DARK BLUE (2002) - 4K review

Physical media is often on shaky ground Down Under, so it’s always reassuring when we Australians are treated to a worldwide debut release, which has most recently come in the hardbox form of the neo-noir classic, Dark Blue –Available now on 4K Ultra HD

Whatcha gonna do when Kurt Russell comes for you? That’s the question on the streets of Los Angeles in the days leading up to the Rodney King verdict, which would later throw the city into racially charged chaos. Russell is Sergeant Eldon Perry, a dirty cop who begins to question his evil ways after he’s caught between a series of heinous events instigated by his superior.

Written by David Ayer, fresh off the success of Training Day, this time capsule of sorts attempts to explore a broader picture of corruption while examining the generational impact of police brutality on the film’s polarising central figure. We’re quickly ushered into a department seemingly full of self-justified crooked cops patting them on the back, while Ving Rhames as the morally sound Assistant Chief is not alright. In fact, he’s pretty f***ing far from alright.

If it weren’t for Kurt Russell being one of the many actors who are just amazing to watch, regardless of the role, Dark Blue would be hard to get through, considering the viewer is asked to follow such a reprehensible personality for almost two hours. As someone with an endless fascination with stories about police corruption, this thriller ticks almost every box, but a subplot of retribution established early in the film doesn’t quite materialise. I could have done with a couple of more scenes with Rhames building a case against Perry and his peers, such as the film’s true villain, Deputy Chief Jack Van Meter, played by a very menacing Brendan Gleeson. However, there is a payoff that resembles the climax of …And Justice for All, without giving too much away. It’s satisfying despite being a little odd tonally.

In terms of style, Dark Blue is like a grungier version of L.A. Confidential, operating mostly on the “street level” with some snappy dialogue of a Tarantino flavour. However, it doesn’t have the sudden bursts of frantic energy nor the superior cinematography of classics like To Live and Die in L.A., yet it’s still shot noticeably well and manages to stand out among the bigger hits in its respective subgenre.

SPECIAL FEATURES

DISC ONE: 4K UHD

NEW Dolby Vision presentation on 4K UHD, restored from the original 35mm negative
NEW Audio commentary by film historians Alain Silver and Jim Ursini
Audio commentary by director Ron Shelton
Theatrical Trailer from a NEW 4K restoration of a 35mm internegative
Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 + LPCM 2.0 Stereo
Optional English HOH Subtitles

DISC TWO: Blu-ray

1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray of the 4K restoration
NEW Audio commentary by film historians Alain Silver and Jim Ursini
Audio commentary by director Ron Shelton
NEW Interview with director Ron Shelton
NEW Interview with producers Cotty Chubb & David Blocker
NEW Interview with actress Lolita Davidovich
NEW Interview with composer Terence Blanchard
Code Blue – archival making-of featurette
By the Book – archival interviews with art director Tom Taylor, production designer Dennis Washington, and costume designer Kathryn Morrison
Necessary Force – archival interview with technical advisor Bob Souza
Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
Theatrical Trailer from a NEW 4K restoration of a 35mm internegative
TV Spots
Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 + LPCM 2.0 Stereo
Optional English HOH Subtitles

Dark Blue fans of the old and new variety are in for a treat, supplements-wise, thanks to Imprint commissioning four new interviews by cast and crew members for this release, each running about 15-25 minutes. Having a film’s director and producer(s) give their retrospective thoughts is always a bonus, and luckily, all of this crime thriller’s major players are quite forthcoming. The sit-down with Cotty Chubb and David Blocker gives listeners a nice back-and-forth rapport, but composer Terence Blanchard’s interview proves to be the most interesting due to how he ties his score to the film’s themes.

For an added physical bonus, this set comes with a hardcover booklet complete with a series of vibrant movie stills as well as an essay and production notes. For those who best absorb information via the written word and/or don’t have time for a commentary, Samm Deighan’s essay provides a thoughtful analysis of Dark Blue’s themes of masculinity and police corruption, aptly tying them to (co)scriptwriter James Ellroy’s previous works. – by Hannah Lynch

VIDEO AND AUDIO

About a week before watching Dark Blue, I watched the trailer on IMDb. Which had clearly been kept on the servers since 2002 in all its standard definition glory and “welcome to DVD” energy. The film’s massive upgrade to 4K couldn’t look any better, with its almost aggressive level of contrast that gives the image a lot of texture and detail. The tangerine L.A. colour palette really pops, and the same can be said for the various shades of blue on display.

DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 provides very sharp sound and makes gunshots really crack, but dialogue volume often takes a back seat during noisy scenes. The LPCM 2.0 option is far more balanced.

Overall, I’m very impressed with this all-out edition of Dark Blue, and I’ll be framing the A2-size poster that came included. While I may still be on the fence with 4K as a format, this is, without question, a great home-theatre experience.

DARK BLUE
(2002, director: Ron Shelton)

★★★★½

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