An arranged marriage between gypsy clans goes awry when Spiro (Michael V. Gazzo, The Godfather Part II) refuses to sell his daughter to the self-proclaimed King of the Gypsies, King Zharko Stephanowicz (Sterling Hayden, The Long Goodbye), ending in a hail of bullets and a kidnapped daughter. In the following decade, Rose (Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise), kidnapped daughter, and her husband Groffo (Judd Hirsch, Ordinary People) have a young adult son named Dave (Eric Robers, Star 80) who has rejected the gypsy ways of his family, despite his grandfather, King Zharko, passing his leadership onto the unwilling scion. Dave’s refusal sparks a turbulent war within his own family and the larger gypsy community in 1960s New York City.

Written for the screen and directed by Academy Award Winning screenwriter Frank Pierson (Dog Day Afternoon), King of the Gypsies is adapted from the novel of the same name, written by Peter Maas (biographer of Frank Serpico and author of The Valachi Papers). Featuring stunning, on location, photography by noted Swedish cinematographer and Ingmar Bergman collaborator Sven Nykvist (Persona, The Tenant) as well as in incredible ensemble cast, including the screen debut of Eric Roberts, King of the Gypsies is a long overlooked entry in the cinema of New York City in the 1970s. Cinématographe is proud to present the world 4K UHD debut of Frank Pierson’s somber urban drama in a new restoration from its original camera negative.

For thoughts on King of the Gypsies, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Cinématographe presents King of the Gypsies with a sumptuous 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. This film was previously released on Blu-Ray courtesy of Olive Films in 2015, but that release was from a disappointing older master. With this fresh presentation, the previous release is essentially rendered a coaster, as the 4K UHD Blu-Ray destroys it on all fronts. The natural film grain is lovely and consistently rendered without any signs of unwanted manipulation. There is a treasure trove of fine detail to devour thanks to this loving restoration. The texture present in the costumes and within the various locales allows this film to feel more gritty and tactile than ever. The film is now free of nearly all print damage or stray specks that could foul up the viewing experience.

The utilization of Dolby Vision for refined color output bolsters the nuance that is extracted from the picture. The story takes place largely in urban environments, and the palette reflects this with a more muted representation. There are bold elements that stand out within the production design and lighting that shake things up a bit. Contrast is handled well as highlights avoid any spiking, swarming, or other stray encoding issues. Black levels are likewise solid with nothing in the way of crush present. The encoding appears to be sturdy and devoid of any digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or other such nuisances. Cinématographe continues to be one of our favorites in the game.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio theatrical mono track which sounds great throughout. The score from David Grisman establishes a tone from the very beginning that flows out of the speakers with ideal fidelity. It mingles well with the dialogue which comes through clearly without being overshadowed by competing elements. All of the various sounds throughout the saga appear to be deftly executed so that nothing ever feels askew. There is at least one fleeting moment at the 50:00 mark when the dialogue nearly drops out completely, but this seems to be inherent to the source and not an issue with the disc since the Olive disc experienced the same issue. Some visceral moments, such as a car crash or gunfire, wake up the speakers without turning into sonic sludge, as every noise is carefully delineated. This presentation is free of any distortion or other age-related wear-and-tear. Cinématographe has done excellent work with this one to make it sound as strong as possible. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The Limited Edition version of King of the Gypsies comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer slipcase that opens up to a MediaBook that includes a bound booklet featuring new essays by film critic Jason Bailey, author of Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It; film critic Caden Mark Gardner; film critic and lecturer Adam Nayman; and filmmaker and writer Chris Shields, plus select archival photo reproductions. These essays delve into the film from multiple angles and provide a great analysis in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Disc One (4K UHD)

Audio Commentary: Film historian Adrian Martin provides a great commentary track in which he discusses the production of the film, how it works as a feat of adaptation, where this fits into the career of Frank Pierson, the thematic underpinnings, details about the shooting locations, the background of the performers, and much more that puts things into context.

Disc Two (Blu-Ray)

Audio Commentary: Film historian Adrian Martin

Interview with Actor Eric Roberts: A nearly 19-minute new interview with the star in which he discusses where he was at during this point in his life, what excited him about the material, his audition process, memories of his fellow performers, the lessons he learned from his first movie, moments he improvised, and much more.

Prison of Roots – Video Essay by Daniel Kremer: A nearly ten-minute visual essay is provided in which the insightful film historian discusses the cinematography of Sven Nykvist.

Archival Interview with Writer/Director Frank Pierson: A nearly two-hour 2001 interview from the WGA is provided in which the filmmaker dives deep into his personal and professional life.

Archival Interview with Editor Paul Hirsch: A 27-minute interview is provided in which the editor discusses getting involved with King of the Gypsies, gives background details about the production, discusses working with Frank Pierson, and more.

Trailers from Hell – Michael Schlesinger on King of the Gypsies: A four-minute dive into the trailer along with some great historical context.

Final Thoughts

King of the Gypsies is a tough and relentlessly engaging drama that brings us into a fascinating culture filled with complex beliefs. Eric Roberts impresses in his screen debut as a young man trying to distance himself from the inevitable grip of family, and the ramifications of this are heartwrenching. The ensemble gathered is a knockout with many faces who would soon become an indelible part of cinema. You do not hear as much chatter about this film as it deserves, but hopefully this new release will thrust it back into the spotlight where it deserves some more time. Cinématographe has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a sterling A/V presentation and an invaluable assortment of special features. Recommended

King of the Gypsies is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Cinématographe has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.