Two Rode Together Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by John Ford
USA 1961

This rather atypical late (1961) John Ford western stars James Stewart as a cynical marshal hired to negotiate with the Comanches for white prisoners and Richard Widmark as a cavalry officer who comes along with him. Not a film with any of the resonance of The Searchers, despite a certain similarity in theme, but interesting nonetheless.

Excerpt from Jonathan Rosenbaum's capsule at the Chicago Reader located HERE.

Stewart is the Marshall on a mission to rescue some whites captured by the Comanche. In it for the money rather than any sense of justice, he just wants to get the job over and done with. However, accompanied by cavalry officer Widmark, he is forced to re-evaluate his philosophy when matters come to a head. Not Ford at his best, but the three-dimensional performances and an unusually dark atmosphere make for an above average, occasionally gripping western.

Excerpt from Channel 4 located HERE

Trivia: This was the last film in which James Stewart wore his familiar cowboy hat. Up to this point, he had worn it in all his westerns since "Winchester '73", except "Broken Arrow". This was Stewart's first film with John Ford, and Ford didn't want him to wear it as he thought it was the worst looking cowboy hat he had ever seen. As Stewart said in the documentary, "A Wonderful Life", Ford relented, but got back at him in their next western, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", when he didn't let Stewart wear a hat at all.

Posters

Theatrical Release: July 26th, 1961

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Comparison:

Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL vs. Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - LEFT

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) The Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	Universal Home Video - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL	Twilight Time Region FREE - Blu-ray	The Masters of Cinema Spine #158 Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:44:32 (4% PAL Speedup)	1:49:00.575	1:49:00.200
Video	1.85:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.95 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 33,551,955,488 bytes Feature: 32,784,728,064 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 38,855,831,753 bytes Feature: 34,341,740,352 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.43 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate: Twilight Time Blu-ray
Bitrate: MoC Blu-ray
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0) French, German, Italian, Spanish (all in Dolby Digital 2.0)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1070 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1070 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Isolated Score: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1830 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1830 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Isolated Score: LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English, English (hoh), French, German, Italian, Spanish, None	English (SDH), none	English (SDH), none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Universal Home Video (UK) Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: January 23rd, 2006 Keep Case Chapters: 28	Release Information: Studio: Twilight Time Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 33,551,955,488 bytes Feature: 32,784,728,064 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Isolated Score Track • Original Theatrical Trailer (3:08) • Extensive Julie Kirgo liner notes and film art package Limited Edition of 3,000 Units Blu-ray Release Date: May 7rth, 2014 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters: 12	Release Information: Studio: The Masters of Cinema Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 38,855,831,753 bytes Feature: 34,341,740,352 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.43 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Isolated music and effects track • Rebirth A New and exclusive video essay on the film by Ford expert and scholar Tag Gallagher (12:40) • Trailer (3:08) • PLUS: A BOOKLET featuring new writing on the film. • DVD Blu-ray Release Date: March 13th, 2017 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 7

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Masters of Cinema Blu-ray - March 17': Again, from the same 1080P 'restoration transfer' the Masters of Cinema is almost exactly the same a/v presentation as the Twilight Time. It also has a max'ed out bitrate and I couldn't distinguish between the discs running one immediately after the other (thanks to wife for the test!).

Linear PCM as opposed to DTS-HD Master and I'll leave that debate to others on which encode is superior - my ears couldn't detect any significant difference and the Masters of Cinema offers an isolated score track and the option of English (SDH) subtitles. The score was composed by George Duning (The Eddy Duchin Story, 3:10 to Yuma, Jeanne Eagels, The Shadow on the Window, Tight Spot, etc.) and sounds flat but supportive to the film's onscreen activity and western themes.

The big inclusion by Masters of Cinema is the new, 13-minute, video essay on the film by Ford expert and scholar Tag Gallagher entitled Rebirth. As with all of Tag's work it is excellent analyzing Ford, themes and bringing up relevant production details. There is also a trailer and the UK package has a liner notes booklet featuring new writing on the film. Being 'dual-format' has a second disc, DVD.

So - a duplicate excepting the addition of the visual essay, booklet and DVD. With those, the Masters of Cinema garner the ;'definitive' moniker on Blu-ray for this wonderful Ford western. Thanks Moc!

***

ADDITION: Twilight Time - Region FREE Blu-ray - May 2014: As far as I know, Two Rode Together has not had an NTSC release on digital. It's a John Ford western making this Blu-ray have some importance. I wouldn't rate it as 'primo' Ford, but it is still a solid effort in the western genre with some big stars in the cast. It notably improves over the PAL SD - cleaner, sharper, crisper - skin tones warm, It has a bit of depth and the dual-layering, with max'ed out bitrate, supports the textures to a higher degree. It also offers more information in the frame, considerable on the side and top edges. Visuals are, all-around, tighter. An authentic mono track is kept - in uncompressed linear PCM. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles.

Extra consist of an isolated score, an original theatrical trailer and some liner notes by Julie Kirgo. I can see this Blu-ray going out-of-print as it is limited to 3,000 units. Ford fans shouldn't hesitate.

***

ON THE DVD: The transfer is fairly weak - dirty, lots of digital noise, colors are occasionally dull, and detail is rather unremarkable. Still, it is progressive and anamorphic set to sell in Regions, 2,4 (Australia) and 5. I believe it is transferred from the correct standard for DVD playback (PAL). No extras but the current price is right, so as this is not out in region 1, we recommend on the basis of the film. A solid western.

Gary W. Tooze

Menus

The Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' Blu-ray

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Subtitle Sample

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) The Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

Screen Captures

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) The Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) The Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) The Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Universal - Region 2,4,5 - PAL TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

More Blu-ray Captures

Recommended Reading for Western Genre Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)


The Crowded Prairie: American National Identity in the Hollywood Western (Cinema and Society) by Michael Coyne	The Invention of the Western Film : A Cultural History of the Genre's First Half Century (Genres in American Cinema S.) by Scott Simmon	The Searchers (Bfi Film Classics) by Edward Buscombe	The Western Genre by John Saunders	Westerns: Films through History (AFI Film Readers) by Janet Walker	The Encyclopedia of Westerns (The Facts on File Film Reference Library) by Herb Fagen, Tom Selleck	Gunfighter Nation: The Myth of the Frontier in Twentieth-Century America by Richard Slotkin	The Western (Inside Film) by David Lusted	Red River (Bfi Film Classics) by Suzanne Liandrat-Guigues

Check out more in "The Library"

Box Covers

Distribution

Universal Home Video - Region 2, 4, 5 - PAL

Twilight Time

Region FREE - Blu-ray

The Masters of Cinema Spine #158
Region 'B' - Blu-ray

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