The Misfits Blu-ray
Studio: MGM/Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Year: 1961
Rated: Not Rated
Film Length: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1080p High Definition Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, French Mono, Spanish Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Release Date: May 10, 2011
The Movie
The Misfits is the story of Roslyn(Marilyn Monroe), a heartbroken divorcee who may learn to love again when she meets aging cowboy Gay Langland(Clark Gable) and his pals Perce (Montgomery Clift) and Guido(Eli Wallach). Roslyn must decide whether love or ideals should prevail when there is a conflict between the two.
The Misfits is one of those films that constitutes a perfect storm of talent in front of the camera as well as behind the scenes. The melancholy tone of the film is apropos to the real-life trials and tribulations of the actors. Clark Gable passed away shortly after completing this film. Marilyn Monroe idolized Gable as a child and had the opportunity to act opposite Gable in this film, and she probably never suspected that this would be the last complete film for her in her lifetime. Montgomery Clift completed only a few more films after this one before his demise. The Misfits benefits from an original screenplay by playwright, and Monroe ex-husband, Arthur Miller, and direction by John Huston(The African Queen, The Maltese Falcon). The great Thelma Ritter plays Roslyn's friend Isabelle.
The Misfits is in many respects a film that was ahead of its time. The downbeat tone of the film was probably off-putting to movie audiences in 1961. 50 years later and movie audiences are more accustomed to seeing less conventional films like The Misfits.\
As has been reported elsewhere, the original studio logo at the beginning of the film has been replaced with a modern day MGM logo. I look forward to the day when film studios decide to show proper deference and respect to their history and retain the original logos on these classic films instead of replacing them with whatever logo happens to be in vogue this week (or year).
Video
The movie is in 1080p high definition in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio using the AVC codec on a 50GB dual layer disc. Minor grain is present with good shadow detail, solid blacks, and excellent fine detail as well. Some close-ups have a softer look but this is certainly attributable to the photography techniques of the time rather than indicative of any excess DNR applied to this transfer. The Misfits was created in the era of "vaseline on the lens" to soften close-up shots of female stars, and cinematographer Russell Metty(Spartacus, Touch of Evil) undoubtedly knew all the tricks to creating flattering images of his stars.
Audio
The English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio track is adequate. Although the track is mostly crisp and clear, without audible hiss or crackle, volume settings must be raised slightly higher than normal for audible dialogue.
Special Features
The special features are limited to an original trailer(3:43).
Conclusion
The Misfits is an underappreciated gem of a film that has aged much better than most other films from that era. The unconventional aspects of The Misfits actually grant it a slightly more contemporary feel than many other releases from 1961. Video may not be reference quality but it is not terrible either; I doubt the film looked any better upon its original release. Audio is merely average for a 50 year old film. Special features are limited to one original trailer for the film. The Misfits is recommended as an exemplar of old-time movie production with some of the greatest talents that have ever been on the silver screen, even if this film is not the high water mark for most of those talents.
