Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr star in Academy Award-winning director John Huston’s adaptation of playwright Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana.
Defrocked, alcoholic former priest T. Lawrence Shannon (Burton) has fallen far in his quest to satiate his base, libidinous urges. Now working as a tour guide in Mexico for a group of female American schoolteachers, Shannon is caught with one of the women at the start of a night of alcohol and tropical heat that rips away the façades of repression that cover the perversions and personal demons of all members of the tour group.
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Video Quality
Warner Archive presents The Night of the Iguana for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. It is always a treat when this label tackles a new Tennessee Williams adaptation, and Warner Archive has once provided a sterling presentation that is among the best you will find for classic cinema. Print damage has seemingly been completely eradicated, which is not a surprise to anyone who follows the label with any consistency. They often make a film look even better than it did upon its debut. This black and white feature maintains its lovely natural film grain throughout which allows for a terrific amount of detail in the image. The presentation has a solid amount of depth to it including in the shadows where you will find no evidence of black crush. This transfer is a complete knockout.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that holds up every bit as well as the video side of the equation. The all-important dialogue never falters at any point as it comes through clearly in harmony with the sound effects and the music. The score from Benjamin Frankel holds up beautifully with no abrasive notes in the upper registers or other harsh instances. As a matter of fact, there does not appear to be any damage or age related wear and tear to the track. While mostly character-driven, there are a couple sequences that are a bit more thrilling such as the takeover of a bus which is a bit more lively in the speakers. This is a top-tier audio presentation that gives the material the life it deserves. There are optional English SDH subtitles available on the disc for those who need it.
Special Features
- The Night Of The Iguana – Huston’s Gamble: A ten-minute vintage featurette which takes a look at the “gamble” John Huston took making this film, why he was the perfect person to tackle this project, assembling this all-star cast, the difficulties of shooting on location and more.
- On The Trail Of The Iguana: A 14-minute vintage piece which gives you a fly-on-the-wall look at the making of this film on location. This is really fascinating and should definitely be sought out by fans.
- Teaser Trailer: The minute-long teaser trailer is provided.
- Theatrical Trailer: The three-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Night of the Iguana is a palpable Tennessee Williams adaptation that escalates quite swiftly and in surprising ways. Just when you believe you might have the narrative figured out, you are introduced to another character or element which keeps you glued to the screen to witness this slow-motion emotional car crash. Richard Burton and Ava Gardner have the showcase roles in this one, but Deborah Kerr stands out as the standout among this mighty ensemble for her reserved intensity. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a 5-star A/V presentation and a great supplemental commentary. If you are a fan of Tennessee Williams or anyone in the ensemble, this is worth adding to your collection. Recommended
The Night of the Iguana 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.