Putney Swope

Director- Robert Downey Sr.

Cast- Arnold Johnson, Joe Madden

Country of Origin- U.S.

Distributor - Vinegar Syndrome

Number of discs –  2

Reviewed by - Scott MacDonald

Date- 07/10/2019

        In 2007 Criterion launched their Eclipse line of DVD box sets. At the time I felt this was an excellent thing, as it meant more films would be touched by Criterion's restoration style, and made with greater availability.   The box sets were themed, which made it even easier to marathon the films.  However, as DVD made way for Blu-ray, I began to feel slighted by the existence of some of these sets as that indicated a Blu-ray would not be forthcoming for some of the classic titles that Criterion obviously had. This included films by Fassbinder, Bergman, Czech classics like Daisies, and also films like Putney Swope,  which was part of the "Up All Night with Robert Downey Sr." collection.  Now, of course, that has been corrected with Vinegar Syndrome releasing Putney Swope to Blu-ray in an exciting new edition.

    Robert Downey Sr.  was an underground cinema icon. He began directing films in the NYC underground film scene of the 1960's, and would become known for his absurdist satiric visions. The most well known, and possibly greatest of his films would be Putney Swope. This film sees the titular advertising executive for a New York based firm, find himself promoted to CEO after the last one dies in the middle of a meeting. The board members cannot vote for themselves, and so vote for the "token" black guy figuring no one else would.  Putney is elected by accident, and then quickly fires all the white guys on the board. He then turns the company into Truth and Soul Inc. and stops taking money from war, drugs, and other negative products, and turns the company into something more positive. The business is a success, but Swope's personal life begins to intervene.

    Putney Swope opens up the quite daring for the era boardroom scene. This scene sets the tone for the entirety of the film. The film blends elements of absurdist comedy into corporate and personal style dramatics with moments that include commercial style sequences showcasing the new style of the company. The film runs a breezy 85 minutes, and is pretty awesome and fun from the first second to the last.

    Vinegar Syndrome presents Putney Swope in an excellent 1:37:1 1080p transfer. The film is primarily black and white with bright color sequences in between. The film has excellent contrast and detail during the B/W sequences, the color moments truly pop from the screen. Audio is handled by a DTS-HD MA track in English. There is some minor hiss, but overall it is a quite clear and solid track. Extras include 2 commentaries one with Downey, there are also 2 interviews and a Q&A with Downey. There is an audio interview with the film's cinematographer, and much more. Putney Swope is the greatest film with the name Robert Downey on it.  As of now it may be my favorite Vinegar Syndrome release of 2019, and the Blu-ray really gives the film its due. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.