When you look back upon the last half-century of modern cinema, there is no doubt that Dustin Hoffman ranks among the best ever to appear on screen. Ever since his breakout role in The Graduate, he has tackled challenging characters that have allowed him to avoid being typecast. Just a year before he would win his first Academy Award for Kramer vs. Kramer, Hoffman would help usher the passion project Straight Time to the screen in 1978. As a champion of the novel it was based upon, No Beast So Fierce by Edward Bunker, the project was originally conceived as the directorial debut by Hoffman, but ultimately Belgian director Ulu Grosbard would take over after having previously collaborated with Hoffman on Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? Hoffman spent years preparing for this role of a newly-released prison inmate by visiting prisons and hearing firsthand accounts. While not the most widely known title, the performance ranks among the best he has ever given.
Hoffman plays Max Dembo, a convict who has spent nearly his entire life weaving in and out of freedom since he started his life of crime as a teenager. His latest six-year stint in prison has just come to an end, and Max is hoping to finally get his life in order. His first night out, Max walks around the streets of Los Angeles and leaves a message with his parole officer to check in and confirm he will be coming to his appointment the next day. Unfortunately for Max, he does not get off on the best foot with parole officer Earl Frank (M. Emmet Walsh, Sundown: The Vampire In Retreat), a patronizing man who believes Max has an attitude problem. Max just wants real freedom, and he aims to earn that by getting his own place instead of living in a halfway house. He gets a low-paying job at a can factory thanks to Jenny Mercer (Theresa Russell, The Last Tycoon), a new secretary at an employment agency who is also charmed enough to accept a dinner invitation from him. Max just might be in a place to live a meaningful life if society would just let him.
Straight Time is a truly fascinating exploration on the nature of criminality and humanity. It is not giving anything away to say that Max struggles with staying on the right side of the law when he unfairly starts being treated like a criminal, as if he is less than human. Yet, the film does not go out of its way to say one way or another if Max was always destined to slip back into his criminal behavior. Hoffman brings such empathy to this character even as he is making the worst decisions for himself. From the outside, it seems unrealistic that someone like Jenny would take an interest in Max, but there is a tenderness to his character which makes you root for him to succeed. It is anxiety-inducing to see how quickly a life can spin out of control; when Max starts trying to plan robberies with old criminally-minded pals, you are left to ponder if this is an act of necessity or if the thrill of the act is hardwired into the person he has been molded into. There is a melancholy sense of self-sabotage to Max as he barrels towards an uncertain fate.
As previously established, Hoffman is doing some of the most nuanced work of his early career in this role. While not completely walled-off emotionally, you really have to look beyond the words to the deep-seated conflict residing within every twitch of his face to gather what you need to know about this character. The ensemble that has been assembled here presents no signs of weakness; Russell brings a stoic believability to a role that could be painfully one-note. Harry Dean Stanton (Pretty In Pink) gives a typically outstanding performance as an old friend who gets roped into Max’s spiral to the bottom. The back-and-forth between Hoffman and Stanton is a showcase in some of the best acting has to provide. The direction from Grosbard is worthy of praise, as he lets scenes play out and build tension in a way that will have you holding your breath. This is not an action film in the traditional sense, but there are some sequences that are masterfully executed in its staging and editing. The creative team has brought humanity to the criminals who so often get dispatched unceremoniously. The result is one of the most engaging crime thrillers to come out of this era.
Video Quality
Straight Time debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from a new restoration that is impeccable. The transfer maintains a nice amount of natural film grain, which lends itself to detailed backgrounds and clothing. The image throughout the disc is free from dirt or print damage, as well as pesky digital anomalies such as compression artifacting or banding. Skin tones look natural throughout this transfer. The content that takes place at night is accompanied by deep black levels free of any crush. This is not the most beautiful film with its gritty aesthetic, but the transfer represents it as was intended in a way that is quite stunning. Warner Archive did not cut any corners with this transfer as it ranks as a top notch effort. I have not seen the ancient DVD, but I can only imagine that this new transfer completely blows that disc out of the water.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds perfect for the story. The deliberate delivery of the dialogue always comes through crystal clear even when characters mumble. None of the sound effects or the memorable score from David Shire ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. There are not a great number of sequences that are kinetic here, but there are environmental details that are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear to the track. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that suits the material really well.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Ulu Grosbard and star Dustin Hoffman provide a very informative commentary track in which they discuss adapting this feature from the novel, the intricacies of settling on an audience-friendly title, the process of casting Theresa Russell, provide some Harry Dean Stanton stories and much more that fans will love to hear. These two are not in the same room together, and their comments are stitched together.
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Straight Time is an incredibly impactful crime drama which brings humanity to those on the wrong side of the law. There are no clear-cut heroes and villains in this picture, which makes it all the more fascinating as a character study. The performances from Dustin Hoffman and the rest of the ensemble are beyond reproach. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stunning A/V presentation and a worthwhile legacy commentary track. This feature deftly balances being insightful with being entertaining. Highly Recommended
Straight Time can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
