‘The Rain People’ Blu-Ray Review – Early Francis Ford Coppola Drama Is Strong, Character-Driven Work

Unsure of herself, months pregnant and feeling trapped, Natalie Ravenna leaves her sleeping husband a note and drives away from her Long Island home one rainy morning to find herself. Natalie is the heroine of Francis Ford Coppola’s intensely moving drama, THE RAIN PEOPLE. Ahead of its time from both its filmmaking and feminist points of view, the film took Coppola and his eight-vehicle crew through eighteen states, lending this poignant tale a realistic, rootless tone. On board were three actors who brought a searing truth to the project: Shirley Knight as Natalie, and future stars of “The Godfather” James Caan and Robert Duvall as the lonely men who bring tenderness and tragedy Natalie’s way. What they and Coppola brought our way is a movie that remains powerful, touching and relevant decades after its production.

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Video Quality

The Rain People arrives on Blu-Ray with a beautiful 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative. The transfer makes the film look the best it ever has by far. There are hues present in the locales and certain articles of clothing that saturate the screen without fail. The new remaster allows the film to be almost entirely free from dirt or print damage, and it avoids unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or banding. The transfer retains the ideal amount of natural film grain that is deftly resolved and allows for incredible textures in the production design and outfits. Skin tones appear to be natural throughout this transfer in all environments. Any moments in darker areas are elevated with stable black levels free of any crush. Highlights are strong without blooming coming into play. Warner Archive has treated this one immensely well. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that brings this to life without issue. Dialogue flows through clearly in all scenarios with none of the environmental effects or the score from Ronald Stein ever drowning out information. The film spotlights numerous environmental details that make the space feel more alive in the speakers. Kinetic sequences are sporadic, but there are a handful of sequences that spring to life in the mix. There does not appear to be any damage or age-related wear to the track. Overall, this is a top-tier audio presentation that suits the material well. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc. 

Final Thoughts

The Rain People is a compelling early drama from Francis Ford Coppola that finds the filmmaker exploring the complex internal world of its protagonist. Shirley Knight is terrific in the lead role as a woman who wants more out of life and tries to make sense of everything before it is too late. The journey is very unhurried as you experience things in the same fragmented way as the character. Those she meets along the way add to her arc in a way that pulls at your emotions, and they are brought to life wonderfully by talent both known and unknown. In a career of classics, it is not the filmmaker’s best, but it is well worth discovering all the same. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a 5-star A/V presentation but no special features. If you enjoy character-driven dramas, do not pass this one up. Recommended 

The Rain People 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.