Page 68 - 2022-08-01 Sound & Vision

SHAFT

ALONG WITH Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,
Sha helped launch the Seventies era of so-called “blaxploitation” films
that would dominate the world of Black entertainment for nearly a decade.
Directed by prominent Black photographer Gordon Parks with Richard
Roundtree in the title role and featuring a sizzling soundtrack by Isaac
Hayes, Sha didn’t quite fit the mold of its subsequent ilk. Sure, it was a
crime drama that explored the dregs of society, like pimp Bumpy Jonas
(Moses Gunn), whose daughter is kidnapped, but there’s a key difference:
Sha himself is not a criminal. He’s not a pimp or a drug dealer like the
main characters of Super Fly or Black Caesar—he’s a private detective,
hired to find the Bumpy’s daughter. In 1971, Sha was like a superhero to
the Black community, a Black man who took no guff, dressed sharp, and
THE UNTOUCHABLES talked back to the cops, outperforming them while he was doing it.
Sha arrives in a 1.85:1 digital transfer created in 16-bit 4K from the
original camera negative and mastered with Dolby Vision. Sections too
THOSE SEEKING an accurate account of notorious gangster Al Capone’s
downfall should continue their search elsewhere. But anyone wanting
two hours of thrilling, fact-influenced entertainment need look no
further. Director Brian De Palma’s artful take on Eliot Ness and his squad
of incorruptible treasury agents on a quest to clean up Prohibition-era
Chicago blends hard-hi ing dialogue and career-best performances in an
almost operatic tale of good versus evil. The heroes are brave, imperfect
men making tough choices in order to take down the vilest of criminals.
Kevin Costner’s Ness begins his assignment as straight-arrow as they
come, but discovers along the way just how much he doesn’t know and
how far he’s willing to go to get the job done. His character arc is at the
heart of this gripping story—a transformation driven by violence, loss, and
constant danger.
Every facet of the film design flaunts a nigh-insane level of intricacy, such
that I would argue The Untouchables has never looked quite right on video
until now. Costumes were deliberately textural to help them stand out on
mid-Eighties film stock and the sets emphasized period accuracy above
all else. Though the overall image is slightly darker compared with past
editions, the detail is notable with refreshed color, revived clarity, and a nice damaged were replaced with a duplicate negative in which the original
balance of brights and shadows, courtesy of Dolby Vision. On the other yellow, cyan, and magenta were separated and independently scanned
hand, the cinematography is seldom razor-sharp, which makes the faint before being recombined. The presentation on Ultra HD disc is grainy, which
video noise more noticeable and the curious edges of De Palma’s trademark is not surprising, but an abundance of textural information in close-ups
split-focus diopter shots plain to see. and backgrounds helps resolve the grain
Meanwhile, the Dolby Atmos remix adds structure naturally. By comparison, the
a subtle new dimension to the original regular Blu-ray disc included in the set
soundtrack, with appropriately utilized doesn’t resolve the grain quite as well and
overhead channels, smart placement of therefore looks a bit coarser and gri ier.
effects (a knock, a typewriter), and credible Dolby Vision’s wide color gamut also adds
directionality across the soundstage. Voices a touch more pop to specular highlights
echo quietly in the surrounds, bringing and brings out the camel tone of Sha ’s
the city to life, while complementing the turtleneck, even if the 4K presentation is a
well-cra ed period exteriors that make the tad darker overall. That darkness exists on
environment believable. Ennio Morricone’s the HD Blu-ray as well but without the inky
magnificent score is rich with emotion, blacks and wider dynamic range, and with
making sad parts sadder and triumphant colors that look just a li le fla er.
ULTRA HD BLU-RAY ULTRA HD BLU-RAY
moments even more jubilant, the former Sha includes the original mono mix
STUDIO: Paramount, 1987 STUDIO: Criterion Collection, 1971
aided by a foreboding harmonica, the la er ASPECT RATIO: 2.35:1 ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1 and a stereo remix. Both are LPCM 2.0 and
by resonant drum beats. The low-end was, HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision, HDR10 HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vison, HDR10 sound great, providing clean dialogue and a
however, underwhelming and largely absent AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with AUDIO FORMAT: LPCM 2.0 mono/ nice boost in the midrange and low end that
TrueHD 7.1 core LPCM 2.0 stereo
in the many gunshots and explosions. strengthens the film’s soulful musical score.
LENGTH: 119 mins. LENGTH: 100 mins.
No new extras are supplied for the 35th DIRECTOR: Brian De Palma DIRECTOR: Gordon Parks Criterion Collection gives Sha the usual
anniversary. Instead, mostly lackluster STARRING: Kevin Costner, STARRING: Richard Roundtree, deluxe treatment with a slate of fantastic
2004 feature es are cobbled together from Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, bonus features, including a second Blu-ray
Andy Garcia, Charles Martin Smith, Christopher St. John, Gwenn
past interviews. Though it’s not the home disc with the 1972 sequel Sha ’s Big
Patricia Clarkson Mitchell, Lawrence Pressman
run I was hoping for (Capone liked a good Score! and its own array of bonus features.
baseball analogy), the picture and sound Additionally, there is a booklet with an essay,
are undeniably the best yet for this mob Paramount Criterion interviews with Gordon Parks and Isaac
classic. O CHRIS CHIARELLA Hayes, and more. O BRANDON A. DUHAMEL

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68 August September 2022 soundandvision.com