Spencer Tracy and a stellar supporting cast grab muskets, gunpowder and knives, and head out for adventure in Northwest Passage, a lavish Technicolor® retelling of French and Indian War heroics, based on Kenneth Roberts’ bestseller. Tracy plays a true-life explorer Major Robert Rogers, the intrepid leader of the celebrated Roberts’ Rangers fighting force that took on one of the most challenging expeditions in military history. Tracy’s portrayal brilliantly captures the American pioneering spirit, but he had to muster up his own will to carry it off. “It isn’t exactly fun to work in bitter cold and be sloshing through mud all day” he said. For twelve grueling weeks of location shooting, he endured trapsing through swamps, crossing rapids, and climbing mountains. Of this rousing epic (released shortly after Gone With the Wind), The New York Times wrote, “Now that the ‘Wind’ has stopped ruffling your hair, you can have it lifted, scalp and all in Northwest Passage. With stellar direction by the great King Vidor, this new Blu-ray presentation, derived from 4K scans of the original nitrate Technicolor negatives provides a revelatory viewing experience of an all-time classic adventure!

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Northwest Passage with a stellar new 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K restoration of the Original Technicolor Camera Negative. We have said it time and time again, but this label thrives when it comes to restoring their Technicolor pictures to their full glory. The film features some spectacular color photography under the direction of King Vidor which saturates the screen with the ideal amount of natural film grain intact. Black levels are endearingly deep with swell stability throughout, and the highlights hold steady with nothing stumbling when it comes to blooming.

The film is essentially pristine when it comes to lingering dirt and damage with no trace of wear and tear to be found. From the earliest developments within the picture, you can tell that the label has shined this one up especially well with its in-house team of miracle workers. When observing the various landscapes along the journey, you are rewarded with such fetching texture and clarity within the vegetation and dusty areas. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such anomalies are not an issue with this release. Warner Archive will make fans very happy with this title.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that matches the quality of the video side of the equation. The restoration has eradicated nearly all previous instances of distortion and weakness in the track such as hissing, dropouts, and popping. A standout element from the early moments is the triumphant score from Herbert Stothart that holds up with graceful fidelity.

Dialogue comes through clearly without being drowned out by competing elements. This and other background noises are rendered with favorable accuracy. The more kinetic moments of conflict are handled with care as they give the track a bit of vibrancy. This track always maintains an exceptional level of quality. Warner Archive has done well here. Optional English SDH subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Northward, Ho!: A nearly ten-minute short film is provided that takes a look at the challenges of preparing the production of the film including location scouting, set construction, and more.

Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

Northwest Passage is a rousing picture from King Vidor that suffers from some unfortunately dated elements. When you set some troubling depictions aside, you have some great performances and thrilling set pieces that keep you engaged throughout the substantial runtime. We wish the second half of the book this was based on could have been made, but we are glad to have this outing as is. Those looking for spectacle and adventure should find a lot to latch onto here. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that features a brilliant A/V presentation and a couple of special features. If you are a fan of the performers, this is a no-brainer. Recommended

Northwest Passage 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.