Blu-Ray Review: BACKDRAFT - Still The Best Fire-Based Actioner Ever

Twenty years ago Ron Howard made Backdraft, a visually stunning triumph of special effects that is remembered far more for its arresting firey set-pieces than its converging humanist plot-lines. But reducing it to simply a blazing series of brainless showy flashes is to do it a huge disservice, as the film might not have depth or huge substance, but it features some very strong performances, and a whole lot of heart. That's clearly why Universal have this week released the film to the blu-ray arena...

First off, I have to say, I am extremely unimpressed with the stripped-back Universal blu-rays I've had my hands on this week- the menus are identi-kit and characterless (one of them didn't even have titles on the menu options!) and it sort of takes the value out of the transfer. BackDraft is no different, and has its own problems to add: my chief annoyance was with the Ron Howard introduction, which incidentally there is no option to skip, and which has been lifted lock, stock and barrel from the Anniversary DVD re-release.

The film itself though holds a special place in my memory - it is the first film I ever remember seeing more than once intentionally, and it is the first time I ever realised how good action films could be without resorting to cheesy one-liners and muscle-packed morons without an acting bone in their body. Because Backdraft is a rare breed of action film - it is at once an astounding actioner, with some of the best stunt sequences and fire scenes yet committed to screen, but it also has a number of compelling narrative strands that are much more than mere bridges between the impressive set-pieces.

Even twenty years on, the film is still the best fire-fighter movie, with unrivalled fire scenes that really drop you into the action and grip you, and it is these scenes, rather than the numerous intersecting sub-plots that form the most memorable legacy. Those subplots, including Russell's estrangement from his family and his brother's own relationship with Jennifer Jason Leigh's Jennifer can occasionally stray into Soap Opera territory (which isn't exactly helped by the appearance of Rebecca DeMornay), but they certainly do flesh out the central brotherly duo of characters. It's just a pity the script is so woefully threadbare and conventional: it makes a attempt at complexity by intertwining two human interest storylines (warring brothers, separated couples trying for reconciliation), with one of political intrigue, but they are each dealt with with in such conventional terms and in such a cliched manner that they don't make enough of an impact.

But, the film, oddly, isn't fatally compromised by the problems with the script, because Ron Howard clearly recognised the strengths of the project enough to create a bias towards the stunning looking and incredibly accomplished special effects fire scenes. That bias, sadly is probably why some people are so happy to unthinkingly label the film merely brainless, and ignore those other good elements that succeed despite the huge issue of the script.

Thankfully, in the acting stakes both Kurt Russell and William Baldwin handle the characters well, and are strong enough presences that it is even possible to forgive them of the horrendous super-slow-motion sequences that Ron Howard clearly hadn't yet ruled out of his gambit of technical skills. Russell does the troubled elder brother wrestling with his demons well, and he wears the scars of his turmoil even better (he does rage perfectly), and there is enough chemistry between the onscreen brothers to make their friction believable (who'd have thought a Baldwin other than Alec could once act?!). And those central performances are backed up strongly by a cast of strong peripheral characters including Robert De Niro's fire investigator and particularly Donald Sutherland's skin-crawlingly unnerving, Hannibal Lecter-like pyromaniac Ronald.

Overall, Backdraft is the tale of one exceptional facet outweighing the unfortunately undermining influence of another terrible one, in the shape of the script. Sure, it might not be deep, but damn do I continue to dig it.

Quality

Soft-looking in a few places, but overall the transfer is almost perfect looking, with no tell-tale signs of DNR or those other underhand techniques for quick fixes that Universal back catalogue releases have in the past been guilty of. The palette is great, with natural skin-tones throughout with the fire scenes in particularly looking knock-out; detail levels are also pristine throughout, but it does come at a price. Thanks to the age of the source material (20 years is a long time in film), the added level of detail uncovers some of the SFX magic used in the action scenes, but such is the quality everywhere else, it isn't a deal-breaker.

As with Intolerable Cruelty the sound mix is occasionally annoyingly biased towards music, which does admittedly make it feel more cinematic, but which is overwhelming in "normal" viewing circumstances, and makes whispers or intentionally lowered voices almost entirely inaudible. It's also pretty unforgivable when the background music is so intrusive it interferes with the clarity of dialogue- which becomes a problem especially during action scenes. No such worries over the sound effects, which are perfect for those same action scenes.

Extras

Nothing hugely impressive, but the Real Life Firemen featurette and the insights into the way the stunt work was created genuinely do add to the enjoyment of the film, especially given the revelation of how hands on the actors got with the fire. It must have been a health and safety nightmare! One major gripe though- where the hell's the audio commentary?

Ron Howard Introduction (3 mins) Deleted Scenes (43 mins) Igniting the Story (15 mins) Bringing Together the Team(19 mins) The Explosive Stunts (15 mins) Creating the Villain: The Fire (13 mins) Real Life Firemen: Real Life Stories (9 mins) Backdraft is available on Blu-ray from today.