The Hunters
Picture: B- Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C+
Some
films do not age well, and when it really gets bad, they can be a hoot. The Korean War picture The Hunters (1958) has former actor Dick Powell directing again,
but his limits are far more apparent here than in the better Enemy Below (reviewed elsewhere on this
site). Here, we get Robert Mitchum again
with Robert Wagner as the “bobby-soxer” styled “top gun” who joins him and
comes up with constantly “unique” things to say.
If that
did not date the film enough, the rear projection dog fights of the then-modern
planes in the air are not very effective, being more interested in showing off
the CinemaScope format than having a good editing pace. Wendell Mayes screenplay adaptation of James
Salter’s novel is very over-dramatic and would be more Melodramatic if not for
the would-be “top gun” moments, so this all adds up to drag out the film for
the most part. The beautiful May Britt
looks great here, but is wasted as the woman in waiting with nothing to
do. The result is a good-looking but
muddled mess that has some camp value, but a little goes a long way.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image was shot by cinematographer Charles G.
Clarke, A.S.C., with DeLuxe color processing.
The print is in good shape and this transfer is not bad, though not a
digital High Definition source. The
Dolby Digital 4.0 Stereo is a recreation of the four-track magnetic stereo that
original appeared on the 35mm CinemaScope prints. The music by Paul Sawtell is the usual “war
pomp and drama” that does not help this already troubled film, while the
magnetic originals were likely fuller sounding than this. There are also moments of warping, however
brief. Extras include a teaser and
trailer for the film, plus a brief clip about the film’s opening from a Fox
Movietone newsreel.
We should
add that we learn virtually nothing about Korea and the few such characters that
show up either are out for the kill or are the “simple villager” type who wants
to be friends. IF anything, this is a
watered-down version of the World War II formula, so in every aspect, this film
is several generations down in story and plot.
Too bad they did not “hunt” for a better script, because the title of
the film never convincingly applies to the fighters on either side.
- Nicholas Sheffo
