Inscrutable thinker Tom (Gabriel Byrne) is the consiglieri to mob boss Leo (Albert Finney) as rival gangster Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito) starts flexing his new found muscle. Despite his brilliance Tom is his own worst enemy, with terrible luck gambling and an ongoing love/hate affair with Leo’s girl Verna (Marcia Gay Harden). He’s also surrounded by a cast of flunkies and grifters trying to get a piece of the action, including Verna’s brother Bernie (John Turturro) , fast talking Mink (Steve Buscemi), heavy Eddie Dane (J. E. Freeman) and others, but it may be Verna herself who had the biggest grift going, worming her way into Leo’s heart. As the movie opens one of Leo’s thugs is murdered while watching Verna’s every move, and Tom thinks she may be guilty. But everyone quickly forgets about that as alliances are made and double crossed as the power behind the city’s powers ebb and flow across gangsters factions. Tom’s fate is tied to his smarts, but he will need all of them to keep his hat.
The Production: 4/5
I’m sure I saw Miller’s Crossing a few decade’s back but it never really resonated with me, probably because I saw it originally on a butchered VHS copy. This edition is gloriously restored with a new 2k capture and meticulous cleanup. Seeing it as it was originally intended really allowed me to absorb a lot more of what the Coens had plotted out, and as a noir fan from long back those influences really surfaced in this viewing. It didn’t help that as a mob film it was overshadowed by the likes of Goodfellas. But now with the Coen’s legacy cemented it’s great to look back at this early film and see what they valued, from the period costumes, film look, and dialogue to the noir influences it wears on its sleeve.
Note that a number of folks have found a few edits to the film, including one line, “Jesus Tom”, has been removed. Per posters at the Criterion Forum: “The edit on here is a minute-and-a-half to 2-minutes shorter than previous releases, and an e-mail from Criterion that was shared online indicates the Coens made some trims to this version, as they did with their director’s cut of Blood Simple. Oddly, Criterion mentions this nowhere on the release.” – I personally have no quibbles with this, your mileage may vary. It’s not like they replaced tommy guns with walkie talkies.
The character of Tom has grown on me significantly too. As someone who roots for the smart guy in films like this, his ability to remain a mystery to all around him, except perhaps Verna, is truly notable. In a film filled with rapid dialogue his silence speaks volumes. And his ability to not make snap decisions but to be honest, and say “I’ll think about” any given offer is endearing. Which makes it all the more fun as he is constantly being beaten for poor past decisions and alliances. Yet his resilience and ability to find his footing, and his hat, is why we can root for even harder for him.
Overall I liked Miller’s Crossing way better this go around.
Video: 4/5
3D Rating: NA
This new 2k restoration is about as pristine as one can hope as a 1080p endeavor. I’ve harped on Criterion’s slow march to 4K but this seems like a missed opportunity given all the work that went into a 2k restoration for a 2022 release, not going whole hog into 4k hurts. Especially given how lush the look of the original film is, with period costumes, steady closeups on character reactions and opulent sets. There’s plenty of grain from the OCN and maybe the differences a 4k version would have made would have been negligible, but we can still wish.
Otherwise I have no quibbles about what IS here. Clean and pristine with tons of detail and care taken. Colors are great and no artificial sharpening.
Audio: 4/5
As a dialogue heavy film the crisp and clear soundtrack comes through letting the accents shine, as does the musical accompaniment. I’m frustrated to note that I watched half the film in stereo because it doesn’t default to 5.1, but the stereo version was pretty good as well. The 5.1 shines in a few notable scenes, with tommy guns blazing around Leo’s home, the repeater machine gun lighting up a rogue bar, and the explosion that concludes that scene. It’s fun but sparing.
And if you aren’t familiar with Danny Boy, this version will open your eyes and ears.
Special Features: 5/5
- 2K digital restoration, approved by director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, with new 5.1 surround soundtrack mix, presented in DTS-HD Master Audio – This is a huge bump in quality and kudos for Criterion for getting this right
- New conversation between author Megan Abbott and the Coens about film noir and hard-boiled crime fiction – This is the best of the bunch and gets into the Coen’s heads about their thinking and influences
- New interview with actors Gabriel Byrne and John Turturro, moderated by Abbott – Tons of great anecdotes
- New interviews with Sonnenfeld, composer Carter Burwell, music editor Todd Kasow, and production designer Dennis Gassner
- An booklet essay by film critic Glenn Kenny
Repeats:
- Interviews from 1990 with Byrne, Turturro, and actors Marcia Gay Harden and Jon Polito
Overall: 4/5
This isn’t my favorite Coen film by a long shot, but my respect and appreciation for it has risen considerably by this release. And that’s what I love about Criterion the most, it makes those of us who love film in general more aware of what makes films we once dismissed all the more great.
Sam is both a moderator and reviewer at Home Theater Forum and is the voice behind Home Theater United, the Home Theater Forum Podcast which he started with cofounder Brian Dobbs. Sam has long advocated modest, best “bang for the buck” theater components and is loving every minute of this golden age of home audio-visual magic. Sam is a software engineer, a former volunteer firefighter, a current planning commissioner, leader of a large board gaming group and the personal servant of two tuxedo cats.
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