THE NATURAL (1984, Blu-ray released April 6, 2010 – MSRP $24.95)
I have never thought of any sport as epic, let alone mythic. But Barry Levinson‘s brilliant 1984 film, The Natural successfully frames baseball as something akin to a tale penned by Homer and paints one very gifted man, wooden bat and leather glove in hand, as a classical hero of sorts. And, oh my, does it ever look good on Blu-ray!
The Natural is technically an adaptation of the Bernard Malamud novel of the same name. But with the addition of the gauzey lens-magic of cinema and a dramatic alteration to the end of the story, it becomes so much more. Levinson has taken this tragic story of a man with unlimited athletic potential, a tale cobbled together from real-life events in the world of the sport, and crafted the ultimate ode to baseball. A film that has become, over the years a filmic-bible of the sport, rife with cues that continue to inspire the baseball films that have followed in its footsteps. There would be no Field of Dreams, Bull Durham or Major League without The Natural.
The story of Roy Cobb (played here in a muscular performance by Robert Redford) is a patchwork of moments from other people’s lives – Jackie Robinson‘s hand-carved wooden bat, the shooting and unexpected comeback of Eddie Waitkus – that, together, create the legend of a man whose desire was nothing more than to be known as the best baseball player that ever was. It’s a simple, charming goal that fuels the story and this modern-day Odysseus on his quest for greatness. The cast is wonderful, featuring acting heavies like Glenn Close, Richard Farnsworth and Wilford Brimley who add to the gravitas and wonder of the film. The early-orchestral work of Randy Newman helps drive the mood of the piece but the pennant here is undoubtedly won by photographer Caleb Deschanel for his stunning, picturesque shots, bathed in the dying light of what is commonly known as “the magic hour” – that time just before sunset when a wheat field looks its most golden. Every film still of The Natural is a postcard.
And Sony takes advantage of the stunning visuals here to deliver a beautiful transfer. One you’ll be proud to have in your collection. Sumptuous yet accurate colours, deep blacks and a healthy grain structure make you feel like you’re looking at a moving painting. What a lovely, film-like image. With an equally lovely, honest DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound track, that faithfully renders every crisp note of Newman’s score while providing a nice sense of atmosphere at every turn. It’s not going to blow your doors off but it is pitch perfect!
The Natural Blu-ray disc ports over the majority of the special features from the 2007 “Director’s Cut DVD” aside from one glaring omission – the longer cut itself. And least, I don’t think it does. There’s some confusion here as the Blu-ray lists the run-time as 138-minutes, which sits between the those recorded on IMDB (134-minutes theatrical and 144-minutes Director’s Cut). Either way, the Blu-ray lacks Levinson’s introduction to that longer, alternate cut of the film. But packs in so many featurettes and full-length docs you won’t mind. I enjoyed the comprehensive three-part “When Lightning Strikes: Creating The Natural” as well as the 45-minute “The Heart of The Natural“, a short film featuring Levinson and baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. Among the numerous other featurettes are gems like “A Natural Gunned Down: The Stalking of Eddie Waitkus“, “Knights in Shining Armor: The Mythology of The Natural” and “Clubhouse Conversations“, a 15-minute chat with a host of notable celebrities of the game and of the sports broadcasting world. The disc is rounded out with BD-Live functionality, Sony’s MovieIQ connectivity, and a collection of HD trailers.
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