The Outlaw Josey Wales (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

One of Eastwood’s best westerns, “The Outlaw Joseph Wales” benefited from an excellent screenplay by Phillip Kaufman(“The Right Stuff”, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”). The film started with a troubled history. This was early in Kaufman’s career. He was meticulous in shooting the film and that, along with a romantic rivalry for Sandra Locke’s attention, drove a rift between the two. Eastwood had him fired and replaced him as director. The film was already running behind schedule and Eastwood, who was a mercurial director like his mentor Don Siegel, got the film back on track.This resulted in the “Eastwood rule” which prevented the firing of a director and the actor assuming the role of director (one of the reasons why Kurt Russell had to “ghost direct” “Tombstone”).Nevertheless, as good as Eastwood’s direction was, it was a missed opportunity to see Kaufman’s take on the material.It doesn’t change this excellent film. Based on a novel by a racist, the film escapes its origin and Kaufman brings a real sense of humanity to Wales in his script. Eastwood’s direction is excellent.Spoilers:Wales, a farmer who joined the army during the Civil War, becomes an outlaw seeking revenge against those who betrayed him and his compatriots at the conclusion of the war. Pursued by his old commander, Wales finds a bounty on his head.End of spoilers:The 4K from Kino looks terrific. The photography by Bruce Surtees (who had worked with both Kaufman and Eastwood before) creates a rustic, authentic look for the film that adds to the atmosphere. The HDR pass adds subtle co,or variations that enhance the film. Detail, depth and delineation are all exceptional. The audio sounds great with a. Ice presentation of the original mono soundtrack.The special features include two new featurettes one which focuses on the character of Wales and the other on Surtees excellent work. The audio commentary with Richard Schickel is very good. I do wish that, at some point, we could have seen someone convince Kaufman to come back and comment on Eastwood’s film vs. the one he planned to make but I doubt he was interested. There are three featurettes pulled from the blu-ray including a doc on the making of the film. There’s also an episode of “Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy” is included (it’s also on “Pale Rider” 4K). There is no blu-ray.An excellent film with sharp direction from Eastwood, a strong script from Kaufman and great casting, the film receives a top notch transfer that reflects Surtees “look” for the film.Highly recommended.

Super detailed restoration of an epic Western classic. Upgraded picture quality and Atmos sound encode. Steelbook graphics and artwork is special. Definitely worth a double-dip 4K purchase if you already own the Blu Ray.

My first impression is that the vivid depictions of nature seen throughout the story give a strong sense of the director's policy that western films are also landscape films.This film was Clint Eastwood's fifth as a director, and was made in the mid-1970s, a time when Westerns had all but fallen out of fashion. The story is set in the American South, in the midst of the turmoil that followed the end of the Civil War.At the beginning, Josey Wales (played by Clint Eastwood ) is a farmer whose house is attacked by the Red Legs, a gang of thugs from the Union Army, and he loses his wife and child. Driven by a desire for revenge, Josey trains his quick-draw skills and joins the Confederate Army, but the Civil War ends with the Union Army's victory. However, the Red Legs, bounty hunters, and Captain Fletcher ( John Vernon ) , who has defected to the Union Army , refuse to stop pursuing Josey, who has a $5,000 bounty on his head. As mentioned above, the story begins with a very grim story, but the atmosphere gradually changes when Josey escapes to an Indian reservation.Georgie hits it off with the old Native American Loan Watie (Chief Dan George), and gradually his group grows with Little Moonlight (Geraldine Keams ), a Native American girl who was abused at the trading post, and even a skinny stray dog. In addition, an old woman named Sarah ( Paula Trueman ), who saved him from a close call when a horse-drawn carriage from Kansas was attacked, and her granddaughter Laura Lee (Sondra Locke ) join him, and although he is a lone gunman, he is surrounded by a warm and fuzzy atmosphere. Eventually, the group arrives in a small town where Sarah's son lives and lives together on the remaining farm, but this story cannot end there. You will have to watch the movie to find out how the story will end and how it will unfold after this.The story itself is a Western with a mysterious flavor.Near the end of the film, Georgie visits a Comanche leader who is angry about the murder of a trader he had a trading partner with, and pleads with him, "It's easy to die, but it's also possible to share life." In the West, where it was a matter of kill or be killed, the fact that he proposes such "coexistence" with the Native Americans may symbolize the 1970s, the time of the Vietnam War.Throughout the story, Georgie is consistently confronting unreasonable violence itself. However, even though he is a demon of revenge, as the number of his companions increases, he gradually regains his humanity. This is expressed in the final line, "I guess we all died a little in that damn war," a message that is still relevant today. This work is a masterpiece that is connected to the lineage of Unforgiven in Eastwood's work.

Probably my favorite western of all time and man does this 4k look amazing the steelbook is beautiful as well with really great art work.

Not a fan of steelbooks being so expensive but this one is nice, and also one of my favorite movies. Honestly I pre-ordered it and forgot about it, and at the end didn't want to return it, wth life is short and I love the movie.

It’s 4k but not hdr. Disappointing. It’s otherwise one of my favorite movies.

Hands down the best western ever put to celluloid. Clint Eastwoods best movie. Looks amazing in 4k and if you spent your childhood watching it on TBS and this is your first time seeing it as presented. It's breathtaking. One of my favorites.

The ultimate western, the ultimate Clint Eastwood movie with an excellent transfer