Search - Walker [Criterion Collection] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1987 DVD Release: 02/19/2008 Format: DVD - Color,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 34 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 24 Genres: Action, Satire, Docudrama, Biopic [feature]

Alex Cox directed this hallucinatory bio-pic starring Ed Harris as 19th-century American adventurer William Walker, who abandoned a series of careers in law, politics, journalism, and medicine to become a soldier of fortune and eventually a Nicaraguan dictator. When his deaf wife (Marlee Matlin) dies of cholera (but not before she utilizes sign language to tell Walker "To Hell with Manifest Destiny"), Walker is backed by multi-millionaire banker Cornelius Vanderbilt (Peter Boyle) to lead a band of mercenaries to Nicaragua in 1855 to make the country safe for Vanderbilt's steamships. When Walker subdues the Nicaraguan opposition, he sets himself up as president and rules the country with unfeeling repression. Finally the Nicaraguans rise up against him, figuring out that "the mad gringo is ripping us off." ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Ed Harris - William Walker
Marlee Matlin - Ellen Martin
Peter Boyle - Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt
Blanca Guerra - Yrena
Keith Szarabajka - Timothy Crocker
Richard Masur - Ephraim Squier
Sy Richardson - Capt. Hornsby

Alex Cox's Walker, an audacious and bitterly funny fusion of political satire and historical epic, was savaged by many puzzled critics upon its initial release in 1987, but the film's partisans finally get their day in the sun with this DVD release of the movie from the Criterion Collection, which allows it to be seen to its full advantage for the first time since its poorly handled theatrical release. Walker has been given a widescreen transfer to disc, letterboxed at 1.85:1 and enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16x9 monitors; director Cox approved the transfer, and it certainly makes the most of David Bridges' richly dramatic camerawork. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and the multi-layered sound mix is well served in this edition, especially Joe Strummer's musical score. The dialogue is primarily in English, with no multiple language options, though optional English subtitles are included. As is their custom, Criterion have included a variety of relevant bonus materials, including "Dispatches from Nicaragua," a fascinating documentary on the making of the film which combines behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the cast and crew, and observations from Nicaraguans observing this recreation of their history. Also featured are "On Moviemaking and the Revolution," a spoken-word piece in which a bit player in the movie talks about both radical cinema and the presence of a film crew in Nicaragua; an extensive portfolio of still photos taken during Walker's production; a commentary track in which Cox and screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer talk about the film, its influences, and its political stance; the original theatrical trailer; and a short subject in which Cox reads and comments upon a number of Walker's reviews. The beautifully designed booklet that accompanies this release also includes an essay on the film by Graham Fuller, an article Wurlitzer wrote to accompany the film's published screenplay, and a remembrance by actress Linda Sandoval on the challenges of shooting Walker in a nation at war. After years of languishing in obscurity, Criterion's DVD release finally gives Walker the care and exposure it deserves, and hopefully this will allow this fascinating work to be reevaluated at a time when the issues it addresses are as relevant as ever. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide