Wade Hunnicutt is a big man who casts a big shadow, one that looms over the Texas backwoodsmen who work his land…over the beautiful, embittered wife he cheats on…and over the sons – one from marriage and one illegitimate – who strive for their father’s respect. Robert Mitchum “gives one of his greatest performances” (Michael Barson, The Illustrated Who’s Who of Hollywood Directors) as Wade, and Vincente Minnelli directs this sprawling, emotionally volatile tale of an epic clash between generations. In early-career roles, George Peppard and George Hamilton costar as Wade’s sons, determined to be their own men, yet in danger of repeating their father’s life-crippling legacy of lust and violence.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive provided Home From The Hill with a stellar 1080p master transfer in 2.35:1 when it was released in 2018 from presumably a 2K scan of the Interpositive, but we cannot find confirmation of this. Whatever the case, Warner Archive delivered the quality you expect from them. The natural film grain brings out a world of detail within the Milton Krasner cinematography. Outside of some optical dissolves that have baked-in limitations, this transfer maintains a consistent level of clarity. The film is ostensibly free of imperfections with no notable instances of damage or dirt detected. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such nuisances do not emerge as an issue in this transfer. The hues featured within the costumes and the rural environments are bold and vibrant. Highlights are firm during the runtime and black levels are deep. Warner Archive brings out the best of this picture.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that holds up really well. The score from Bronislau Kaper saturates the room with excellent fidelity. Dialogue and environmental sounds work in tandem with the score so everything has the appropriate presence. Exchanges come through clearly with no elements stealing focus. The more spirited moments are handled well and give the track a bit of texture. There is no obvious age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. Warner Archive has done everything right on this front. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer (4:02)

Final Thoughts

Home From The Hill is a sprawling melodrama in which the toxicity runs downhill from the family patriarch at the top of the mountain. The film is truly an acting showcase with every performer inhabiting their role with deep complexity and interiority. Every development is compelling yet not overly outrageous to lose any sense of believability. Vincente Minnelli directs this one with great determination and care. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that sports a sterling A/V presentation but nearly nothing in the way of special features. If you love an old-school melodrama, don’t let this slip by you. Recommended

Home From The Hill can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

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.