NORTHWEST PASSAGE On Blu-ray From Warner Archive

 

Warner Archive once again presents a magnificent restoration of a classic Technicolor Hollywood film with their Blu-ray release of MGM's NORTHWEST PASSAGE (1940). 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE is one of the great historical epics of the pre-World War II sound era, and it is one of the very few films concerning the French & Indian War. Set in 1759, the movie tells the story of an expedition undertaken in northern New England by Roger's Rangers, a group of irregular warriors led by Major Robert Rogers (Spencer Tracy). The group, fighting for the British Crown, ventures North into the wilderness to attack an Abenaki Indian village. 

The obstacles and privations the Rangers deal with are vividly detailed--by the end of this movie, the viewer feels as tired and as hungry as any of the men onscreen. Most of the film was shot on location in Idaho, and director King Vidor went to great lengths to show what the Rangers had to go through. The result is one of the more brutal pictures from the classic Hollywood period--the locations look amazing on this Blu-ray, but there's nothing romantic about the Rangers' experiences. 

Spencer Tracy gets one of his best roles as the determined and no-nonsense Major Rogers, and Robert Young and Walter Brennan play two civilians who join up on the forbidding adventure to escape trouble at home. The real stars of this film are nature and the elements--this is one classic studio film set in the past where it really does feel you are experiencing something that happened long ago, without any modern intrusions. 

NORTHWEST PASSAGE was released on DVD by the Warner Archive Collection a few years ago, but the image was soft, and the colors dull and faded. This Blu-ray is a marvelous improvement--the colors really pop, and there's plenty of fine detail visually. While watching this disc one can understand why this was one of MGM's most expensive productions at the time. The DTS-HD sound is full and distinct. 

The only extras on the Blu-ray are a vintage trailer (which shows how bad the movie looked over time) and a short black & white promotional feature from MGM that is essentially a commercial for the film. The promotion is relevant due to the fact that it shows behind-the-scenes footage of the making of NORTHWEST PASSAGE, with glimpses of King Vidor and Spencer Tracy on the set. 

Warner Archive has put out a number of fantastic looking Technicolor features on Blu-ray recently, and NORTHWEST PASSAGE is a worthy addition to the list.