F.I.S.T. Blu-ray Review
Score: 68
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
F.I.S.T. offers bold cinematic moments and a credible atmosphere but ultimately deflates, making it an interesting yet non-essential watch with informative extras.
![F.I.S.T. Blu-ray Front Cover](https://images.mightychroma.me/content/large_f_i_s_t_blu_ray_front_a50dd287f8.jpeg)
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 68
The 1080p/AVC-MPEG-4 transfer with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio presents generally strong colors and natural skintones. Sharpness and delineation are satisfactory, capturing fine details in facial nuances and period costumes. Minor issues include scratches, speckling, and a few instances of print damage.
Audio: 68
The DTS-HD MA 2.0 track of 'F.I.S.T.' maintains clear dialogue and purposeful exchanges but is marred by a persistent mild hiss and limited dynamic range. While scoring enhances the film's energy, some scenes suffer from compacted audio and underwhelming bass, resulting in a cacophony during intense moments.
Extra: 55
The Fight for F.I.S.T. offers an engaging breakdown with co-writer Joe Eszterhas and director Norman Jewison, sharing candid insights on Sylvester Stallone's impactful involvement and the film’s production challenges, complemented by an original theatrical trailer.
Movie: 65
"F.I.S.T." aims for grandeur with its portrayal of America's labor movement, but emerges as an overlong, uneven effort balanced by Sylvester Stallone's committed performance and Norman Jewison's direction. The Blu-ray presentation by Kino Lorber impresses, though the film often struggles to rise above familiar plot beats and clichéd character arcs.
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Video: 68
The Blu-ray presentation of "F.I.S.T." features an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) and has been given a 1080p/AVC-MPEG-4 encoded transfer. Overall, the image retains a satisfactory sharpness, especially notable in group sequences where fine details, like signs and weapons, are pristinely captured. Facial nuances are crisp and well-defined, while the textures on period costumes are remarkably encouraging. The cinematographic intent is often clear, though some scenes involving Johnny and Anna employ a softer focus for a romantic ambiance. However, this soft focus occasionally appears unintentional, detracting slightly from the otherwise consistent image quality.
Colors in this transfer are robust and healthy, from rich browns and vibrant reds to yellows that animate the American flag and F.I.S.T. banners. Bright whites are evident in elements like Vince's carnation and tablecloths, adding a clean visual contrast against the deep blacks of tuxedos. Skintones are rendered naturally throughout. There is an acceptable level of film grain, which predominately stays muted but becomes more pronounced in the final shot. Instances of print damage, such as scratches and speckling, accompanied by occasional chemical burns, do show up but are seldom distracting.
The integrity of frame information remains intact during evening sequences, preserving delineation effectively. While the inclusion of neon signage and brightly lit interiors demonstrates a satisfactory range of hues, occasional technical hiccups like white specks and a stray vertical blue line do occur. Despite these minor flaws, the presentation's careful balance of shadows and colors ensures an engaging visual experience that honors the film's original cinematography by László Kovács.
Audio: 68
The audio presentation of the Blu-ray of "F.I.S.T." is offered in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The track maintains a commendable clarity in dialogue exchanges, ensuring that vocal interactions are both clear and expressive. From the intense boardroom conversations to the impassioned orations, the dialogue is presented with sufficient precision, although occasional crispy highs are evident. However, a mild hiss permeates the audio track throughout the film.
Bill Conti's score, while aimed to enhance the energy of the film, occasionally feels compacted and borders on distortion, particularly noticeable during the opening credits. The dynamic range shows limitations, especially with bass that feels merely adequate, and during high-intensity scenes, the audio sometimes devolves into a cacophony rather than clear, discernible sounds. While atmospherics achieve an adequate level for a film of this scope, violent clashes and fight sequences produce a rather muted and underwhelming impact in terms of punches and other effects, failing to deliver a truly immersive sound experience.
Despite these drawbacks, the overall audio experience sufficiently carries the dramatic weight of the film's narrative, maintaining an acceptable balance even if not exemplary. This track serves the purpose but leaves room for improvement in delivering a more dynamic and robust auditory experience.
Extra: 55
The extras on the Blu-ray of "F.I.S.T." provide a profound and insightful look into the film's production. The standout featurette, "The Fight for F.I.S.T.," includes candid interviews with co-writer Joe Eszterhas and director Norman Jewison, who delve into the screenplay's development, navigating Sylvester Stallone's significant influence on the project, and the film's ultimate commercial and critical fate. Their unfiltered reflections are both respectful and revealing. Additionally, the disc includes the original theatrical trailer, offering a nostalgic glimpse into its initial promotion. Overall, these extras significantly enhance the understanding and appreciation of the film's production challenges and triumphs.
Extras included in this disc:
- The Fight for F.I.S.T.: Insightful sit-down with Joe Ezterhas and Norman Jewison discussing the screenplay’s evolution and Stallone’s impact.
- Theatrical Trailer: Original promotional trailer for the film.
Movie: 65
"F.I.S.T.," directed by Norman Jewison and co-scripted by Sylvester Stallone and Joe Eszterhas, ambitiously explores the rise of labor unions in America during the Depression era. The narrative centers around Johnny Kovac (played by Stallone), an immigrant disillusioned by the oppressive working conditions faced by his fellow laborers. With tenacity and persuasive prowess, Johnny climbs the ranks of the Federation of Inter-State Truckers (F.I.S.T.), eventually leading significant strikes that bring him into conflict with law enforcement and organized crime. While the film's scope is grand, aimed at illuminating the corrupt underbelly of union power plays and their ties to organized crime, it struggles to maintain a consistent tone. Stallone's attempt to inject a romantic subplot with Anna (Melinda Dillon) contrasts sharply with Eszterhas's grittier elements of crime and violence, creating an uneven narrative.
Despite its narrative inconsistencies, "F.I.S.T." benefits significantly from Stallone's committed portrayal of Johnny, who evolves from a frustrated worker to a complex leader entangled in corruption. Supporting performances, particularly from David Huffman as Johnny's moral compass, Abe, add psychological depth to the character arcs. The film's production values are bolstered by Bill Conti’s stirring score, which underscores Johnny's tumultuous journey. However, Jewison's direction sometimes falters in delivering the dramatic grit required for such a weighty subject. The movie hints at a critical perspective on union dealings but often stops short of fully engaging with the darker aspects, making it a cautious critique rather than a searing indictment. While "F.I.S.T." offers a compelling look at the American labor movement’s turbulent history, it ultimately falls short of the epic gravitas it aspires to achieve.
Total: 68
F.I.S.T. is a depiction of the labor movement driven by its powerful narrative and strong performances by an ensemble cast, including Sylvester Stallone. The Blu-ray release enhances this 1978 film's visual presence, spotlighting Jewison’s directorial finesse and Eszterhas’ gritty screenplay with improved clarity and vibrancy. The transfer captures the industrial landscapes and period detail with precision, ensuring that the film’s historical setting feels palpable and immersive.
The audio quality benefits significantly from the Blu-ray format. Dialogue is crisp, sound effects are well-balanced, and Bill Conti’s score resonates effectively throughout. The restoration work done on the audio track presents the union rallies and dramatic confrontations with renewed intensity, underscoring the film’s thematic weight.
F.I.S.T. has moments of cinematic bigness that work and is populated with enough beefy actors (including Peter Boyle, Karl Malden, and Brian Dennehy) to create a credible atmosphere of intimidation. In the end, the shift toward tragedy and mystery (following the tale of Hoffa, who was better served in Danny DeVito's 1992 bio-pic) deflates the movie, finding Jewison's intent to slice open Johnny and inspect his conflicted soul failing to materialize under Stallone's newly acquired influence. It's certainly an engaging picture, bold and bright, but as a portrait of the labor movement tumultuous rise? It walks away from the bargaining table too soon.
F.I.S.T. has enough elements that its talented cast and crew get right that make it worth a look. but it's also a film that could easily be skipped without fear of missing an important contribution to the history of cinema. The stories by Jewison and Eszterhas about its making that appear in the extra are more interesting than the film itself.
Blu-ray.com review by Brian OrndorfRead review here
Video: 80
Sharpness is satisfactory for this style of cinematography, making fine detail approachable, capturing the particulars of group sequences, with signs and weapons easily appreciated....
Audio: 80
Dialogue exchanges are clear and purposeful, preserving dramatic intent as the action moves from hushed boardroom encounters to fiery speeches, never leaving a comfortable range outside of a few crispy...
Extras: 70
Sharing the origin story of the production, Ezterhas walks the viewer through the story and screenplay's development, recalling the excitement behind his first Hollywood screenplay....
Movie: 70
Jewison launches the picture broadly, calling in a thundering score by Bill Conti to lead the charge as Johnny comes into view, introducing a young man sick and tired of the abuses endured at a shipping...
Total: 80
In the end, the shift toward tragedy and mystery (following the tale of Hoffa, who was better served in Danny DeVito's 1992 bio-pic) deflates the movie, finding Jewison's intent to slice open Johnny and...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 60
There are rare instances when white specks appear in a frame and a scene where Johnny and Anna are running away a blue line runs through the frame vertically....
Audio: 60
When the on-screen activity grows intense, such as the fight scenes, the track delivers a cacophony of noise rather than discernible sounds....
Extras: 20
The Fight for F.I.S.T. (HD, 18 min) – Co-writer Joe Eszterhas talks about Stallone trying to steal his script, and director Norman Jewison talks about dealing with Stallone and critical reception; Original...
Movie: 60
With America still in the grips of the Great Depression, work was lacking and what was available was brutal, as workers were easily exploited by employers, such as being forced to work overtime hours with...
Total: 60
but it's also a film that could easily be skipped without fear of missing an important contribution to the history of cinema....
Director: Norman Jewison
Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Rod Steiger, Peter Boyle
PlotSet in the 1930s, the story follows Johnny Kovak, a hardworking Cleveland warehouse worker who becomes an influential leader within a burgeoning labor union. The workers face poor working conditions, low wages, and ruthless exploitation by their employers. Frustrated and seeking change, Johnny aligns with a small labor movement called the Federation of Interstate Truckers. His passion and determination draw him into the whirlpool of union politics, where his natural leadership abilities help rally the workers to demand better treatment. Under Johnny's leadership, the union gains traction, and they begin to organize strikes and protests that grab the attention of both the media and powerful business interests.
As Johnny climbs the ranks, he struggles to balance his fiery drive for justice with the increasingly complex and morally ambiguous world of union leadership. The growing influence of organized crime within the union leads to internal conflicts and ethical compromises, placing Johnny in difficult positions. Faced with betrayal, corruption, and immense pressure from both inside and outside the union, Johnny's idealistic vision clashes with harsh realities. Amid the escalating tension, Johnny must navigate these treacherous waters to fight for workers' rights without losing his integrity or the trust of those he aims to protect.
Writers: Joe Eszterhas, Sylvester Stallone, Norman Jewison
Release Date: 28 Apr 1978
Runtime: 145 min
Rating: PG
Country: United States
Language: English, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Latin, Italian