Richard Dreyfuss is an irresistible young Jewish man in 1948 Montreal. He’s driven by an insatiable desire to be a “somebody” and he somehow works his way into our hearts even as he cheats and schemes and connives to buy a large parcel of land. He uses the girl who loves him, he forges checks, he lies… and he is enormously proud of himself because of it. Those around him are tremendously disgusted. We are torn. There’s a little bit of Duddy Kravitz in everyone.

For thoughts on The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/S1McjAZp5Gs?si=PmUtFBn-vMzVtkyR&t=1646]

Video Quality

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Fun City Editions with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that is derived from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Interpositive. The presentation maintains the natural textured film aesthetic of the era with image stability and clarity rendering impeccably. Everything appears to be natural to its intended appearance yet refined to avoid any unwanted clumpy grain frozen in the background. Nearly all instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have been eradicated. Fun City Editions continues to prove themselves one of the best currently working with this new restoration.

Colors are lovingly saturated with robust, natural hues coming through with great accuracy. Things look especially lovely along the lake that Duddy intends to purchase. Black levels hold up well with no major moments of crush or banding observed. The Montreal setting is preserved well on screen with great complexity in the clothing and production design. Skin tones are natural and consistent with distinct features such as facial hair and wrinkles easily distinguishable in closeup. Fun City Editions has preserved this one well for fans.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that executes the soundscape of this narrative well. From the opening moments with the parade, the film delivers music effectively with resolute fidelity. We did not hear any shortcomings or signs of age-related wear such as hissing or distortion. Dialogue is a key element of this narrative, and every hurried delivery from Duddy comes through clearly even when up against competing environmental elements. This track accomplishes everything it sets out to do for a sonically consistent experience. Fun City Editions continues to do well in this space. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Adam Nayman provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses the legacy of the feature, its place as a prominent Canadian film, how it compares to the source material, the careers of the talent involved, the themes of the feature, how Richard Dreyfuss feels about his performance, and much more that is worthwhile.

Booklet: There is a bound booklet included featuring the essay “Vulgar Canadianism” by critic Nathan Holmes that explores the source material, the themes, the reception of the film, and much more that is enlightening.

Final Thoughts

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz is a somewhat frustrating but always engaging portrait of a young man who will do anything to make something of himself. Richard Dreyfuss delivers a somewhat manic performance that teeters on unlikable due to how he treats others, but Dreyfuss keeps the character compelling enough to want to see where he ends up and how he gets there. The film does not let the characters or audience off so easily, and the film is all the more effective for it. Fun City Editions has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation and an excellent commentary track in fetching packaging. Be sure to check out this forgotten film for yourself. Recommended

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

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

Disclaimer: Fun City Editions 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.