High Sierra is a solid gangster movie and a breakthrough showcase for Bogart's leading capabilities.
Judging by the opening scenes of "High Sierra" from 1941 directed by legendary director Raoul Walsh, we note that bank robber Roy Earle (Humphrey Bogart in one of his first major films) we know he has been forgiven and his offense has been reduced by doing with that it can go out in freedom. But it all also seems part of a plan in which Roy's boss, through influence with the authorities, interfered in exchange for Roy to help him in a possible last robbery.
For that to happen Roy takes refuge in the mountains of California or "High Sierra" to be exact where he and a small group that will help Roy in this supposed latest robbery gathers with everyone hoping to get a lot of money and disappear off the map. Bogart is perfect in this outlaw role but not necessarily a gangster. In the first few weeks he walks only through a park as he leaves jail he contemplates what he had lost... the sense of being free. That thought will stay with Roy throughout the journey of this film that has a well-written script by the author of the book W.R.Burnett and also director and screenwriter John Huston.
On his way to California, Roy has an incident with a family in which the grandfather and grandmother are in the company of their granddaughter Velma, who later becomes Roy's love interest. Very interesting is the technique of director Raoul Walsh in constructing the film's plot. Bogart arrives at the camp where he meets the rest of the gang and discovers that one of them has also brought his girlfriend Marie (Ida Lupino, her name comes first in the film's credits, as Bogart was much better known for her secondary roles in gangster movies) .
But it will be Marie who falls in love with Roy and has intentions to keep her in the pack, even when he refuses to keep her in the group at first, but then he relents when he discovers that she is probably the only one with brains and determination. Roy and Marie make a strange pair who have nothing to lose or even gain from the life they lead, so they somehow complement each other. Raoul Walsh has never disappointed me in his films, he has a bit of everything but he certainly always stood out in action scenes. They occur at the right moments and are not exaggerated, on the contrary, they are always in the right measure that even elevates the climax of the film. He trusted his actors who trusted him too.
The director who started out as an actor and later, almost by chance became assistant to D.W. Griffith and therefore learned like few others the cinematographic techniques of the pioneers and he was entrusted with just directing the multitudes of people involved in the film sets. With all this in his favor, plus the right cast for the adaptation of the book “high Sierra” by W.R. Burnett who also contributed to the script of the film with John Huston who in this film would form the friendship with Humphrey Bogart in what would generate so many other classic films. The film is also a letter to Freedom and even indignation to the contemporary world of the 1940s. A society coming out of the depression of the 1930s and the gates of World War II, therefore in conflict and the two central characters of the High Sierra also live each one, your inner conflict. Roy is trying to rehabilitate himself but accepts this latest assault almost as a form of surrender to his past actions and for Marie the hope of forgetting her past and perhaps finding the love of her life without high expectations. In a world in constant transition, these characters will have to face great challenges and that's exactly where this fascinating film is, absolutely classic. (Daniel Nobre).
BLU-RAY DISC ONE
Trailer - vintage trailer for High Sierra. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).
W.R. Burnett - this brand new video essay is part of an oral history of author W.R. Burnett by writer Dennis L. White for the American Film Institute. The essay, which was created in 2020, features content that was recorded in Marina Del Rey, California, in March 1976. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).
Bogart: Here's Looking at You, Kid - this archival documentary examines the life and legacy of Humphrey Bogart. It features archival footage and interviews with Lauren Bacall, screenwriter Julius Epstein, film historian Robert Sklar, biographer Joe Hyams, and director John Huston, amongst others. The documentary was produced as part of the television series The South Bank Show in 1997. In English, not subtitled. (52 min).
Curtains for Roy Earle - this archival program takes a closer look at the classic gangster films that were made at Warner Bros., Humphrey Bogart's relationship with the studio and career, and the production history of High Sierra. The program was produced in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).
Willie Best - in this new program, critic Miriam J. Petty discusses actor Willie Best. It was produced for Criterion in 2021. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).
The Screen Guild Theater - this radio adaptation of High Sierra was original broadcast on The Screen Guild Theater on April 17, 1944, and stars Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).
BLU-RAY DISC TWO
Colorado Territory - Raoul Walsh directed this terrific western, which is frequently described as a loose remake of High Sierra, in 1949. But it is not that kind of a film. While W.R. Burnett's novel is cited as an inspiration for it as well, not only does it move the original story in a completely different era, but alters significant portions of it as well. It features a wildly talented cast, including Joel McCrea, Virginia Mayo, Dorothy Malone, Henry Hull, John Archer, and James Mitchell. The film has been remastered from the original 35mm camera negative. In English, with optional English subtitles. Audio: LPCM 1.0. (95 min/1080p).
The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh - this documentary examines the life and career of Raoul Walsh in Hollywood. It features clips from interviews with Peter Bogdanovich, actors Illeana Douglas and Jane Russell, film historian Norman Klein, and film critic Leonard Maltin, amongst others. The documentary was produced by Marilyn Ann Moss in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (96 min).
Dave Kehr and Farran Smith Nehme - in this new program, film programmer Dace Kehr and critic Farran Smith Nehme discuss the work of Raoul Walsh. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).
Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith as well as technical credits. (source: bluray.com)
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