‘The White Buffalo’ (Special Edition) Blu-Ray Review – An Ambitious Misfire From Charles Bronson

Two of the West’s most legendary figures search for the demon buffalo that haunts them both! They called him Wild Bill Hickok (Charles Bronson, Breakheart Pass). The Prince of Pistoleers. A frontier adventurer and killer of men. Now, in his last years, he is an old gunfighter plagued by fears and driven by a need to make peace with himself. The white buffalo is his constant nightmare. He must find the fabled beast and destroy it…before it destroys him. He was Crazy Horse (Will Sampson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). The greatest of all Sioux chiefs. A warrior of dignity and pride. Now, as a father who searches for the legendary albino buffalo so that the spirit of his dead child can go to heaven, he will stop at nothing to obtain the sacred white pelt. J. Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone, Cape Fear, Murphy’s Law) directs this heart-stopping, one-of-a-kind western with a brilliant supporting cast that includes Jack Warden (Billy Two Hats), Clint Walker (More Dead Than Alive), Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles), Stuart Whitman (The Comancheros), John Carradine (Stagecoach) and Kim Novak (Vertigo).

For thoughts on The White Buffalo, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

The White Buffalo comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio derived from a new 2K scan of the 35mm Interpositive. The film was previously released on Blu-Ray eight years ago from an older master, but we do not have that disc to compare. There is still potentially room for minor improvements, but this is a very nice presentation which should please fans overall. The film retains its natural film grain which brings out some great nuances within the frame. There are minor specks of print damage that pop up, but overall clarity and detail is great. 

Colors have a vibrant saturation and do not present with any anemic hues. Black levels hold up pretty well with very little in the way of crush. Digital noise also does not present as a major issue here. The picture showcases a bit of softness in long shots, which can most likely be chalked up to the source, but this does not prove to be a consistent issue. There are numerous shots that are packed with little details that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial details easily discernible in closeup. Kino Classics continues to churn out their Charles Bronson titles in good presentations. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that suits the material well. Dialogue comes through with a nice clarity that is never drowned out by competing sounds. The score from John Barry sounds great throughout the duration of the film as it establishes a valiant atmosphere for the story. Environmental sounds such as inclement weather or gunshots are rendered accurately alongside everything else. You will not find many age-related issues such as wear and tear throughout this one. Kino Classics has delivered a solid audio presentation for this film. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Film Historian Paul Talbot, the Author of the BRONSON’S LOOSE! Book, provides an entertaining and informative commentary track in which he discusses the history behind the real-life figures, how the film goes about telling the story, the careers of the creative figures involved, the special effects work, the legacy of the film and more. Talbot is a wealth of knowledge, and you gain so much from listening to this track.  

• TV Spots: A three-minute collection of TV spots is provided here. 

• Trailers: There is a two-minute trailer provided for The White Buffalo. There are also trailers provided for Chato’s Land, Breakheart Pass, High Plains Drifter and Valdez Is Coming.

Final Thoughts

The White Buffalo is a movie with great promise, but it is a bit too murky within its narrative to make the necessary impact. Charles Bronson does a capable job of leading this movie, but even he does not seem to be putting in the effort he has in other projects. The supporting ensemble are all pretty charismatic and add a lot to the atmosphere of the picture. Producer Dino De Laurentiis seemed to be a bit more focused on potential spectacle rather than a rock solid story, and the movie suffered a bit because of it. Kino Classics has given this feature a new Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a great commentary track. Despite some narrative shortcomings, the movie is still fairly entertaining and fans of Bronson will want to make sure this is in their collection. Recommended 

The White Buffalo is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.