Jackie Brown is one badass motherfucker.
This film, full of extremely smart characters who are all trying to outmaneuver their competition over Ordell’s $500,000 “retirement”, continues to be the ugly step-child in Quentin Tarantino’s highly consistent filmography. Many fights have started among my friends with me defending the hell out of this film. It is his unheralded masterpiece. Yes, this is my opinion. But, you know what? Time is on my side.
And now, thanks to Lionsgate’s efforts to remaster the film from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative and master interpositive elements, Jackie Brown explodes on the screen with a spectacular 4K image complete with striking levels of detail, preserving (and enhancing!!) cinematographer Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) 35mm-shot (using Moviecam Compact cameras) film for its debut on Ultra HD! With a new sheen to its shimmy and shake, the film - which takes its time with Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch-adapted material to tell its sexy stewardess vs street-tough gun runner narrative.
First and foremost, Jackie Brown is character led and, after the release of Pulp Fiction, it seems a lot of people wanted to work with him. From Chris Rock as Beaumont Livingston to Sid Haig as the judge who sets bail for Pam Grier, the film is loaded with unforgettable performances, characters, and lines worth repeating. Tarantino enlists a wealth of talent and it pays off in spades as this film simply saturates in its talent as the story brews into a tale of blackmail and revenge, with a satisfying ending in which our hero has to make a choice.
Digging up Grier was a genius move as the film wouldn’t have worked without her. Here, she plays a flight attendant who has spent several years enveloped in a close relationship with a charismatic illegal arms dealer - Ordell (played by Samuel L. Jackson). She’s supported by the very kind and Oscar nominated Robert Forster who plays Max Cherry, a bail bondsman who haplessly falls in love with Brown as The Delfonics play in the background. Then, there is Robert De Niro as Louis, an ex-con who happens to be staying with Ordell and his sort of girlfriend Melanie (Bridget Fonda), who is just a pain in everybody’s neck, and is quick to learn the ins and outs of weapon smuggling thanks to a shopping bag snafu.
And Jackie is caught up in this ordeal because she smuggles small amounts of drugs for Ordell from Mexico during flights and gets busted by Michael Keaton, who would reprise his role in Out of Sight, and Michael Bowen who play ATF agents who want nothing more than to see Ordell in prison.
This is nothing like Reservoir Dogs. It isn’t Pulp Fiction either. This is new territory for Tarantino and it proves that, even in 1997, was up to conquer the unpredictable. It’s a film where the plot becomes secondary to the textures of the movie. These characters take their time to evolve into their own endings or beginnings. It remains a challenging watch, where the Southern California canvas and its characters expand where necessary like a Russ Meyer film or the exploitation flicks from the 1970s.
Jackie Brown is a certifiable masterpiece and it’s about time it gets appreciated as yet another Tarantino masterpiece.
This 4K Ultra HD release delivers the film in unparalleled resolution, capturing every detail of Tarantino’s visionary direction. The accompanying Blu-ray disc ensures compatibility and flexibility for your viewing needs. Encased in an exquisitely designed SteelBook, this edition is a must-have for collectors and fans alike.
Lionsgate Limited Exclusive SteelBook / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital
Home Video Distributor: Lionsgate
Available on Blu-ray - January 21, 2025
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: Region-free playback
Quentin Tarantino scores with an explosive mix of intense action and edgy humor in his “twisty crime yarn” (Entertainment Weekly), now presented for the first time in 4K. What do a sexy stewardess (Pam Grier), a street-tough gun runner (Samuel L. Jackson), a lonely bail bondsman (Robert Forster), a shifty ex-con (Robert De Niro), an earnest federal agent (Michael Keaton), and a stoned-out beach bunny (Bridget Fonda) have in common? They’re six players on the trail of a half million dollars in cash! The only questions are... who’s going to get played... and who's going to make the big score?
VIDEO
Presented in Dolby Vision® HDR, this stunning 4K edition preserves the cinematic richness of Quentin Tarantino and Guillermo Navarro’s original cinematography. The film has been meticulously remastered from beginning to end, resulting in a superior visual experience that far surpasses the upscaled releases of the past years. Colors are more vibrant, details are sharper, and the overall picture quality is nothing short of breathtaking. This meticulous attention to detail has truly elevated a beloved classic into a new era of home entertainment.
AUDIO
Per Tarantino’s wishes, the original 5.1 audio mix is presented on the UHD release.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
Due to the extensive amount of archival bonus material and the film’s running time, the bonus content has been relegated to the Blu-ray disc to allow the maximum bit rate possible for the 4K version.
- SteelBook® art by Ken Taylor.
- Breaking Down Jackie Brown
- “Jackie Brown: How It Went Down” Retrospective Featuring Interviews with Quentin Tarantino, Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, Elmore Leonard, and Crew
- “A Look Back at Jackie Brown” Interview with Quentin
- “Chicks with Guns” Video
- Siskel & Ebert “At the Movies” — Jackie Brown Review
- Jackie Brown on MTV
- Marketing Gallery
- Still Galleries
- Trivia Track
- Deleted and Alternate Scenes
- Trailers
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Composite Blu-ray Grade |
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 154 mins
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Pam Grier; Samuel L. Jackson; Robert Forster
Genre: Crime | Thriller
Tagline: Six players on the trail of a half million in cash. There's only one question... who's playing who?
Memorable Movie Quote: "You can't trust Melanie. But, you can always trust Melanie to be Melanie."
Theatrical Distributor: Miramax
Official Site: https://lionsgatelimited.com/products/jackie-brown-4k-steelbook?variant=42621030957167
Release Date: December 25, 1997
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: January 21, 2025.
Synopsis: A flight attendant with a criminal past gets nabbed by the ATF for smuggling. Under pressure to become an informant against the illegal arms dealer she works for, she must find a way to secure her future without getting killed.