A tough action picture laced with some comedic interludes, Robert Aldrich’s Emperor of the North is one of those movies from the 1970s that it’s hard to imagine not being a big success in its day. Today, it plays like gangbusters with an agreeable number of action sequences abetted with some comedy that only occasionally seems to come from nowhere and atmospheric sequences that establish the depression era period just enough to seem realistic. And with three Oscar winners in the leading roles, it’s got a great re-watchability factor going for it as well.
Studio: Fox
Distributed By: Twilight Time
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HDMA
Subtitles: English SDH
Rating: PG
Run Time: 2 Hr.
Package Includes: Blu-ray
keep caseDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: All
Release Date: 09/08/2015
MSRP: $29.95
The Production Rating: 4/5
It’s 1933 at the height of the Great Depression, and hoboes jumping the rails for free train rides is rampant, but not on Engine 19 overseen by the malicious conductor Shack (Ernest Borgnine). Anyone caught bumming a ride on his train better be prepared to pay with his life which makes the temptation for A No. 1 (Lee Marvin), a legendary rail jumping hobo, to state positively that he’ll ride #19 from Spokane to Portland in spite of Shack. Brash newcomer-to-tramping Cigaret (Keith Carradine) is convinced he’s every bit the hobo that A No. 1 is and is determined to make the trip, too, to establish his claim to being the best even if it means tarnishing the reputation of the current champion.
Christopher Knopf’s screenplay establishes Shack’s murderous attitude toward tramps in a brutal pre-credit sequence where we see just how sadistically businesslike he is with his job. Of course, the film then turns into a battle of iron wills pitting the number one train guard against the number one rail jumper for final supremacy, and as in all great cinematic fights, the tide turns continually during the film’s two-hour running time with A No. 1’s cool demeanor and traveled expertise pitted against a cadre of cruel weapons Shack has at his disposal. And amid these peaks and valleys of their ongoing struggle come several crackerjack suspense sequences including an early nail-biting scene where due to the tramps’ machinations, two trains are barreling toward one another at top speeds along with a couple of detours to junk yards and Hoovervilles (the latter location involves making a fool of a policeman played by Simon Oakland which is the film’s biggest bow to slapstick chicanery but seems a bit of an odd fit along with an extended baptism sequence which only seems present to work some women into what is otherwise an all-male story). Director Robert Aldrich stages some beautiful moments for the camera, too: Cigaret climbing off the train and onto a bridge is a spectacular image in long shot, and the climactic fight is staged quite graphically and believably, too, with neither man possessing superhuman strength or stamina. A No. 1’s confrontation with Shack is also continually undermined by the intrusions of the brash idiocy of Cigaret who brays about his hobo expertise but has clearly little experience and often coasts to empty victories on the coattails of others. He is surely the film’s comic antagonist, and it’s to Christopher Knopf’s credit that he didn’t try to soften the story by making Cigaret come around to becoming a real partner to A No. 1 but instead remaining stubbornly a cocky youth who’s all mouth and little skill.
Lee Marvin brings his considerable talent for underplaying to the film and uses it to superlative advantage as A No. 1. Even though there are slight continuity problems with his teeth being ultra-stained in close-ups and pearly white in medium and long shots, his acting is terrific all the way through as he maneuvers his way skillfully through traps set by both Shack and Cigaret. Ernest Borgnine returns to the uber-vicious characters he played in his pre-star days (From Here to Eternity, Johnny Guitar, Bad Day at Black Rock) as the merciless Shack. While he becomes almost exaggeratedly agitated near the end as things don’t play out quite as he imagined, he’s still an imposing figure of menace throughout the movie. This was one of Keith Carradine’s biggest roles early in his career, and he nails the brash, egotistical youngster who’s more bluff and bluster than an expert at anything. The film offers a sterling gallery of character actors in small but showy roles: in addition to Simon Oakland as the policeman, there are Charles Tyner as Shack’s bungling assistant, Hal Baylor and Vic Tayback as railroad employees and Liam Dunn and Elisha Cook Jr. as fellow tramps.
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
The film’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is faithfully rendered in this gorgeous 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Sharpness is exemplary in the transfer with details in facial features, hair, and clothes that are most impressive. Color is rich and true without ever being overblown, and skin tones are quite realistic from deeply tan to milky white. Contrast has been consistently rendered throughout, and black levels are excellent with outstanding shadow detail. There are no age-related artifacts at all. The movie has been divided into 24 chapters.
Audio Rating: 4/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono sound mix features an accurate and era-typical blending of beautifully recorded dialogue, Frank DeVol’s entertaining background score, and the atmospheric sound effects that bring the railroad era of the Great Depression to life. There are no age-related problems with hiss, crackle, or flutter to mar the listening experience.
Special Features Rating: 3/5
Audio Commentary: cinema professor Dana Polan does a good (though occasionally repetitious) job with stating the film’s themes, motifs, and techniques for the viewer in a conversational style that makes for easy listening. A little more information about the richly eclectic male cast might have been welcome in an otherwise fine commentary track.
Isolated Score Track: Frank DeVol’s score is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo.
TV Spot Ads (1:32, SD): two ads are presented in montage.
Theatrical Trailer: (3:39, SD)
Six-Page Booklet: contains an entertaining collection of color stills, original poster art on the back cover, and film historian Julie Kirgo’s enthusiastic appreciation of the movie.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Emperor of the North is one of those unjustly overlooked films of its era that is now due for a reappraisal in the next century. It’s vicious and rather ruthless at times, it’s true, but it also carries a heavy amount of entertaining action and suspense along with it and is well worth seeing. There are only 3,000 copies of this Blu-ray available. Those interested should go to www.screenarchives.com to see if product is still in stock. Information about the movie can also be found via their website at www.twilighttimemovies.com or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/twilighttimemovies.
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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