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Gloria
Studio: Columbia
Year: 1980
Rated: PG
Film Length: 121 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 16X9 Enhanced Widescreen (1.85:1)
Subtitles: English, French, Korean, Spanish
"I am the Man!"
Back in the early days of cable television, you
could count on HBO to recycle films over and over
again until one could easily become sickened by
the repeats. There was one film in particular
that I enjoyed watching over and over again --
that film is, of course, John Cassavete's Gloria,
a gritty story about a hardened woman who protects
a six year-old who has been targeted by the mob.
While I doubt the film was a success theatrically,
there is little doubt that its cable run for years
later garnered it many fans who have been patiently
awaiting this DVD release.
Jack (Buck Henry) is an accountant for the mob who
finked to the FBI and now his family and kids are
marked. As the mob closes in on the family's
apartment building, their 6 year-old son Phil
(John Adames) is left in the care of the neighbor,
Gloria (Gena Rowlands). Phil's family is executed,
but not before Phil escapes with his father's ledger
in hand. Gloria, begged by the family to hide the
boy, is torn between saving this boy and saving her
own hide. Thus begins a cat and mouse game where
mobsters chase Gloria and Phil all over New York
City, doing whatever it takes to get that ledger
back in their hands. Though Gloria doesn't initially
care for the young boy (she hates all children),
she slowly develops a fondness and ultimately a
devotion to the child.
Gena Rowland is in top form in highly a powerful
performance. Watching her play a tough-talking and
streetwise protagonist is very reminiscent of the
type of characters James Cagney used to play. It's
a marvel to watch this woman make the transition from
a selfish gun-moll who hates kids to selfless mother.
Her role earned her a 1980 Oscar nomination for
Best Actess. It's hard not to fall in love with
John Adames, who is just adorable as tough-talkin'
Phil ("I'm the Man!") who seems to be the only
person who can torment Gloria and walk away unscathed.
How is the transfer?
Unfortunately, the transfer of Gloria is
very uneven. Don't be scared by the absolutely
filthy title credits -- once they end the film
cleanses itself with its unspoiled shots of New
York City and Brooklyn. These sequences look
very good, and it actually gives you high hopes
for the rest of the transfer. Alas, once we get
inside the apartment building with its lurking
mobsters, the interior shots become muddy-looking,
losing much detail and exhibiting noticeable grain.
This is the manner in which rest of this transfer
continues, switching between exterior street scenes
that look clear and detailed to a few interior shots that
look dark and slightly muddy. This isn't a bad
transfer by any means, but it is certainly not one
that has gone through any extensive restoration.
While the mono audio is absolutely flat here,
residing in the upper dynamic range, the dialogue
and Bill Conti's score comes through with acceptable
clarity.
Special Features
Columbia is offering a bare-boned release which
is not at all surprising since this really isn't
a high-profile title. What does upset me is that
the studio has neglected to include the film's
original theatrical trailer. Instead, there are
trailers for Little Nikita and The Odessa
File.
Final Thoughts
Written and executed at the height of Cassavetes
career, Gloria is a powerful and captivating
film that is easily absorbed and highly entertaining.
If you haven't seen this film, do yourself a favor
and give it a rental. Odds are, you'll want a copy
to keep for yourself afterwards.
Release Date: February 25, 2003
All screen captures have been further compressed.
They are for illustrative purposes only and do not
represent actual picture quality
