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Brannigan
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (19th September 2023). |
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The Film
 "Brannigan" (1974) James Brannigan (played by John Wayne) is a Chicago police lieutenant that doesn't like to play by the rules. Traditional police procedures are slow for him, and he has no issue to take matters into his own hands to bring justice to the table. He is sent to London to extradite gangster Ben Larkin (played by John Vernon) and bring him back to America, and would be supported by the local London authorities. Commander Swann (played by Richard Attenborough) is extremely strict and not a fan of Brannigan's tactics. Detective Sergeant Jennifer Thatcher (played by Judy Geeson) on the other hand, is quite enamored with Brannigan's ways and is happy to assist in anything that he may need. But when Larkin is kidnapped, the complicated situation gets even more complex, leading to Brannigan using his unconventional techniques to find the men behind the kidnapping. John Wayne turned down the lead role of 1971's "Dirty Harry", which became one of the actor's biggest regrets. With the success of that film and "The French Connection" which was also released in 1971, tough cop film and television series would become a staple of the decade that ranged from classics to cliched copycats. Wayne got his chance to play the tough cop in 1974's "McQ" which had mixed critical reception but was a fair hit on release. Continuing in the same direction, he would play a different tough cop in "Brannigan" a year later, which was a British production and was the first film in which Wayne would be working in the United Kingdom. Filled with one-liners, hard action, car chases and shootouts, it had the formula for the genre, but it didn't find critical or commercial success. What exactly went wrong? It's interesting to note that "Brannigan" has credits for four writers. The original story was drafted by Christopher Trumbo and Michael Butler. Originally planned as a television series, the script went through multiple changes and revised into a feature film, with Trumbo, Butler and William P. McGivern and William W. Norton all receiving credit for the screenplay. Usually when a script gets rewritten by a number of different writers not working together, it leads to a slightly jumbled mess and unfortunately Brannigan falls into the category of a film that tries but doesn't quite hit its marks in storytelling. There is also the case of identity, as none of the writers were British, yet the story almost entirely taking place in London doesn't have any sense of it being "London" except for the locations it was shot in. In addition there are many questionable notes, such as why the Chicago PD would sent a notoriously unconventional rogue cop for something as important as international extradition, and alone for that matter. The way that the characters of Brannigan and Thatcher chat and flirt would imply there would be a romantic entanglement to take place within the film, but this is not to be, which leaves their early banter feel unrequited. Instead there is more emphasis on the bromance between Brannigan and Swann, with the stoic Swann learning that bending the rules a little may be necessary at times. But again, it doesn't have much to stand on as his attitude is not entirely changed. There is also the character of the lawyer Mel Fields (played by Mel Ferrer) who is representing Larkin who makes an impact in the latter portions, but feels a little underwritten. The writing itself is the main issue with the film. It doesn't have the flow it needs, doesn't make use of the British environment and leading to a series of tiring cliches with underwritten characters. The original story has the James Brannigan character named "Joseph" instead, and it even seems to have mistakenly snuck into the feature film, as at one point Commander Swann says "Joseph Brannigan" instead of "James". As for the positives, Wayne does a fantastic job as the lead, bringing a sense of bravado and edge, while also playing with the fact that he is an old fashioned grunt of an old man doing his job. Even though he has his own ways, there is a charm about his ways and his interactions, and Wayne is equally fun and intimidating in his role. Wayne was battling cancer during his twilight years, and even though he had issues physically, he was able to give it his all through his performance seemingly with ease. The other cast members, from Attenborough, Geeson, Ferrer and others also do a great job with their characters in various sequences, though again some of them seem to be underwritten in depth. What obviously shines in any tough cop film is the action, and "Brannigan" is filled with some excellent ones. The car chase through the city and including an insane jump at Tower Bridge is an absolute highlight (with a mixture of real stuntwork on location and clever miniatures). The pub brawl is a wacky one that is straight out of an old western and referencing many past Wayne starring films. The climactic battle is memorable as well, even if it isn't particularly the best way to end things. Director Douglas Hickox does a fair job with what was provided, but "Brannigan" is a film that could have been much better if it was given a better identity. Something that was truly British and playing with the story of a Yank in culture shock. By falling into the territory of Bad Cop/Car Chase/Shootout, the formula isn't given a fresh feeling and ends up being mostly forgettable. It is worth the time to see some of the performances and the action, and if that is all that a viewer needs then the job is done. However, it isn't one that deserves a second look. The film premiered on March 21, 1975 in Chicago, which was notable that film had locations shot in the city, as the longtime mayor Richard J. Daley banned almost all film and television productions from the city since the 1950s, due to an episode of "The Mod Squad" depicting Chicago police corruption. He made an exception for "Brannigan" as he was a major fan of Wayne. It opened in other cities in America on March 26th, followed by the UK premiere on June 12th, 1975. With lukewarm reception from critics and the public, the $2.5 million film did not see a profit for distributor United Artists. The film received a barebones DVD release by MGM in the early 2000s. On Blu-ray it first received a limited edition release from Twilight Time in the US, followed by a release by Kino Lorber in North America. It was also given releases in France and Germany. Except for Germany, all the releases had some exclusive extras. In 2023, the BFI released their edition of the film in the UK for the first time, with some previously released and newly created extras included. Note this is a region B Blu-ray
Video
The BFI presents the film in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The transfer comes from an HD master provided by rightsholder MGM. Although it has not been given a new transfer for this release, the image looks quite good throughout. The colors look stable, from wardrobe to skin tones, as well as backgrounds and the cityscapes of Chicago and London. Damage is minimal, without major issues of dust or speckles while keeping film grain intact. The image is also stable throughout and properly framed at the theatrical aspect ratio. While it may not be reference in quality in terms of colors and depth, it certainly looks quite fair throughout and fans should be pleased with the presentation here. The film's runtime is 111:19.
Audio
English LPCM 2.0 mono The original mono audio track is presented in uncompressed form. Dialogue is clear throughout, effects are reproduced well and the music is well balanced. The audio has been cleaned to remove any damage such as hiss or pops. Overall an excellent presentation of the audio. There are optional English HoH subtitles for the main feature in a white font.
Extras
Audio commentary by Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson (2017) This audio commentary has critics Mitchell and Thompson discussing the film at length with a friendly banter. Discussed are about Wayne's regret for turning down "Dirty Harry" and the success of "McQ" leading to the making of "Brannigan", how the film was a flop on release, the capturing of the London locations at the time, quotes from contemporary reviews, and some behind the scenes information. While there is a lot of good information here, there could have been some more research done, such as when they question if the opening scenes were in Chicago or not (they were) and how the Tower Bridge jump was fully accomplished, etc. In addition, there is a bit of distortion at times sounding like they are accidentally hitting their microphones. Note this was originally available on the North American Kino Lorber Blu-ray release from 2017. in English LPCM 2.0 without subtitles "A Duke Out of Water" 2023 documentary (37:16) This new and exclusive documentary features a number of interviews from various cast and crew members. Interviewed are costume designer Emma Porteous, hairdresser Jan Dorman, actor Stewart Bevan, second assistant director Bill Westley and stuntmen Dinny Powell, Steve Emerson and Chris Webb, who are not particularly at the top of the listed credits, but they all have some fascinating stories to tell about the making of the film. Discussed are the wardrobe choices, recollections of working with Wayne and Ferrer, the stuntwork in the pub brawl, the making of the car chase and bridge jump, and much more. Each person is interviewed separately and edited together along with clips of the film. There is some inconsistency with the lighting and camera eetups as they are interviewed in differing locations. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 2.35:1, in English DTS 2.0 without subtitles "Frank Henson on Brannigan" 2021 interview (4:19) Presented here is an interview with stuntman Frank Hensen on performing the driving sequences in "Brannigan" and how the Tower Bridge scene was done. This interview is an excerpt from the 2021 documentary "Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise and Falls of the Great British Stuntman". in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1 / 2.35:1, in English DTS 2.0 without subtitles "Take It to the Bridge" shorts (with Play All) (22:14) - "Tower Bridge Boats on Thames" (1905) (2:09) - "London River" (1930) (3:39) - "Tower Bridge Road Market" (1931) (4:54) - "Central London Traffic" (1956) (11:30) Presented here are four vintage shorts from the BFI Archive that showcase Tower Bridge. The first short from 1905 showcases shots of the river and the bridge's boat traffic. The second short from 1930 features shots of the river and the bridge itself. The third short from 1931 features the scene of the road market by Tower Bridge with quite a number of patrons shopping around. The final short is by the Road Research Laboratory Film Unit is a narrated short that features various traffic within the city through the numerous intersections, the reasons for delays occurring and safety precautions taken for driver and pedestrian safety. The first three shorts are silent with library music licensed from Audio Network as accompaniment. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, Music DTS 2.0 with English Intertitles / English DTS 2.0 without subtitles "A Policeman’s Lot" shorts (with Play All) (35:22) - "Footpads" (1896) (0:35) - "Clown and Police" (1900) (1:50) - "Home Beat Policeman" (1973) (7:10) - "Your Police and You" (1973) (25:46) Four more shorts from the BFI Archive, this time showcasing police officers. The first two shorts, from 1896 and 1900 are comedic shorts featuring an officer against some troublemakers. "Home Beat Policeman" is a documentary short by the London Television Service that follows PC Jim Yates, an officer making his rounds in the Notting Hill district, making sure the neighborhood knows who he is through friendly banter and giving a sense of trust for everyone. "Your Police and You" is a documentary short produced by World Wide Pictures with cooperation and support by the Metropolitan Police, which looks at the law enforcement's work as well as issues. There are interesting comments from the public who are sometimes critical of the police, plus reenacted instances of police officers having to confront insubordination and wrongdoings, making sure that bad behavior and mistakes wouldn't be repeated. In addition, there are numerous examples of police officers doing the right thing to gain the trust of the public. The first two shorts are silent with library music licensed from Audio Network as accompaniment. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, Music DTS 2.0 / English DTS 2.0 without subtitles The Guardian Interview: Richard Attenborough (1983, audio only) (88:07) This interview with Attenborough which was moderated by David Castell took place at the National Film Theatre on February 15th, 1983, just two days before his film "Gandhi" would be nominated for eleven Oscars and eventually winning eight. Discussed are about his early roles such as in "In Which We Serve" and "The Guinea Pig", being typecast as "young" in his early roles, establishing his own production company Beaver Films, making "The Chess Players" in India, the production of "Gandhi" including some surprising names that were mentioned as actor suggestions for the title role, and much more. in English DTS 2.0 without subtitles Image Gallery (12:13) A series of promotional stills, artwork, behind the scenes stills, presented in a silent automated slideshow. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 Original Trailer (2:22) The original American theatrical trailer is presented here. Though it has been remastered, there are a number of defects such as scratches and speckles visible, though colors are quite sharp. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English DTS 2.0 without subtitles Booklet A 20 page booklet is included with the first pressing. First is the essay "So Damn Solid" by editor and author Johnny Mains which looks at the background of the film and Wayne's experience making it in great detail. Next is "John Wayne: A Monolith of Survival" by a film writer, programmer and former curator at the BFI National Archive John Oliver, which looks at Wayne's career before and after "Brannigan" and the difficulties he went through critically as well as physically during his twilight years. There are also full film credits, special features information, notes on the transfer, acknowledgements, and stills. The BFI release has a great selection of extras included, though note the US Twilight Time had an exclusive commentary, the isolated score track, and home movie footage shot by Judy Geeson. Also note the French release has an exclusive French language presentation. A clip from the film, courtesy of the BFI.
Overall
"Brannigan" may have Wayne's toughness and charm, some great action and fun one-liners, it falls too heavily into cliches and has an inconsistent plot that had a few too many revisions. While the film may not be that great, the BFI's Blu-ray has a great presentation of the film plus a great selection of extras included.
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