In Man in the Wilderness, Richard Harris tackles a signature survivalist role reminiscent of his heroics in A Man Called Horse. He portrays Zachary Bass, given up for dead and fighting man and nature during his 600-mile Northwest Territory trek to avenge himself against the fellow trappers who abandoned him. Beware, two-faced friends. Bass is alive…and closing ground.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive released Man in the Wilderness on Blu-Ray in 2016 with a 1080p master transfer sourced from a 2K scan of an Interpositive. This release was from the first few years after the label started releasing their films on Blu-Ray, and it still ranks as a respectable effort on all fronts. The restoration efforts are obvious with nearly nothing in the way of lingering dirt, nicks, or scratches. The level of detail and clarity is quite a sight with the perfect amount of natural film grain intact. The film features a few different flavors of landscapes, and each one has textural elements that liven up the screen. Black levels are pretty deep with the desired stability throughout, and highlights are in good shape. There do not appear to be any unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. This is a good release from the label.

Audio Quality

Warner Archive has delivered a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono presentation that holds up about as well as the source will allow. The sparse amount of dialogue comes through crisp and clear from beginning to end. The score from Johnny Harris complements the story well, but there are fleeting signs of strain in the upper registers which keeps the fidelity from being flawless. The track balances vocals with the preponderance of environmental noises with magnificent clarity. Even in thrilling moments such as the bear attack, there are no moments where the track ever appears as if it will fail to maintain its stability. Warner Archive has provided a fine audio presentation that represents the source to the best of its ability. Optional English (SDH), French, Spanish (Castellano), and Spanish (Latino) subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Man in the Wilderness is not quite up to the level of skill and visceral brilliance of The Revenant, but it plays in a similar sandbox to decent effect. The film is more dreamy and opaque than most mainstream audiences might appreciate, but it does help set this one apart. Richard Harris fully commits to his battered performance, and it is one that he realizes to great effect. If any of the individual elements appeal to you, it is worth a watch. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Recommended

Man in the Wilderness 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.