Wise Blood [Criterion Collection]

Director: John Huston John Huston

Overview

"Wise Blood was a surprising project coming from John Huston -- a modest, low-budget adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's novel about one man's rather combative relationship with God, it was a personal effort from a man who was used to working with major stars and large bankrolls, and it ha been acclaimed as one of the most remarkable works of Huston's career. After years out of print on home video, the Criterion Collection have made Wise Blood available again on DVD in a handsome, well-appointed edition. Most of the pervious video releases of Wise Blood have tended look grainy and a bit washed out, emphasizing the picture's low budget, but Criterion's transfer -- letterboxed at 1.78:1 on conventional televisions and enhanced for anamorphic play on 16x9 monitors -- gives the image a richer and better saturated color balance, and the picture is noticeably sharper than it had been in the past, though a certain softness is still apparent. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and the fidelity is crisp and clear, emphasizing the beauty of Alex North's fine score. The dialogue is in English, with optional English subtitles but no multiple language options. For this edition, Criterion has included new interviews with actor Brad Dourif, producer Michael Fitzgerald and screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald, all of whom offer interesting details on the production and Huston's unique working methods (including how the film's limited budget added to its curious but realistic look and why the director's name is misspelled in the credits). Director Huston is represented by a 1982 episode of the PBS series Creativity with Bill Moyers, in which the journalist interviews Huston about his life and working methods. Wise Blood's original theatrical trailer is also featured, as well as a rare audio recording of Flannery O'Connor reading and discussing her short story ""A Good Man Is Hard To Find,"" believed to be the only recording of the author reading her work and a fascinating document of her perspective on her own work (as well as her mellifluous deep Southern voice). And finally, the booklet includes a thoughtful essay by Francine Prose on Wise Blood and Huston's history of adventurous literary adaptations. It was far from a box-office success, but Wise Blood remains one of John Huston's most satisfying works, and Criterion has finally treated it like the major work it is with this essential DVD edition."

Product Details

Release Date:	05/12/2009
UPC:	0715515045612
Original Release:	1979
Rating:	NR
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:46:00
Sales rank:	17,755

Special Features

Interviews with actor Brad Dourif, writer Benedict Fitzgerald, and writer-producer Michael Fitzgerald; Rare archival audio recording of author Flannery O'Connor reading her short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find"; 26-minute episode of the television program Creativity with Bill Moyers from 1982, featuring director John Huston discussing his life and work; Theatrical trailer; Plus: a booklet featuring an essay by author Francine Prose

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Brad Dourif	Hazel Motes
Ned Beatty	Hoover Shoates
John Huston	Grandfather
Harry Dean Stanton	Asa Hawks
Dan Shor	Enoch Emery
Amy Wright	Sabbath Lily
Mary Nell Santacroce	Landlady
William Hickey	Preacher
Joe Dorsey	Actor
Stratton Leopold	Actor
Dan Albright	Actor
Jerry Rushing	Actor
Gladys Hill	Actor
Daniel Schor	Actor
Alex North	Composer

Technical Credits

Michael Fitzgerald

John Huston	Director
Michael Fitzgerald	Screenwriter,Screenwriter,Producer,Producer
Stratton Leopold	Casting

Editorial Reviews

This religious satire directed by veteran John Huston took no prisoners but failed to inspire a mass following. Wise Blood is a black comedy based on a quirky novel about the American South by Flannery O'Connor. Heavily atmospheric in its depiction of Southern culture and evangelism, it focuses on a a war veteran and drifter who decides to found a new religion, the Church Without Christ, which preaches a strange brand of fundamentalism and libertarianism. Huston masterfully focuses on the comic nuances of an American public that is ripe for evangelical exploitation. The superb, offbeat cast of Brad Dourif, Huston, Ned Beatty, Amy Wright, and Harry Dean Stanton created no buzz at the box office, but Wise Blood ranks as one of Huston's neglected gems.