The art of adapting a play was not one that was foreign to the great Robert Altman (M*A*S*H, Popeye) when he took the reins on developing the work of one of our great twentieth century playwrights, Sam Shepard (True West, Cowboy Mouth). In fact, Altman was coming off a trio of stage adaptations including Streamers and the critically adored Secret Honor. In 1985, the inimitable auteur tackled the southwestern melodrama Fool For Love, which had originated only two years prior on stage on its way to being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. To tackle a text that is such a hotbed of interpersonal angst, you need someone who truly knows it inside and out to help bring it to life, which led to Shepard not only writing the screenplay but taking on the prickly lead role. While Altman is a filmmaker often associated with sprawling casts with overlapping dialogue, this story kept things very contained in both cast and scale of the story. The translation to screen is not flawless, but it serves as a pretty solid marriage of artist and material.
May (Kim Basinger, L.A. Confidential) is a broken-down woman who is working as a waitress at a truck stop motel-diner where the majority of our story takes place. As the headlights of an old pickup truck sleek down the road ever closer to her, we see that she is a woman who is desperate not to be found. The man behind the lights is Eddie (Sam Shepard, The Right Stuff), an old flame with whom she shares a complicated relationship. The volatile cowboy figure has come to take May “home” to their trailer, but May is tired of putting up with his carelessness, including his most recent rendezvous with a woman referred to as “The Countess” who shows up occasionally to fire a few rounds in Eddie’s general direction. The couple go after one another both verbally and physically under the watchful eye of The Old Man (Harry Dean Stanton, Paris, Texas), a mysterious observer with a vested interest in the pair who oscillates between bemusement and indignation over what he sees and hears.
The final piece of the sordid puzzle comes in the form of the date May was preparing for before Eddie acted as intruder into her life. Martin (Randy Quaid, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) is the hapless gentleman who is subjected to the redneck passion that Eddie is delivering with both barrels. Eddie is looking to undermine May and unnerve Martin, so he launches into a recitation of family secrets that serve the dual purpose of elucidating the audience to character dynamics and inflaming the passions of those around him. Yet, this is only his version of the truth, as other characters take turns telling their unreliable version of the truth that is supposed to eventually piece together some semblance of the “reality” of what happened. The way in which this adaptation is structured occasionally loses the raw emotion of the scenes by cutting away from the action or staging the characters in a way that siphons off some of the immediacy. The best moments are when Altman leans into the long takes that stretch out the discomfort to something noteworthy.
Without question the standout aspect of this film is the performances from the ensemble. Shepard is a formidable presence with his distinct face serving as the perfect vessel for these acidic lines. You can tell he has the DNA of this material in his bones. Yet, Kim Basinger is able to carve out her own solid ground from the masculine narrative, partially on the strength of her heartbreaking performance and somewhat due to the way in which Altman inherently knows how to capture unfulfilled women. Like Shepard, Harry Dean Stanton feels born to play this morally complex role that taps into every troublesome moment he has ever portrayed on screen. By the time you reach the end, it will be difficult to say who delivered the performance of the movie. The only tough thing about this narrative is the lack of someone to truly root for, as all of the characters leave you wanting for empathy. This is a story that will not leave you feeling more fulfilled than when you started, but the murky journey is brought to life so well it is hard to draw your eyes away from it.
Video Quality
Fool For Love comes to Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer that is very strong. I could not find any specific details on this transfer, but given the quality it has likely been scanned at a 2K resolution in recent years. The presentation is fairly solid throughout with only the occasional mark against it. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation and only runs slightly on the soft side in a handful of shots, most likely due to limitations of the original source material. Colors appear stable with some of the neon lights popping off the screen, and instances of print damage have been cleaned up immensely with only the occasional specks and marks visible. Overall clarity and detail is pretty great with natural skin tones and subtle facial features that are easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels are admirable in their depth with only a few of the darker moments lacking some detail. This new presentation from Scorpion Releasing is a great effort for the long-unavailable film, which should please fans who have been eagerly anticipating a proper release.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that preserves the artistic intention of the film quite well. The score and music of the film, such as the original titular country ballad from Sandy Rogers, sounds strong throughout the duration of the film as it sets the mood for the events of the story. There are rarely moments where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, as elements work together in harmony. Dialogue is very clearly defined with a special emphasis put on the voice-over narration near the end of the film that sounds powerful. Environmental sounds such as various car sounds and gun shots are rendered well alongside everything else. Scorpion Releasing has given this film a worthy audio presentation.
Special Features
- Robert Altman – Art & Soul: A twenty-minute featurette in which director Robert Altman discusses his career a bit before delving into the specifics of Fool For Love including the decision to adapt the material for the screen, the importance of having Sam Shepard in the film, the impressive sets, the way in which the performances surprised him and much more. Robert Altman is a legend and it is always worthwhile to hear him speak.
- Theatrical Trailer: A three-minute trailer is provided here which somewhat captures the mood of this film.
Final Thoughts
Fool For Love is not always the most pleasant undertaking, but it does serve as an enthralling bit of boiling melodrama. The standout aspect of the film is the spectacular performances from the talented ensemble, even if they are playing mostly reprehensible characters. Robert Altman captures this story fairly well with only a few stylistic missteps that softens the drama of the moment. Scorpion Releasing has delivered a Blu-Ray with a solid A/V presentation and at least one worthwhile supplement. If you are a fan of this iconic auteur or any of the performers involved, you should strongly consider adding this to your collection. Recommended
Fool For Love is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scorpion Releasing and Kino Lorber have 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.
