A family’s downfall becomes a stark elegy for the ideals of the American frontier in this quietly subversive reimagining of western myths. In the fourth of his six collaborations with the progressive director Martin Ritt, Paul Newman created his darkest role yet as Hud Bannon, a charismatic but ruthlessly unprincipled rancher. Hud’s ambition to seize control of an ailing cattle business from his tradition-bound father (Melvyn Douglas) drives the family—including his worshipful nephew (Brandon de Wilde) and worldly-wise housekeeper (Patricia Neal)—toward collapse. Winner of Academy Awards for Best Actress (Neal), Supporting Actor (Douglas), and Cinematography—courtesy of James Wong Howe, whose austere black-and-white lensing lends psychological dimension to the desolate western vistas—Hud daringly rewrites the image of the heroic cowboy for a disillusioned generation.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Hud on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio courtesy of a wonderful new 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative in 2160p with Dolby Vision/HDR. This presentation serves as a decent uptick from the included Blu-Ray derived from the same restoration. This release is all the more welcome considering there was not even a Blu-Ray release in North America prior to this. This 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc dazzles from the onset with the ideal amount of natural film grain which is appropriately gritty but not noisy or clumpy. This allows the presentation to thrive with a buffet of texture in the rural expanses, costumes, and production design. The cinematography from James Wong Howe is exquisite as he creates a three-dimensional image that uses the sprawling lands perfectly to highlight the depth at play.

The UHD disc retains a faithful black-and-white palette that is unbelievably complex thanks to the utilization of Dolby Vision for a dynamic interplay between light and dark. The mastery over contrast and overall clarity is a treat to witness. The clarity of the transfer unveils a significant amount of facial detail, especially perspiration from working the land. Highlights are brilliant and offer notable stability without succumbing to blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to preserve a favorable amount of depth and detail in shadowy corners. There is no indication of any print damage or other such intrusions that would impede the appearance of this title. This title has been highly in demand for years, and the Criterion Collection met the moment with great care.

Audio Quality

The Criterion Collection brings us this new 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a remastered LPCM 1.0 track that offers a thoroughly rendered audio experience. The score from Elmer Bernstein comes through with paramount fidelity that suits the story perfectly. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by the music or other natural effects. The environmental elements are defined favorably including the chatter within the bar and at the rodeo, along with the noises from the cattle and other parallel sounds. The track does not suffer from any unexpected instances of age-related wear and tear. The Criterion Collection has provided a soundtrack with no weak spots. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Hud includes a booklet featuring an essay by author and film scholar Gabriel Miller and a 1963 American Cinematographer interview with James Wong Howe. These help explore the legacy of the feature, the source material, its themes, the background of the creative figures, the process of creating the look of the film, and more that are very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Martin Ritt: A nearly 42-minute audio excerpt from a 1974 discussion at the American Film Institute with Martin Ritt and moderators James Powers, Leroy Macdonald, and Ted Lange. In this piece, Ritt discusses his approach to directing, working with Paul Newman, the experience of making Hud, and more.

Sally Field and Isaac Butler: A nearly 34-minute new conversation with actress Sally Field in which she reflects on her frequent collaborator Martin Ritt, how he helped legitimize her as a serious actress, his style as a director, the complexities of the performances in Hud, and more.

Roger Deakins: A 20-minute interview with cinematographer Roger Deakins about the brilliance of legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe, his command over the look of Hud, minor mistakes that were left in the movie in sacrifice for the performances, and more.

Inside the Actors Studio – Paul Newman: A 42-minute episode of the long-running series in which Paul Newman discusses his career in great detail.

Final Thoughts

Hud is home to one of the best performances we have ever seen from the legendary Paul Newman. While the titular character can be a real bastard, Newman brings layers to his performance that don’t exactly excuse the actions of Hud, yet it makes him infinitely more compelling to follow throughout this journey. Martin Ritt guides every actor to a place that makes this story almost unbearably raw, and the movie is all the more successful for it. The film remains as impactful as ever, and it is destined to be embraced by a new generation of cinephiles. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a sterling A/V presentation and some terrific special features. If you are a fan, the film has been treated with the proper respect. Highly Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Hud is now available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection 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.