H D - S E N S E I

A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

Four Faces West [Blu-ray]

(Alfred E. Green, 1948)

Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Theatrical: Harry Sherman Productions

Video: Kino Lorber

Disc:

Region: 'A' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:29:58.893

Disc Size: 22,574,172,573 bytes

Feature Size: 19,987,464,192 bytes

Video Bitrate: 26.44 Mbps

Chapters: 8

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: December 19th, 2017

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1557 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1557 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)

Subtitles:

English, None

Extras:

• Western Trailers

Bitrate:

Description: An honest man turned outlaw and running for his life... A marshal with a conscience more just than the law... A gambler whose greatest risks are taken for a friend... A woman whose love for a fugitive knows no danger... These are the four unforgettable characters facing the challenge of their lives when their paths cross on an innocent outlaw's compelling flight to freedom. A one-of-a-kind sagebrush saga, this tough and touching classic is as emotionally charged as it is action-packed. Starring western legend Joel McCrea (The Gunfight at Dodge City, The Most Dangerous Game) with Frances Dee (I Walked with a Zombie), Charles Bickford (The Big Country), Joseph Calleia (Gilda) and William Conrad (The Killers).

The Film:

When his father's ranch faces foreclosure, cowboy Ross McEwen (Joel McCrea) sets out to rob a bank. Leaving an IOU after committing the crime, McEwen makes a successful escape via train, though a rattlesnake bites him in the process. Fortunately for McEwen, nurse Fay Hollister (Frances Dee) is on board to save his life. However, McEwen is far from free and clear, since Sheriff Pat Garrett (Charles Bickford) is hot on his trail. With a reward on his head, McEwen must be careful whom he trusts.

Excerpt from MRQE located HERE

There's something new under the Western sun and Harry Sherman, a producer who has been turning out sagebrush sagas from way back, has hit upon it. He has, if this corner's eyes and ears are not sadly deficient, caused to be fashioned a horse opera in which nary a shot is fired. This surprising item, "Four Faces West," which began a stand at the Globe yesterday, looks askance, as other Westerns have, at deviations from law and order. Its hero, a stalwart who robs a bank (to help his father) and makes an effort to repay, is a lad who is more likely to kiss his girl friend than his horse. And, with a rugged, authentic New Mexico landscape to serve as background, "Four Faces West" emerges not only as a surprising but as an adult and edifying film.

Excerpt from The NY Times located HERE

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

The single-layered Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Four Faces West can be a shade inconsistent in 1080P. Generally the image quality is very strong with nicely-layered contrast, rich, deep black levels, depth and impressive detail. The film's almost exclusive outdoor sequences can look extremely impressive but there are a few scenes that have been compromised from the source or others, like seeing the rattlesnake, that are using stock footage (neither the fault of the transfer). The source is clean with only a few speckles, and I noticed no noise. This Blu-ray gave me a very enjoyable viewing in regards to the picture quality.

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

Audio :

Kino Lorber use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1557 kbps (16-bit) in the original English language. There are the usual western-related effects in the film - horses although minimal gunfire. Paul Sawtell (S.O.S. Tidal Wave, Another Man's Poison, Silver City, The Fly, Denver and Rio Grande) does the score and it sounds standard for the genre. The dialogue was clean and clear. There are optional English subtitles (see sample above) offered and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

Only some western trailers.

BOTTOM LINE:
Four Faces West is an excellent western - worthy of our Top 100 Listing HERE. A superb adventure with Charles Bickford as the legendary Pat Garrett. Joel McCrea is a flawed protagonist, who finds romance and faces moral decisions and an eventual quasi-redemption. The bare-bones Kino Lorber Blu-ray provides a pleasing presentation of a western gem. A commentary would have been justified, although I was thoroughly entertained by the film. Certainly recommended to fans of the genre! NOTE: At the writing of this review it is 37% OFF at Amazon.

Gary Tooze

December 14th, 2017

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