The western genre is one that can be hard to wade through if you do not have a solid lay of the land. There was a time when the genre reigned supreme over all others, which meant that there were a lot of stinkers produced alongside those worthy of your attention. Everyone has their preferred stars or directors that they can track in hopes of finding a good one. Otherwise, you have to rely on some solid word of mouth to find the so-called “hidden gems” over the decades. One director you could almost always count on is John Sturges, who was a prolific director for the first half of his career before really finding his creative groove in the latter half. It was right around the time of Bad Day At Black Rock in 1955 when things started to fall into place and led him to classics such as The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape. Right before this change, he crafted a solid little western called Escape From Fort Bravo in 1953. The film does not reinvent the genre, but it shows a solid foundation of skill from Sturges and the cast to make it a worthy use of your time.
The narrative itself is a classic tale of unintended romance mixed with the thrill of prison break. Set during the time of the Civil War, Captain Roper (William Holden, Rachel and the Stranger) commands the Union prison outpost Fort Bravo in the Arizona territory. Roper is a strict disciplinarian known for ensuring that no Confederate soldiers stay gone if they attempt to bust out of their confinement. This tough exterior is fractured ever so slightly upon the arrival of Carla Forester (Eleanor Parker, Scaramouche), a beautiful young woman who is visiting to attend the wedding of a friend. Roper has always been more of a no-nonsense fellow, but Carla has a beguiling way about her that shakes him. This is bad news for Roper since Carla is actually on a secret mission to free a group of Confederate prisoners, including her intended fiance Confederate Captain John Marsh (John Forsythe, The Trouble With Harry). It is when the performative romance starts to become genuine that the film really becomes interesting.
In terms of undeniable romances, the pair of Holden and Parker do a decent if not palpable job of creating chemistry out of this heightened situation. The film tells you that the pair are supposed to be victims of passion, but the evidence of that only comes in fits and spurts. Although, Forsythe is not given a great amount to do to give her much of an enticing offer on the other corner of the love triangle. The greatest criticism that can be leveled at this film is that it all plays fairly conventional. The excitement comes not from the narrative twist and turns necessarily, but rather how it is executed by the ensemble and in the direction from Sturges. In addition to our main trio of performers, there are a solid assortment of second-tier characters to appreciate such as John Lupton as the coward Bailey. His character provides an interesting spark near the end of the film that Sturges complements with some engaging shots. It is disappointing to see the story devolve into the stereotypical Native American attack, but there are shots that feel straight out of a medieval epic that work well.
Escape From Fort Bravo is not a world-changing endeavor, but fans of the genre should find it an entry that ranks somewhere in the upper-middle of the pack. There is room for improvement in the story as a whole, but you cannot complain about the execution of what is on the page. John Sturges was really starting to hit his groove, and it great to see traces of that in this project.
Video Quality
Escape From Fort Bravo makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Warner Archive with a brand new 1080p master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative. The only word to describe this presentation is beautiful. The lovely photography shot by Robert L. Surtees sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing, both in the fancy dresses of Carla and in the shabby clothing of the prisoners. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail, but admittedly the close-up shots hold up better than the long shots. There is also some understandable softness when it comes to the dissolves between scenes, but that is more of a source issue. Black levels are very deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and there is virtually no print damage to be found. Warner Archive has given this one the royal treatment.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is as much of a knockout as the video portion. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements so that nothing sounds muddy in the mix. This track shows no discernible age related wear and tear such as popping or hissing. The music complements the competing various sounds quite well, and the score from Jeff Alexander has never sounded better. The conflict that comes late in the film provides the most activity in the soundtrack, and it does so quite well. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. This audio presentation is a perfect representation of the film.
Special Features
- Trailer: A three-minute trailer is provided that shows quite a bit of the film, but does a good job of setting up the stakes.
Final Thoughts
Escape From Fort Bravo is a sturdy western that is propped up thanks to strong performances from the ensemble. The story is not groundbreaking, but some of the technical prowess behind the camera brings some extra energy to the proceedings. Warner Archive has done a wonderful job with this Blu-Ray which sports a stunning A/V presentation. If you are a fan of the genre, you should find this entry quite a treat to add to your collection. Recommended
Escape From Fort Bravo can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers. The release will be available on May 18, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
