scene early in the film (around the 26 minute mark) where Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster are setting side by side and having a conversation. The Bd release really brings out the detail in their faces and makes you feel like you are almost setting across from them, participating in the conversation.

The often repeated phrase "They don't make'em like that anymore" is very appropriate when applied to this wonderful film.

Paul, I don't know specifically which scene you are referring to but I am assuming it is the shot inside her living quarters when Marvin and Lancaster break in. The area around her breasts is darkened, but the scene is so quick that I didn't notice anything too strange about the scene other than I couldn't see her breasts.

Highly, highly recommended release. Couldn't locate it a Fry's so I had to pick it up at Best Buy for about $5.00 more than Fry's; but worth every cent for the pleasure of seeing this again in High Definition.

Edit: Oh yeah, I watched the trailer for Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. Man, did that look cheesy. Might be a good guilty pleasure though; but I kind of doubt that will be the case.

- Walter.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Walter, the scene I was referencing occurs later when they are on the run. They are settled for the night and Cardinales character tries to seduce Lancasters. The scene is dark, lit only by campfire light IIRC, but I've always been able to make out the animated shadows as she tries to tempt him by taking off her top.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

I spent a good part of my afternoon watching this BRD and I want to tell you that Blu-ray as a video format is meant for films such as "The Professionals". I can't believe how much pleasure I enjoyed revisiting one of my favorite films of all-time in 1080p. I want to commend Sony and Grover Crisp for doing such an excellent job capturing Conrad Hall's Oscar nominated cinematography. Furthermore, the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack makes Maurice Jarre's terrific film score sound better than I ever heard it before.

This is what this hobby is all about!




Crawdaddy

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Could not agree more, Robert. I had a great experience viewing this last night.

The landscapes were wonderfully presented and I'm reminded of Hall's work on Cool Hand Luke in terms of visually communicating the environment to the audience. BTW, it had been some time since I watched this film and I had forgotten just how many great lines of dialog this film contained. ( Particularly enjoyed Lee Marvin's closing line to Grant. )

Paul, Cardinale was obscured in the scene you describe. I can't say that the shadows called attention to themselves; but I suspect you will probably notice the same effect on the Bd release.

- Walter.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

There are so many great exchanges of dialogue between the actors in this film. There is that great exchange at the end of the film. However, the exchanges between Lancaster and Marvin are equally great along with one between Lancaster and Palance. Though, I must admit my favorite is between Lancaster and Cardinale when she is tending to Robert Ryan. Cracks me up everytime.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

I said earlier that I would wait for this to pop up in the Fry's circular and lo and behold there it is today for $19.99. Can't say no at that price.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Another option for instant gratification is if you're a Borders Rewards member, this week there is a 30% off coupon. I picked this up from them for $20.29.

Re: HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Professionals

Thanks for the review Richard, looks like I will be replacing my SDDVD, hopefully more films of this time period will look just as good on BR.