Suture Blu-ray Review
Score: 59
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
Suture is a fascinating, intellectually ambitious film with excellent technical merits and a richly supplemented Arrow Video release, despite its occasional conceptual shakiness.
Disc Release Date
Video: 57
The Blu-ray presentation of 'Suture' by Arrow Video features a superb 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the original 35mm negatives, revealing excellent detail, strong contrast with inky blacks, and a finely modulated grayscale despite minor banding issues and occasional grain noise inherent to the film's visual design.
Audio: 57
Suture's LPCM 2.0 track offers clear and bright dialogue and musical interludes, with strong stereo separation and effective ambient sound dispersion. Despite being a 1990s low-budget indie film, it features good dynamic range, crisp dialogue, and a detailed musical score.
Extra: 61
The Blu-ray of 'Suture' includes a robust mix of new and insightful content, featuring a detailed making-of documentary, engaging director commentary with Steven Soderbergh, deleted scenes, an early Siegel and McGehee short film, and multiple trailers—each presented in high-definition, enhancing the overall viewer experience.
Movie: 71
"Suture," a meticulously constructed thriller blending Hitchcockian suspense with a surreal twist, explores identity through the striking casting of racially different actors as 'identical' half-brothers. Enhanced by Greg Gardiner's evocative black-and-white cinematography, the Blu-ray's new remaster and inclusions solidify the film's cult status despite its niche appeal.
Video: 57
Arrow Video’s presentation of "Suture" on Blu-ray is commendable for its comprehensive restoration process. Utilizing a new 4K scan from the original 35mm camera negatives, the 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer in 2.35:1 aspect ratio ensures a detailed, high-quality image. The meticulous film grading and restoration at Deluxe Restoration in London involved removing thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and light scratches. Further grading was handled by Box Motion Studios in New York, under supervision from directors David Siegel and Scott McGehee, resulting in a faithful representation of the original visual aesthetics. However, a banding issue traceable to the original negative remains. Despite attempts to mitigate it through various re-scanning techniques, the issue persists but is relatively minor within the overall stable and sharp image quality.
Visual fidelity of "Suture" is illustrated through robust detail levels and strong, stable contrast enhancing both bright and noir-esque scenes. The black-and-white cinematography in 2.35:1 widescreen format delivers a strikingly balanced grayscale with both inky blacks and well-modulated highlights. While grain is prevalent, contributing to the film's artistic mood, it sometimes strays into noisy territory. Some reviewers suggest that slight noise reduction might improve the visual presentation without compromising detail.
The vertical banding artifact, a production-induced defect, is subtly present but notable upon close inspection, particularly given modern high-resolution standards. Arrow Video's decision to preserve this anomaly rather than degrading overall image quality is praise-worthy for its transparency and respect for the filmmakers' integrity. Notwithstanding these minor issues, this Blu-ray release of "Suture" remains a significant visual upgrade over previous formats and aptly captures the film’s unique aesthetic vision.
Audio: 57
The audio presentation of "Suture" on Blu-ray is delivered through an uncompressed LPCM 2.0 track, providing commendable support for dialogue and occasional voiceover narration. Released theatrically in Dolby Stereo, this audio mix ensures strong stereo separation across the front channels. When utilizing features such as the Dolby Surround Upmixer, a decent surround presence is achieved with effective dispersion of ambient sounds to the rear channels. Despite being a stereo mix from a low-budget indie film, the track impresses with its surprisingly robust dynamic range.
Musical interludes, including tracks like a lively Tom Jones tune, are reproduced clearly and bright, free from any distortion or damage. Highlights include a bassy explosion and several sharp gunshots that add a surprising punch to the overall experience. The accompanying clangy musical score displays admirable breadth, depth, and fidelity. Dialogue remains consistently crisp and intelligible; however, there are moments where the ADR work is noticeably apparent. Overall, for a 1990s independent film, "Suture" delivers a sound mix that is both engaging and technically proficient.
Extras: 61
Arrow continues its commitment to quality releases with a comprehensive selection of extras for the Blu-ray of "Suture." Notable inclusions are a well-crafted documentary on the film's production, detailed audio commentaries, and rare short films by the directors. The commentary, moderated by Steven Soderbergh, provides an engaging deep dive into the filmmakers' early career struggles, influences, and technical choices, enriched by anecdotes that illuminate the production process. Deleted scenes with optional director commentary, early experimental works, and dual-format trailers round out the mix, offering fans extensive behind-the-scenes insights and historical context.
Extras included in this disc:
- Lacerations: The Making of Suture: In-depth documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew.
- Deleted Scenes: Multiple scenes with optional commentary by the directors.
- Birds Past: An early short film by the directors inspired by Hitchcock's "The Birds."
- Still Gallery: Offers behind-the-scenes photos.
- U.S. Theatrical Trailer: Highlights the film's thriller elements.
- European Theatrical Trailer: Primarily features the opening scene.
- Audio Commentary: A revealing conversation between Executive Producer Steven Soderbergh and the directors.
Movie: 71
Suture is an intriguing film by co-writers and co-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, blending elements from various influences—including John Frankenheimer and Hiroshi Teshigahara—with an unconventional narrative. The plot centers on half-brothers Vincent (Michael Harris) and Clay (Dennis Haysbert), who are treated as identical despite one being white and the other black. This conceit requires audiences to suspend traditional logic and embrace the film's speculative reality. The stark black-and-white cinematography by Greg Gardiner adds a layer of visual allure, emphasizing the film's deep dive into identity and existential philosophy.
The film's conceit extends to its casting, employing a racial dichotomy in the identical half-brothers plot, which further accentuates its thematic ambitions. Vincent and Clay's reunion, marred by Vincent's sinister motives, initiates a thriller that involves mistaken identity and amnesia. While Vincent attempts to kill Clay to assume his identity, the plan backfires; Clay survives but loses his memory, leading medical professionals to believe he is Vincent. The highbrow elements of identity philosophy—underscored by a character named Renee Descartes—are daringly portrayed, though they veer close to pretentiousness.
Despite its low budget and absence of major stars, Suture achieves a balance of symbolism and subtle humor. It cleverly uses the audience's awareness of the racial difference between the brothers as a metaphysical device. This distance forces viewers to engage with the film's deeper meanings about identity more than its surface-level thriller elements. Although it initially faced box office obscurity, the artistic mastery with which McGehee and Siegel crafted Suture ensures it remains an insightful study in cinematic form and narrative boldness. A must-see cult classic revived expertly by Arrow Video, it stands as a testament to intellectual cinema's enduring power.
Total: 59
"Suture" is a film that intrigues and perplexes in equal measure, wading deeply into the waters of high-concept art cinema. It offers a narrative that appeals to an intellectual audience, though some of its constructs may come across as overly cerebral and not entirely cohesive. The thematic ambitions and intricate plot are undeniably compelling, generating a unique cinematic experience that maintains viewer engagement throughout, despite moments that feel more like intellectual exercises than fully realized storytelling.
Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release of "Suture" elevates the film to new technical heights, providing excellent video quality that faithfully presents the stark and stylish black-and-white cinematography. The restoration work is impressive, breathing new life into this early 90s obscurity with a rich contrast and impressive detail fidelity. The audio track is clean and immersive, ensuring that both dialogue and the atmospheric score are delivered with clear precision. The array of supplementary materials offered with this edition is extensive and deeply informative, equalling what fans might expect from a Criterion Collection release.
In summation, "Suture" is an enigmatic piece that engages both the mind and senses, wrapped in a package that is technically superb and loaded with valuable extras. It is recommended for those who appreciate thought-provoking cinema, rendered in high definition with meticulous care by Arrow Video.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 80
Further research revealed this to be a fault of the original negative, most likely the result of lab developer pressure marks from tire rollers during initial photochemical processing....
Audio: 80
Occasional musical interludes, like the rolicking Tom Jones tune the commentary jokes cost the team their entire music budget to license, also sound clear and bright with no damage or distortion issues....
Extras: 70
Birds Past (1080p; 27:31) is a fun early film from Siegel and McGehee which riffs on Hitchcock's The Birds....
Movie: 70
The opening moments of the film have already detailed a showdown of sorts which sees Vincent and Clay facing each other with guns, and so some sort of conflict is obviously brewing, but the "back story"...
Total: 70
Suture is one of those films that appeals quite strongly to certain corners of the intellect while also coming off, at least intermittently and perhaps unintentionally, as the product of a team out to...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 60
Apparently, this happened during the production and has always been part of the movie, but was harder to see in lower-resolution video formats....
Audio: 60
The mix has strong stereo separation across the front channels and, when decoded using the Dolby Surround Upmixer feature in my receiver, a decent amount of surround bleed to the rear channels....
Extras: 60
Technically, most of the material (aside from the U.S. trailer) is new to home video and Arrow has not released a corresponding DVD-only edition of the movie....
Movie: 80
Being made right in the middle of the 1990s indie boom proved to be both a blessing – in that up-and-coming filmmaker Steven Soderbergh liked what he saw of a rough cut and signed on as Executive Producer...
Total: 80
'Suture' may be an obscure art film from the early 1990s, but it's one I've remembered vividly since first seeing....
Director: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
Actors: Dennis Haysbert, Mel Harris, Sab Shimono
PlotVincent Towers, a wealthy and ruthless man, orchestrates a reunion with his estranged half-brother, Clay Arlington. Though Clay bears a striking resemblance to Vincent, their different socioeconomic backgrounds have kept them apart. Vincent lures Clay into a scheme to switch identities, hoping to escape his own dark past. Inviting Clay to his luxurious estate, Vincent provides him with new clothes and grooming, enhancing their physical similarities. However, the plan involves a murderous twist: Vincent attempts to kill Clay in a staged car explosion, aiming to fake his own death and assume Clay's identity instead.
The explosion leaves Clay severely injured but miraculously alive, suffering from amnesia. Mistaken for Vincent due to his surgical reconstruction and the few memories he clings to, Clay finds himself navigating Vincent's life. As he is drawn deeper into Vincent's world, Clay encounters various individuals from Vincent’s past who hold pieces of his dark secrets. With fragmented memories surfacing and scrutiny from the authorities increasing, Clay struggles to uncover the truth about his own identity and the sinister plot that has ensnared him.
Writers: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
Release Date: 24 Aug 1994
Runtime: 96 min
Rating: Not Rated
Country: United States
Language: English