ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS (1964, Blu-ray released January 11, 2011 – MSRP $39.95)
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At first glance, director Byron Haskin‘s ambitious Robinson Crusoe on Mars seems to be a more ponderous, almost hypnotic version of Star Trek, with costumes and sets that scream ‘the 60s’. But further investigation reveals a more subtle attempt to portray an honest, scientific look at what life might be like for an astronaut stranded on the red planet. It’s a fascinating, if not dated, effort that would leave its mark on sci-fi filmmaking forever after.
The poorly chosen title of the film lays out the story in broad strokes for anyone familiar with the classic Daniel Defoe novel of a very similar name. The names and places might be changed but the tale is the same. U.S. astronaut Commander “Kit” Draper (Paul Mantee) is marooned on Mars with only a couple tanks of oxygen, some gadgets and his pet monkey to help him survive. His struggles with the alien environment provide the most fascinating aspects of the film, as Haskin uses what little was known about the Martian landscape at the time to demonstrate how a man might breathe, find water and flourish on an otherwise savage world.
As Draper explores his new home further, the film moves away from “science” and embraces the fantastical fiction of the genre! Haskin, a former effects man, sadly hits a low point here, recycling the Tripod spaceships from his 1953 film, War of the Worlds as the villains of the piece. Don’t let that distract from the truly visionary effects work here – matte shots, model work and opticals beyond their time. Without the zooming spacecraft of Robinson Crusoe on Mars, it’s likely the starship Enterprise would’ve been traveling in first-gear.
Historian Robert Skotak explains in the commentary track on the Blu-ray disc that the film was shot without anamorphic lenses, enlarged and squeezed optically, resulting in a print that was less-than sharp. Well, you wouldn’t know it from looking at Criterion‘s excellent transfer. Robinson Crusoe on Mars shines on Blu-ray, easily besting the problematic 2007 DVD release. From the liner notes:
- “This high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit 4K Datacine from 35mm 2-perforation A/B interpositive struck from the original negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI’s DRS system and Pixel Farm’s PFClean system, while Digital Vision’s DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction.”
Likewise, the English LPCM 1.0 audio track is surprisingly robust, providing a more well-rounded and pleasing experience than its compressed predecessor. From the liner notes:
- “The monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from a 35mm magnetic full-coat three-track master. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using Audio Cube’s integrated workstation.”
The Robinson Crusoe on Mars Blu-ray disc carries over the excellent, if not slim collection of special features from the previously available DVD edition released by The Criterion Collection in 2007. The commentary track, featuring screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin, production designer Al Nozaki, and Oscar-winning special effects designer and Robinson Crusoe on Mars historian Robert Skotak (as well as excerpts from a November 1979 audio interview with Haskin) is exceptional across the board. There are enough anecdotes from the set, details of the shoot and nuggets of NASA science packed into the feature-length track to keep you engaged for the entire 110-minutes. The 20-minute long “Destination: Mars” featurette is also worth a watch, comparing the concepts in the film with the science of the time and of today. The disc is rounded out with a music video and the theatrical trailer.
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