A masterpiece of mood and heroics, this second film in director John Ford’s renowned cavalry trilogy (Fort Apache and Rio Grande are the others) features one of John Wayne’s most moving performances, as a cavalry officer in his final week of service on the frontier. Under makeup aging him some 20 years, he inhabits the role of a wily veteran who knows the sting of war and vows to make his last mission one of peace. The ritual of outpost life, the sweep of battle, the advance of the patrol beneath ominous skies: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, an Academy Award”‘ winner* for its color cinematography, paints a memorable portrait of the honor, duty and courage in the finest tradition of the cavalry.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive provided She Wore a Yellow Ribbon with a terrific 1080p master transfer in 1.37:1 when it was released in 2016 sourced from a new scan of the Technicolor negative. Even earlier on in their HD output, Warner Archive always struck gold when dealing with Technicolor elements. The film spotlights some dazzling colors within the costumes and the sprawling desert environments that leap off the screen. When you have a color in the title of your film, it feels necessary to deliver pinpoint accurate hues, and this transfer delivers with the proper alignment of the YCM elements.

From the opening moments, you are graced with great detail and clarity. This can be attributed in large part to the preservation of the natural film grain which enhances the picture beyond your wildest dreams. The cinematography from Winton C. Hoch maintains the intended look of the feature. Highlights stay firm during the runtime and black levels are deep and stable. The film is essentially pristine with no noteworthy instances of damage or dirt detected here. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues do not arise as an issue in this transfer. Warner Archive is one of the best labels for fans of classic cinema.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that is soaring and free of unwanted anomalies. Dialogue and environmental noises remain in harmony with the effective score from Richard Hageman. Dialogue comes through clearly with no elements overwhelming the exchanges. The more kinetic moments are handled well and give the track a bit of excitement. Music is one of the notable elements of this feature, and the score holds up with great fidelity even in the upper registers. There is no serious age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. Warner Archive has provided a disc that holds up with the best of them. Optional English (SDH), French, Spanish (Castellano), and Spanish (Latino) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

John Ford Home Movies: A four-minute selection of candid footage shot by Ford when he was location scouting in Mexico.

Trailer: A two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon is a great collaboration between the longstanding dynamic duo of John Wayne and John Ford. The film is not overly ambitious, but it capitalizes on the reserved narrative by delivering more character-driven moments that allow it to stand out in a sea of imitators. John Wayne does a nice job among a more-than-capable ensemble that does not reveal any weak links. Whether you are a newcomer to westerns or an aficionado, this is a lovely viewing experience for all. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that sports a stellar A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. This one is well worth having in your collection. Recommended

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through 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.