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Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia: Imprint Collection #251
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Via Vision Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (21st November 2023). |
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The Film
 When you consider the most divisive filmmakers, Sam Peckinpah is a name that easily comes up. Peckinpah made harsh films, with tough themes, tougher complex and hugely flawed characters, also there was violence, lots and lots of violence. He was a filmmaker that pulled all the punches, and those punches were brutal and occasionally just hits you right in the face - unapologetically. That's why his films split audiences, to some he's a cinema god - a true auteur, and to other he's a vulgar hack and to many of the people he knew, he was always a son of a b*tch. Peckinpah himself was a complicated man, he was occasionally abusive, drank like a fish and manipulated and played mind games with his actors. He was an ultimate villain and his attitude is steeped deeply in every frame of his movies but studios have constantly tried to edit, alter, or change his movies. It's easy to see why many studios are simply either put off or scared to release his material, "The Wild Bunch" (1969) was an orgy of violence (violence not previous seen before in a major Hollywood film, it was stylized and glorified - something that's all too common in today's cinema), "Straw Dogs" (1971) features one of the most shocking rapes captured onscreen, the original cut of "The Killer Elite" (1975) featured heavy graphic violence (which Peckinpah cut himself to achieve a "PG" rating!). He's a filmmaker that's had to make many compromises and his true vision was never seen for years after their theatrical exhibitions - it was 24 years before audiences could finally see the Director's Cut of "The Wild Bunch". In 1974 Sam got to make a long time passion project, and according to the filmmaker, it's a film in which he got to control everything including the final cut. "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" is a difficult film to watch, in fact upon release it was poorly reviewed and was a box office failure. Many critics simply hated the film. However, over the years the film has seen a sort of resurgence as new Peckinpah fans start to discover the filmmakers "other" films or later output that wasn't as popular as his mainstream/commercial movies like "The Getaway" (1972). I've seen this film several times and I'm still on the fence on whether it's a train wreck or a masterpiece. One thing is for sure, the more I watch it, the more I'm able to appreciate it. In "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" a wastrel sometime piano player, Bennie (Warren Oates) finds himself lost in the wilds of Mexico. He and his beautiful, tragic lover, Elita (Isela Vega) stumble upon one last, perilous chance at happiness. In order to claim more money than they've ever dreamed of, all they have to do is retrieve the head of a wanted man. But the path to their ultimate escape is littered with dangers- some, of course, of the fatal variety. One thing is painfully clear upon the viewing of this film, it's quintessentially a Peckinpah film. The themes of lost men, the rhythm, the grittiness, the alcohol-soaked lead character, the violence, all wrapped in the squinty-eyed sun drenched desserts of Mexico. Watching this movie is the equivalent of going on an all night bender in a windowless room and then going outside into the blaring sun, complete with the worst hangover you've ever had. But, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a film about a man who has nowhere else to go, and nothing to lose, not the rosiest of pictures but amid the darkness there are bright spots. One of those bright spots is the actor encapsulating this tormented figure, the great Warren Oates. He's so incredibly perfect for this role he may as well be Bennie. Oates has always impressed and it's a shame he wasn't as big a name as his contemporaries like Steve McQueen or William Holden. He always delivered solid, natural, often understated and always believable performances, a true professional in every sense of the word. On a technical level the film's score by Jerry Fielding and the photography by Álex Phillips Jr. are two more bright spots, and at this point it can be difficult to conjure up any more. As I said the film is a difficult watch, Bennie, is not the typical anti-hero and there's not a lot to like about him. His plan for one last attempt at happiness is vile, degrading and lacking in morals. Peckinpah paints a harsh world- "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" is often dreary, depressing and moves at its own pace and never ends well. It has tested my patience at times but in the end I always manage to make it through each viewing. There's something new to explore each time, and that curiosity keeps me coming back. Peckinpah manages to do something very few filmmakers have, he turns his audience into the abused, and like many abusive relationships, we keep coming back, knowing full well that we should walk away.
Video
Before I get into the transfer I want to address that the packaging states that this is the 2017 restoration, that version was previously used on Arrow's UK release. Additionally it was also used for Kino Lorber's US release (but initially mistakenly used the older 2015 mastering and a replacement disc was issued for the KL release). It appears as though Imprint has actually used the older 2015 mastering that MGM did which was previously licensed to the now defunct Twilight Time. It's unclear at this time whether this was a mistake or not, or whether Imprint will press a correction disc with the "advertised" on the packing 2017 mastering. Presented in a widescreen ratio of 1.85:1 mastered in high definition 1080p 24/fps using AVC MPEG-4 compression. This 2015 transfer is somewhat flawed. The major issue is that the print isn't as clean as it could be, there are specks that pop up on occasion as does some print damage, contrast is not consistent and some heavy noise is evident in many darker scenes. The blacks look muddy. Onto the pros, the overall image does well showing off its natural colors, skin tones look good. It was a transfer that even back in 2015 could have been better, and knowing that we do have better in the 2017 transfer feels like a kick in the teeth considering Imprint's premium pricing. One thing is for certain is that this film is long overdue for a proper 4K UHD restoration.
Audio
A single audio track is included in English LPCM 2.0 mono, the good news is that this appears to be the film's original audio track, so purists will be happy. The audio track appears clean or any hiss, pops or other age-related issues normally associated with films of this age. The bad is that the audio lacks any dynamics, while dialogue is well presented, everything else from the directional effects to the score feel cramped, there's no range here. Which is a shame. Subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
Imprint has released this film with a plethora of bonus features, more extras that any previous edition, Below is a closer look at these supplements. DISC ONE: There are four audio commentaries and the first is from Film Historian and Peckinpah Scholar Mike Siegel, this is an excellent track that takes a closer look at the director's career, his vision for the film, and anecdotes on the filming process. Siegel has wide ranging knowledge of Peckinpah and offers incredible insight for film fans. The second audio commentary is with co-writer/co-producer Gordon Dawson and moderator Nick Redman. Redman does a great job of moderating this discussion, as he essentially offers up a feature-length Q&A with Dawson, covering the film's long development, working with Peckinpah and on the making of the film among other things. This is a true gem of a track. The third audio commentary features Peckinpah scholars Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, and David Weddle and moderator Nick Redman. All participants have written about Peckinpah and they offer their insight into the man's career and more importantly on this film. There's a lot of information to digest in this track but again, it's all gold and fans of the filmmaker will not want to miss listening to this track either. The fourth and final audio commentary features Peckinpah scholar Paul Seydor, director's assistant Katy Haber, and moderator Nick Redman. This track offers another perspective from the director's assistant as well as additional insights from Seydor. An isolated score track is presented here, you can listen to Jerry Fielding's score while watching the film. "Passion & Poetry: Sam’s Favorite Film" (55:39) is a documentary, this feature takes an in-depth look at the making of this film and features some terrific interviews with Peckinpah's family and friends as well as people he worked with. Next up is "A Writer's Journey: Garner Simmons with Sam Peckinpah in Mexico", a featurette (26:01). This is a neat clip that takes a look at how Simmons started with writing a book about the filmmaker to being invited onto the set of the film. "Passion & Poetry in Locarno: Katy Haber on Alfredo Garcia" featurette (13:21) this clip takes a look at the genesis of the production and features yet more archival interviews from key personnel. "Portrait of the Artist as a Dead Man: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and Sam Peckinpah’s Last Chance" featurette (27:24) this is essentially a new video essay by film writer Travis Woods. "Animated Galleries: are slideshow that include: - "Promoting Alfredo Garcia" (5:58) that features printed material. - "Filming Alfredo Garcia" (15:45) that features behind-the-scenes photographs. The film's original theatrical trailer (1:58) is included as well as a collection of US >b>TV spots (4:35). DISC TWO: "Passion & Poety: The Ballad of Sam Peckinpah" 2005 documentary (120:00) produced by Film Historian and Peckinpah Scholar Mike Siegel is a fantastic piece that delves into the filmmaker's legacy and features some wonderful rare footage. This also features an audio commentary by Siegel as he comments on the process of making this documentary and why it took so long to produce, he spent nearly a decade on it. "Stories on a Storyteller" documentary (with a Play All option), features more archival interviews, there's some repetition here but worth exploring, it's broken down into three parts: - Part 1: The Westerner (29:36) - Part 2: Art and Success (36:38) - Part 3: Poet on the Loose (38:37) "Mike’s Home Movies: Behind the Scenes, Retrospectives & Festivals" featurette (14:08) this is footage shot from various festival and special screenings of the film. "The Passion & the Poetry Project: Mike Siegel and His Works on Sam Peckinpah" documentary (43:35) this takes a closer focus on the work of Siegel. "Passion & Poetry with Peckinpah in Portugal" featurette (23:27) is a look at a retrospective done at the Encontros Cinematograficos in Portugal from 2022. "Passion & Poetry Restoration Comparison" featurette (2:32) before and after comparisons from the film's restoration process. Another theatrical trailer (3:30) rounds out the supplements.
Packaging
Packaged in 2 keep cases housed in a top loading hard box. Limited edition of 1500 copies only.
Overall
This is a hard one, on the one side the transfer is inferior to the 2017 version which is promised on the packaging, but the extras are stupendous and this edition features the most complete set of supplements. So it's really up to you, if you own the Arrow release of the KL release you may consider holding onto them and decide whether the price is worth it for the added value supplements of this Imprint Limited Edition release.
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