My review of bothThe Life Aquaticon Blu-ray andRed Riverfollows after the jump.
Thats harder to finance, and so the project stumbles.
But perhaps more importantly, he has an inheritance.
Did ten years change my opinion?
Or did his subsequent films?
All my quibbles would be minor if the film didnt feel a little unfocused.
Image via Touchstone
But its also his most slack film, which may be why its his longest movie.
But, that all said, there are so many pleasures to get out of the film.
It could grow, but if push came to shove, Id throw onThe Darjeeling Limitedbefore it.
Image via Touchstone
The film is accompanied by a commentary by Anderson and co-screenwriterNoah Baumbach, which was recorded in a cafe.
This is as obnoxious as it sounds, though both are open about their process.
The film also comes with a documentary This is an Adventure (51 min.)
byAlbert Maysles,Antonio FerreraandMatthew Prinzingthat was done especially for the Criterion release.
Its a fly on the wall look at the films production.
There are nine deleted scenes (5 min.)
that amount to snippets cut from the movie.
Mondo Monda (16 min.)
Its a little too cute for its own good.
There are also cast and crew interviews (36 min.
As shot for the film, Seu George played ten David Bowie songs (40 min.)
Also included are photos and a design gallery, a more standard making of featurette (15 min.)
and the films theatrical trailer.
Howard HawksRed Riveris a defining work, but it also feels like a transition point.
The only survivor is Matt Garth, who got away with a bull.
Dunson takes Matt in and raises him as a son.
And so they must go on a cattle drive.
This gets into spoiler territory, but (to be fair) the film is over sixty years old.
Its shocking and almost wrong for the film.
In his classic works, Hawks has very little interest in villains or villainy.
Really, onlyScarfacegives decent screen time to a bad guy.
Here he gets to show that he could play an antihero.
The narratives are not alike at all, but the attitudes are the same.
But that doesnt stop the film from being so entertaining and engaging, from being a master work.
There are two DVDs and two Blu-rays included with identical content.
On the first disc is the films theatrical cut (127 min.
These are gorgeous transfers, and the black and white photography byRussell Harlanis well preserved.
The supplements are not extensive, but strong.
On the first discPeter Bogdanovichis interviewed about the movie (17 min.)
and covers the basics, while the interview Bogdanovich conducted with Hawks (16 min.)
is also included, along with a trailer for the film made for the films home video release.
andLee Clark Mitchell(13 min.)
Theres also a 1969 interview with writer Borden Chase (10 min.)
that focuses mainly onRed River, and the Lux Radio Theater adaptation from 1949 (59 min.
), which featured Wayne, Dru and Brennan.
