John Wayne’s final film The Shootist gets a wonderful 2K Remaster and a host of extras thanks to Arrow Video and their Blu-Ray Limited Edition Set.
The Film
The Shootist could have been a sentimental ode to the legend of John Wayne. In the hands of director Don Siegel, the film is more of a critique of legends and how much is fact and how much is fiction.
J.B. Brooks (Wayne) is a man with a legacy of violence. One time Sheriff turned gunslinger who’s killed upwards of 30 men heads has headed to Carson City, Nevada. He needs confirmation from a trusted Doc Hostetler (James Stewart). Brooks gets the worst news imaginable– he is going to die in the next few months of cancer. As Brooks begins to settle in his final days in the care of Hostetler taking up residence in the boarding house of Bond Rogers (Lauren Becall) – life has no such plans to let Brooks go quietly. From plucky fanboys (Ron Howard) to sheriffs (Harry Morgan) to ex-flames (Sheree North) to crass journalists (Rick Lenz) to wannabe gunfighters (Bill McKinney, Richard Boone, and Hugh O’Brien) all want a piece of the man and his infamy. Will Brooks be able to pass away the way he wants?
The pairing of Siegel and Wayne proved to be the type of final collaboration that infused Wayne’s final performance with a sort of cynicism that electrifies the film. Wayne as Brooks is a man leery of anyone and everyone thinking they want a piece of him. His instincts prove him right most of the time. The way the actor’s real-life battle with cancer as he was making the film bleeds through the screen imbues the entire performance with a physicality that cannot be faked or performed by the best method actor. Wayne is literally Brooks facing his mortality and the final twilight moments of his life.
Siegel’s work in the genre has always been stark and altogether arresting (see Riot in Cell Block 11 or The Killers or Dirty Harry). The Shootist finds him in that same sort of stark tone of a man trying to go out in a blaze of glory. Though cynical but never so dour as to be distracting, Siegel constantly keeps Wayne and the film’s dignity in his eyesight. The film is a tricky balance of tone that the director handles with the sort of adroit touches that few would have. Even the way that the director handles the supporting/cameo roles from luminaries like Stewart, Becall, Morgan, and Howard never feels arched or “important” only aimed towards telling the story.
The Shootist ends as one expects and that isn’t the surprise here. What is surprising is the considered filmmaking skill that Seigel, Wayne, and Company give everything leading up to the finale the weight that the final film from one of the biggest stars to ever grace the big screen should. In that regard, The Shootist is one of the best if not the best final films. A true swan song for John Wayne.
The Transfer
The all-new 2K remaster by Arrow Films from the original 35mm camera negative is a great representation of its 35mm origins. The image for the most part is clean and free of any dirt, hair, specks, or scratches. The sharp transfer is the kind of fine grain shot on 35mm image that has never looked better (even on film) than it does on Blu-ray. This updated transfer is worth the price of admission.
The Extras
They include the following;
- Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger
- The Last Day, a new visual essay by film critic David Cairns
- A Man-Making Moment, a new interview with Western author C. Courtney Joyner
- Laments of the West, a new appreciation of Elmer Bernstein’s score by film historian and composer Neil Brand
- Contemplating John Wayne: The Death of a Cowboy, a new visual essay by filmmaker and critic Scout Tafoya
- The Shootist: The Legend Lives On, archival featurette
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
The all-new audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger begins with a discussion of the opening moment – and the beginning of the tumultuous relationship between Siegel and Wayne. Some of the details include the deal that was made for the novel the film is based on; the casting and deal-making for John Wayne – including the details on how he wanted certain actors in the film; the dealing with cancer on screen and Wayne’s thoughts on it; the on-screen work of Wayne and James Stewart; the differences between the novel and the film – including character changes made to better suit Wayne; the work of Lauren Becall – including some great anecdotes including some great one-liners Becall threw towards Siegel and Wayne; the work of Don Siegel – including a discussion of his rise through the studio ranks and how that informed on his directorial style; a discussion of the work of composer Elmer Bernstein; a larger discussion of the various locations used – including the various real-life locations in Carson City and the studio work done; a larger discussion of the various actors and crew members that appeared/worked on the film; and much more. Berger’s track is thoroughly researched, including quotes from various sources and interviews.
The Last Day (28:26) – is an all-new visual essay by film critic David Cairns that discusses the making of the film. This essay is beautifully written and edited and covers the varied career of The Shootist director Don Seigel and star John Wayne. The essay tracks the director’s and star’s career, various films of importance, Seigel’s work as an editor, Seigel’s work with Clint Eastwood, Seigel’s style and visual acumen and his approach to violence, Wayne’s and Seigel’s collaboration – including a discussion of the issues that each faced working with one another, and much more. Carins’ essay is thoroughly researched with quotes from interviews and articles on the director’s career and the themes and topics that he worked through.
A Man-Making Moment (40:27) – is an all-new interview with Western author C. Courtney Joyner. Joyner’s interview’s primary focus is the author of The Shootist Glendon Swarthout. The interview discusses the various projects his novels/shorts became feature films; the life of the author; his success outside of the Western (including Where the Boys Are, Bless the Beast and Children); a discussion of what made Swarthout’s Westerns different – including examples; the deal that was put in place with The Shootist; the development of The Shootist; and much more.
Laments of the West (26:30) – is an all-new appreciation of Elmer Bernstein’s score by film historian and composer Neil Brand. Brand’s discussion is the context in which Bernstein’s score came to be in the film. Furthermore, Brand dissects the score itself and how Bernstein and Seigel collaborated on this score. The themes, the score itself, and examples are given to the various theories that the historian has. For any score enthusiasts will definitely not want to miss out on this featurette focusing on something that is rarely focused on in special features – the score.
Contemplating John Wayne: The Death of a Cowboy (22:32) – is an all-new visual essay by filmmaker and critic Scout Tafoya that looks at the complicated legacy that John Wayne left with his personal, professional, and political life. This is such a critique and look at the darker and dare I say vile side of Wayne that Arrow and Paramount have placed a warning at the beginning of the essay stating as such. That warning isn’t an indication of a “hit piece” but rather a warning to people who hold this “legend” in high regard this is not a puff piece but rather a deeply felt, researched, and leveled discussion of a man who life America put a great face on but had troubling often times revolting things to say about those that weren’t like him – White and Male. It’s truly fascinating. Tafoya does get to director Seigel and the making of the film and what makes The Shootist so brilliant. The essay like the others on this set is marvelously produced and should not be missed by anyone. In fact, I would say if there were only one featurette that one should watch this compelling special feature.
The Shootist: The Legend Lives On (18:26) – is an archival featurette that looks at the career of John Wayne and specifically The Shootist it being the final film for Wayne. Beginning with the origins of the novel, its development, the film’s development, the casting of John Wayne (plus the casting what-if of George C Scott who was initially cast), the all-star supporting cast, the hiring of Don Siegel as the director, the film’s production and much more. This featurette from the DVD era of home video is handsomely produced with interviews by author’s son Miles Swarthout, producer’s son Michael Francovich, producer William Self, and others.
Theatrical trailer (3:19)
Image gallery – the gallery consists of 48 posters, production stills, and lobby cards. The gallery is navigated by using your remote’s next and back chapter stop buttons.
The Final Thought
Arrow Video has done a masterful job of creating a definitive edition of The Shootist. Highest Possible Recommendations!!!!