Heavy Traffic Blu-ray Review

Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release of "Heavy Traffic" is presented in AVC encoded 1080p, maintaining the original 1.67:1 aspect ratio. Given Ralph Bakshi's unique blend of cel animation and live-action footage, viewers should expect some optical degradation. This manifests primarily as grit and grime, typically along the edges of the frame, reflecting the film's vintage and gritty aesthetic. The live-action elements, while reasonably well-preserved, occasionally suffer from less than ideal contrast, rendering nighttime cityscapes into muddled black tones with minimal detail. Although these limitations exist, they seem to be a function of the original source material rather than any fault in the transfer.

The animated sequences provide a more favorable viewing experience. Colors are richly saturated and bold, popping off the screen with a vibrancy that brings Bakshi’s artistic vision to life. Line detail in the animation remains remarkably crisp, ensuring that textures and shading retain clarity throughout the film. While there are instances of minor damage and sporadic specks likely due to the aging source material, these imperfections do little to detract from the overall visual fidelity. The blend of live-action and animation achieves a compelling visual contrast that, despite its occasional roughness and grime, enhances the film's period-specific ambiance. The video presentation on this Blu-ray stands as the best "Heavy Traffic" has looked, providing an authentic yet improved viewing experience for audiences who appreciate Bakshi's distinctive style.

The Blu-ray release of "Heavy Traffic" features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix, which performs reasonably well considering the often densely populated soundscape exploited by Bakshi. While the mono mix brings forth the dialogue and audio cues distinctly, it is evident that the soundtrack failed to maintain its full potential. Particularly, songs by Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 suffer due to midrange muffling, a consequence of the Haeco-CSG electronic processing system used in the original recordings. That being said, other source cues like Dave Brubeck’s "Take Five" fare slightly better. Despite the complexity and overlapping conversations within the film, dialogue clarity remains commendable, though discerning individual characters can be challenging.

The choice of a mono mix limits the audio's capacity to deliver an immersive experience. The soundtrack, rich with songs by Chuck Berry, The Isley Brothers, and other iconic artists, would have significantly benefitted from a more enveloping DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. Unfortunately, the mono format restricts the fullness and depth that audiophiles might expect. Even though the dialogue is clear and free of hiss or crackle, the overall audio presentation occasionally feels muted and lacks vibrancy, likely due to source material limitations and transfer processes. Consequently, while adequate, the audio experience could have been elevated to fully reflect the animation's dynamic nature and musical excellence.

The Blu-ray release of "Heavy Traffic" disappointingly lacks any supplemental materials. Given the film's cult classic status and the depth of its animation and themes, the absence of commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes footage, or interviews feels like a missed opportunity. The minimalist menu offers only a Play Movie button, devoid of scene selections or other standard navigational options. This sparse presentation contrasts sharply with what collectors and enthusiasts typically expect from a comprehensive Blu-ray package. Enhanced content could have significantly contributed to a richer viewer experience and provided valuable insights into the making and cultural impact of the film.

Extras included in this disc:

None: Unfortunately, there are no supplemental materials to enhance the viewing experience on this Blu-ray.

Ralph Bakshi's "Heavy Traffic" stands as a seminal piece of animation history blending the raw, urban grittiness of New York City with Bakshi's distinct artistic vision. The film, released in 1973, follows Michael Corleone, a young virgin animator in NYC, dealing with a tumultuous home life and a chaotic urban environment. "Heavy Traffic" opens with live-action sequences that morph into animation, depicting Michael's interactions with a myriad of disreputable characters. This reflects Bakshi's talent for mixing media and offers an unsettling view into the urban landscape. The soundtrack, featuring Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66's reworking of "Scarborough Fair," juxtaposes the sophistication of the music with the down-and-dirty depiction of urban life, adding an additional layer of contrast and irony to the narrative.

The storytelling in "Heavy Traffic" is notably anarchic and improvisational, mirroring the hallucinatory experiences of a drug-induced mindscape. Through sharp characterizations, Bakshi paints a picture of Michael’s life riddled with violence, sex, and unsettling familial conflicts. Michael’s father Angelo, a struggling mafia under-boss, despises his Jewish wife Ida, and rails against Michael’s virginity and his relationship with Carole, a black bartender. This racist animus leads Angelo to put a hit on his son when Michael starts dating Carole. The narrative illustrates an implicit metaphor wherein Michael's life is akin to a pinball game—chaotic and unrelenting in its unpredictability. By oscillating between animation and live-action frames, Bakshi effectively underscores the surreal and turbulent nature of urban existence.

Technically innovative, "Heavy Traffic" excels in blending its mediums, but this experimentation sometimes leads to narrative dissonance. Characters frequently engage in overlapping dialogue, and visuals are crowded with psychotic symbols and psychedelic imageries that evoke feelings of anxiety and confusion in the audience. Despite its chaotic narrative structure, the film remains visually captivating and occasionally gripping, thanks to its striking animation style and offbeat jazz-inflected score. While it may appeal most to those interested in experimental cinema and animation history, "Heavy Traffic" stands out for its daring approach and remains a compelling artifact of Bakshi’s unrestrained creativity.

Heavy Traffic presents a distinctive mix of Ralph Bakshi's unique artistic vision, characterized by its psychedelic visuals and unsettling yet captivating storytelling. The film’s narrative weaves through a surreal tapestry of the late sixties and early seventies, offering an anthropological journey into that era's counterculture. Although the film’s plot sometimes meanders, the colorful and experimental style coupled with intriguing vignettes triumphs. These elements resonate through Bakshi’s signature animation style, maintaining an almost hypnotic allure.

From a technical perspective, the Blu-ray release does justice to the film’s unique visual aesthetic. While the image quality is commendable, bringing out the vibrant and eclectic colors that define Bakshi’s work, the audio leaves something to be desired. The soundscape, although adequately preserved, lacks the dynamic range and depth that one might expect from a Blu-ray release. Furthermore, the absence of any significant extras on this edition is notably disappointing for enthusiasts and collectors who might have hoped for more behind-the-scenes insights or commentary.

Heavy Traffic is a decidedly odd, even bizarre, film, and it will probably appeal most to Bakshi completists as well as those with either a fond memory of or at least an archeological and/or anthropological interest in the late sixties and early seventies. The film is too undisciplined for its own good, but swirling through the quasi-psychedelic wilderness are several fascinating, if sometimes disturbing, vignettes. For better or worse, Heavy Traffic is unforgettable. It may not be everyone's cup of THC, but for those with a certain skewed perspective, Heavy Traffic comes Recommended.