STATE OF GRACE (1990)

Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas was an untouchable gangster hit in 1990. While the Coen brothers produced a solid contender in Miller’s Crossing, everything else went home to get their shine box, like Phil Joanou’s criminal opus, State of Grace, which has since hit the streets on 4K Ultra HD for the first time. Available from Imprint Film in Australia.

Sean Penn stars as an undercover cop, Terry, who returns to his old stomping ground in Hell’s Kitchen. After reconnecting with old pal, Jackie (Gary Oldman), Terry attempts to return to his roots in the Irish mob under the Westies, who are trying to improve their standing next to their more prominent Italian counterparts

State of Grace is a great film, but it’s too long. More specifically, every scene is too long, despite most being significant to the story. However, between Jordan Cronenweth’s sweeping cinematography and Ennio Morricone’s melancholic score, there’s a tragic operatic feeling to the film that creates an almost timeless quality.

To be in a ‘state of grace’ is to be free of sin, or, for a nonsecular definition, a temporary period of good fortune, or to be at peace with oneself. There’s often a moment, scene or interlude in crime films where our characters take refuge inside a church, typically after blood has been violently spilt. Yet they rarely confess or seek any spiritual counsel from a priest or their heavenly father. Are they ignorant of their actions, or are they resigned to their fate in the hereafter? Terry’s journey ponders the futility of criminal life and that grey area between loyalty and morality; themes that give State of Grace a lot of substance, which is somewhat undercut by the film’s central plot of the Westies’ flawed logic behind gaining favour with the mafia.

Spontaneously violent with some Brian De Palma-style slow motion, the film’s often volatile energy comes from Gary Oldman’s chaotic performance as the Westies’ loose cannon. At the same time, his older brother and boss, Frankie, played by Ed Harris, is calm by comparison, but also possibly cinema’s worst gang leader. Sean Penn is his typical moody self as Terry, who has a repetitive romantic entanglement with Jackie and Frankie’s younger sister, Kathleen (Robin Wright), who holds them all in contempt. I wouldn’t say they’re particularly well-developed characters, but together they embody the story’s sad trajectory.

SPECIAL FEATURES

DISC ONE: 4K UHD

Audio commentary by director Phil Joanou & film historian Nick Redman
Isolated Score

DISC TWO: BLU-RAY

1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray of the 4K restoration
Audio commentary by director Phil Joanou & film historian Nick Redman
Isolated Score
NEW Interview with director Phil Joanou
NEW Interview with cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth
NEW Interview with film music historian Daniel Schweiger on the Ennio Morricone score
NEW Interview with producer Ned Dowd
Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Audio: English DTS-HD 5.1 Surround + DTS-HD 2.0 Stereo
Optional English HOH Subtitles

For this 4K release, Imprint have commissioned all new featurettes, including three interviews with the film’s crew members. Always quite talkative and animated, Phil Joanou proves to be a lively subject and looks back on his work on State of Grace fondly. Joanou also provides commentary for a deleted film sequence depicting Frankie’s rise to power. Similarly, cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth also gives a positive recollection of his time working as a first assistant cameraman working alongside his father. As a producer, Ned Dowd’s interview focuses more on the film’s various on-location shooting sites, which is interesting, as such a feat would be difficult to accomplish today. For expert analysis on State of Grace itself, including how the plot ties to real-life events of the era, look no further than Rachel Walther’s written essay included in this set’s hardcover booklet. – by Hannah Lynch

VIDEO AND AUDIO

Restored from the original 35mm negative, the NEW Dolby Vision presentation in 1.85:1 is night and day compared to previous editions. It does lack some sharpness at times, but it’s the colour-grading that makes this 4K treatment stand out. You can almost feel the temperature of the city while the DTS-HD 5.1 Surround track places you at street level. There’s an extra DTS-HD 2.0 Stereo track, which is nicely balanced and English HOH subtitles are included.

State of Grace is certainly underrated, and the film’s stunning 4K restoration and the abundance of extras culminate in the film’s re-evaluation that has gradually occurred over the decades since its release, all the while preserving Joanou’s intended vision.

STATE OF GRACE
(1990, director: Phil Joanou)

★★★★

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