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The Mechanic: The Limited Edition Series
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Twilight Time Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (13th August 2014). |
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The Film
 Charles Bronson is a bada**, there's no question, this man was responsible for so many body counts in the 70's that I've lost count, hundreds and hundreds. He was the master at crafting the cool, calculated killer. His performance in 1972's "The Mechanic" serves as one of his best, with incredible 70's action from a solemn, stoic star. Twilight Time's synopsis adeptly summarizes this film, Charles Bronson plays Arthur Bishop, a hardened professional hitman who's feeling the strains of his profession. He joins forces with a ruthless up-and-comer, Steve McKenna (Jan-Michael Vincent) in a partnership that waver between sustaining and profoundly dangerous. "The Mechanic" is an action thriller from a bygone era, so much of this film is rooted in its 1970's style from the way it was shot, to the experimental cutting (intercutting the proceeding scene with the current scene before the transition: see the scene where Arthur finds himself in an aquarium and faints) to the jive score. They certainly don't make films like this anymore, and filmmakers take less risks too. Director Michael Winner certainly didn't shy away from the risky, the first 15 minutes and 10 seconds of this film are entirely free of dialogue. It's rare to see a filmmaker hold so much faith in his leading star to be able to carry the entire opening without a single line spoken and manage to keep the viewer engaged and on the edge of their seat right from the start. The film does take its time to set up the story, the body counts don't immediately start pilling up (there are 25 for those that are keeping score). Nearly half the film deals with Arthur's introduction, Steve's introduction and building their relationship when Steve's father, Big Harry (Keenan Wynn) passes away. There's a lot of character development to take in, some have complained that it's too much and the film needs to move at a faster pace, but this development is essential in the whole set up allowing viewers into the lives of two very different sociopaths. Once the action picks up it's quite entertaining, there's a motorcycle sequence that, even today, is quite impressive considering there were no green screens or CG enhancements back then, the filmmakers had only one way to really pull it off and that was to essentially do it for real with a stuntman. The result is an exciting chase that reaches a climax with the bike taking a dive off a 200 foot cliff. Try convincing a stunt man to do that today? Those guys had brass balls back then and the result is a memorable sequence that marks one of the most exciting elements of this film. "The Mechanic", with some patience rewards its viewers, not only with some sweet 70's era action but features one the best performances from its star Charles Bronson, it's understated yet complicated at the same time. His chemistry with then relative newcomer Jan-Michael Vincent works well and helps capture viewers almost from the first moment they appear together onscreen. This was Bronson's second collaboration with director Michael Winner, they previously worked on "Chato's Land" (1972) in the same year and would lead to a collaboration that resulted in some his most iconic films including "The Stone Killer" (1973), "Death Wish" (1974), "Death Wish II" (1982) and "Death Wish 3" (1985), so you could say that if it hadn't been for "The Mechanic" we would never have been blessed with the "Death Wish" series. Definitely worth checking out.
Video
Presented in 1.85:1 widescreen mastered in HD 1080p 24/fps using AVC MPEG-4 compression. This is a relatively (for the time) lower budget studio film and considering it was made in the early 70's don't expect a brilliant looking transfer. It's mostly unimpressive, with some noise here and there, some shots appear soft and lacking in detail. The good news is that it is better looking than previous standard definition releases, and colors, especially in exterior shots look good. There's some dirt but overall the image is fairly clean.
Audio
A single English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mono track is included, likely the original audio track, the presentation, much like the image tends to show its age. It does unsurprisingly lack detail, depth and range. Dialogue is clear for the most part, but that's about it really. Gunfire and explosions, etc are flat and not dynamic, but this is mostly a result of the mixing and sound design limitations from when the film was made. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
Twilight Time has released this limited edition release with an audio commentary, the usual isolated score, the film's original theatrical trailer, liner notes booklet and a catalogue. Below is a closer look at these supplements. First up is a newly produced feature-length audio commentary by cinematographer Richard H. Kline and film historian Nick Redman, Redman definitely takes control of this track leading it as a sort of Q&A with Kline. It's another solid track, especially if you're interested in some behind-the-scenes information on the making of the film, it does slow down a bit and wasn't as consistent and faster moving as other tracks they've produced but still worth a listen. The disc features an isolated score presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo, you can listen to Jerry Fielding's music exclusively without the dialogue of the film. Included is the film's original theatrical trailer which runs for 2 minutes 28 seconds. Twilight Time have included a catalogue which features 24 pages of other releases. Packaged in the case are the usual liner notes booklet by Julie Kirgo.
Packaging
Packaged in a standard eco Blu-ray keep case, this edition is limited to 3,000 copies only.
Overall
Available to purchase exclusively only at Screen Archives Entertainment. Like Twilight Time on Facebook by going here.
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