DVD Review
| The Osterman Weekend Reviewed by:Kage
Alan
It’s difficult to know what “The Osterman
Weekend” will be remembered for more, its stellar cast and complex
plot or the fact it’s the final film of Hollywood legend/maverick
Sam Peckinpah. If historians have their way, it’ll be because of
Sam. While admirers and detractors of the man’s work will certainly
be interested in taking a look at this one for purely analytical
reasons, your everyday viewers are going to be more concerned with
whether or not the film itself is any good. Makes sense, doesn’t
it?
Agent Lawrence Fassett (John Hurt) has a score
to settle. After making love to his wife, he decides to enjoy a
nice hot shower during which time somebody enters the room and kills
her. During his investigation into the matter, Fassett uncovers
something called Omega and several people associated with it who
might just be KGB spies. CIA boss Maxwell Danforth is impressed
with Fassett’s report and agrees to let him proceed with a very
dangerous plan. Ultra-investigative television reporter and patriot
John Tanner (Rutger Hauer) has a number of friends who get together
one weekend out of the year for a bit of harmless fun at his
estate. They include Bernard Osterman (Craig T. Nelson), Richard
Tremayne (Dennis Hopper) and Joseph Cardone (Chris Sarandon).
When Fassett shows Tanner evidence that his
friends may be KGB agents and that they plan on setting him up, the
man agrees to let the CIA move in for the weekend with them. Every
room in the house is wired for sound and video, so nobody can go
undetected. The friends arrive and it’s soon evident that something
isn’t quite right. Even Tanner’s wife, Ali (Meg Foster), knows
something is afoot and boy is she right. Will the friends get to
Tanner or will Tanner get to them? Perhaps Fassett has something
else in mind? If so, who is really being played here and who is
controlling the game?
If nothing else, “The Osterman Weekend” will
keep you guessing right up until the final reel. The acting and
script are top notch and the direction is well-executed. Peckinpah
has a unique style that ratchets up the suspense a little at a time
until finally exploding during a particularly action-filled
finale…or is it the finale? The twists and turns keep on coming and
the ending is particularly satisfying. Fans of the thriller genre
will find much to like here, though it may require a couple of
viewings to fully appreciate.
Anchor Bay has released “The Osterman Weekend”
in a deluxe Divamax Series 2-disc Widescreen package. Video quality
is fairly decent with some grain present throughout. Audio is a bit
perkier than its original Mono mix, but not perfect. As for extras,
disc 1 contains the film and also an audio commentary by Peckinpah
historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, David Weddle and Nick
Redman. As commentaries go, it was amusing to listen to these guys
revel in the sound of their own voices and try to outdo each other
with who knew what and who had interviewed whom. It stopped being
amusing after 30 minutes and I turned it off. Stick with the movie
itself. Disc 2 contains the director’s original version of the
film, only it’s Full Screen and the quality is pretty raw. It’s
definitely a nice addition, but not what you want to see the first
time through. The standout feature is the 78-minute documentary,
“Alpha To Omega”, featuring interviews with cast and crew. It’s
excellent! Beyond that, we’re given a trailer, some talent bios and
a Still Gallery.
While “The Osterman Weekend” may never have the
appreciation or following that “The Wild Bunch” does, it certainly
demonstrated that the ailing director still understood how to make a
damn fine picture. I’m usually one who prefers director’s cuts too,
only I feel that what the producer’s did to the film actually
compliments it in a way that made it more accessible to audiences.
Peckinpah would probably use a number of obscenities to express his
displeasure at my saying that, but I think we could work past it.
It is a shame that this was his last film. With a bit of luck, he
could have ended up back on the Hollywood A list of directors and
gone on to a film that did one better than his acknowledged best.
In the meantime, Anchor Bay has done him proud with this release.
