JOE KIDD: Blu-ray re-issue (Universal, 1972) Kino Lorber

 Sandwiched between Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, 1971’s Play Misty for Me and Eastwood’s penultimate stab at the Hollywood western – 1973’s High Plains Drifter – is 1972’s all-but-forgotten gem, Joe Kidd; a disquieting ‘little picture’ that ought to have been a big success for all concerned. Not only does it star Eastwood as the puckish rabble-rouser, but the cast also features heavy-hitter, Robert Duvall as Frank Harlan, a wealthy landowner out for revenge; the helmsman on this project, the impeccable action director, John Sturges. Alas, and despite the best intensions in Elmore Leonard’s tautly structured screenplay, the movie quickly settles into a sort of unimpressive ennui, a great picture chipped away to reveal a fairly okay one underneath. The story never branches out from its central premise established during its first fifteen minutes; Eastwood’s steely-eyed prankster, pretty much remaining above it all. The scope of the production equally lags in any sort of consistency as Harlan hires Joe as his guide into the mountains, dead set to capture a Mexican revolutionary named Chama (John Saxton) who has disrupted the ‘natural’ order of his western expansion, but who Joe has begun to admire. The rest of the characters who populate this sojourn are cardboard cutouts at best while the manhunt scenario unraveling before our eyes is less adventuresome than par for the course. To be sure, there are a few grandly executed vignettes of violent gunplay to satisfy the paying customer. Even so, Joe Kidd is a fairly tepid excursion, buoyed by Eastwood’s embodiment of the disreputable rake who is mildly amused by other people’s reaction to his poise under pressure.  

Eastwood plays to the strengths of his well-ensconced public persona - the solitary and friendless man of personal convictions, and, God be damned if any man tries asserting his own authority in their place. This includes Harlan, whose bloodlust to see Chama swing from the gallows supersedes any sort of stabilizing logic. There are lots of opportunities herein for Eastwood to do his archetype proud. But unlike many of the mysterious frontiersman he has so often played, Joe Kidd is really more of a schemer than a foreboding man of mystery. There is no arc or progression to this character either; Joe, merely one tough hombre with a devilish mean streak lurking just beneath the surface.  Nevertheless, its Joe’s ability to keep a cool head in matters of crisis that wins the audience, like sneaking kisses from Harlan’s Spanish tart, Helen Sanchez (Stella Garcia) or relishing new ways to outfox his bubble-headed ‘enforcer’, Lamarr (Don Stroud, clearly having a good time playing the fool).

As no movie ever directed by Sturges is a total waste of time, Joe Kidd is imbued with some gorgeous location work lensed by Bruce Surtees, occupying his run time with some expertly parceled out action sequences, distracting and wed to breathtaking vistas of natural splendor, punctuated by Lalo Schifrin’s Morricone-inspired underscore. Elmore Leonard’s screenplay approaches the crisis of land reform from a different perspective, siding with Chama’s view of Americans as greedy, scheming usurpers decimating Mexico’s native lands for their own purpose of conquest. But our story runs into trouble with the character of Chama, emasculated between his initial foray as the fiery foe with all the impassioned desire to regain control over territories rightfully belonging to his peoples, and his penultimate acquiescence to debate the lawmakers intellectually in the hopes of triggering a more open and progressive dialogue. The movie’s ending is also problematic – somehow escalating to its climax without ever making the audience aware the end is at hand, then fading to black while still leaving a curious aftertaste of ‘now what?’ in the back of our minds.

Our story is set in the New Mexican hamlet of Sinola, circa 1900. Joe Kidd, a disgruntled ex-bounty hunter has been imprisoned for illegally hunting on Indian territory and disturbing the peace. So far, Mexican brigand/insurrectionist, Luis Chama (John Saxon) has been marginally successful at organizing a peasant revolt against the local landowners. Now, he raids the court house. Enraged, landowner, Frank Harlan (Robert Duvall) attempts to hire Joe to hunt down and capture Chama. He declines. Harlan, however, persists and Joe finally relents after being informed his own ranch lay under siege from Chama’s marauders. Forming a posse, Joe and his ruthless mercenaries snuff out villagers near Chama's hideout, threatening to kill them unless Chama surrenders. Alas, Harlan is suspicious of Joe, who has taken a shine of sorts to Helen – unaware she is Chama’s girl – and imprisons him along with the other hostages. Joe escapes, liberates the hostages and vows to deliver Chama to Sheriff Mitchell (Gregory Walcott); proof positive of his loyalties. Instead, Harlan and the posse turn on Joe who, takes Chama hostage, but arrives in town only to discover Harlan and his men have arrived there first with the intent to murder them both. Now, Joe, still determined to place Chama under lawful arrest, launches a full-scale assault on Harlan, using all manner of implements, including a steam train. When Harlan counterattacks inside the courthouse, Joe executes him with his rifle by hiding under the judge’s chair. Chama surrenders to Mitchell and Joe, having fulfilled his duty, sucker-punches Mitchell – recompense for his earlier arrest – before collecting his things and departing for higher ground with Helen in tow.

Joe Kidd is the sort of action-filled anti-hero western saga that might have rung cash registers all over the world had it arrived in theaters a decade earlier. Alas, by 1971, the western was no longer guaranteed box office, nor is Joe Kidd anything better, in fact, than a middling effort in the pantheon of great westerns. Competently made, if simply fails to find its niche as a ruggedly stylish tale of revenge. For his consideration, Eastwood was given a copy of the script, originally titled The Sinola Courthouse, by Jennings Lang. The character of Joe Kidd was, in fact, inspired by Reies Tijerina, an ardent supporter of Robert F. Kennedy, who stormed a courthouse in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico in 1967, in a standoff to demand the indigenous peoples be restored to their ancestral lands. The picture was shot in Old Tucson and near June Lake, east of Yosemite National Park, the altitude exacerbating a bronchial infection in Eastwood, later erroneously reported as his having an ‘allergy’ to horses. Although the picture did respectable business, at $5.8 million it was hardly a smash hit. Nor were critics particularly kind to it, citing ‘false theatrics, foolish symbolism and…sloppy editing’ conspiring to dilute its entertainment value. There is, in fact, some truth to all of these allegations. Upon a second viewing, Joe Kidd, while enjoyable at face value, falls into a frenetic and endless cavalcade of western cliches. Eastwood, again cast as the man of few emotions and even fewer words, emerges here as a cardboard cutout of his former self. Even at this point in his career, he is more the archetype than the actor and the absence of any genuine character traits, apart from those we already anticipate, hurts his performance. In the end, Joe Kidd is passable, but just that, and not terribly prepossessing.

I am getting rather bored with Kino Lorber’s reissues of the Eastwood catalog, not because Eastwood’s film legacy is undeserving of the honor, but because at $19.99 a pop (when compared with Universal’s own Eastwood Collection on Blu, 7-movies packaged together for only $25.99!!!) Kino’s asking price for 1080p transfers virtually identical to those already on the market, with only a scant inclusion of ‘bonus’ content, just seems like a grotesque ‘snatch and grab’. Kino’s adds an audio commentary by Alex Cox and interview with co-star, Don Stroud to this re-issue of Joe Kidd. Aside: nice try, but a cardboard ‘O-card’ slip cover is NOT an extra – neither is reversible artwork or a theatrical trailer remastered in 1080p!!! Joe Kidd looks wonderful on Blu-ray. But it did nearly 7 years ago when Uni put out its still readily available compendium of Eastwood movies. So, no upgrade here. Colors are bold, vibrant and solid. Contrast is excellent and fine details pop as they should. A light smattering of film grain looks very indigenous to its source. The 2.0 DTS audio is identical to the previous disc release. Judge and buy accordingly – or, just be satisfied with your Eastwood box set of yore and be done with it.

FILM RATING (out of 5 – 5 being the best)

3

VIDEO/AUDIO

4

EXTRAS

2