Sometimes it's hard to imagine what it would have been like to live during America's treacherous birthing pains, especially in the wake of the Civil War -- a time when the country was torn apart, and violence, disease and death ran rampant. Hatfields & McCoys does a pretty good job painting a vivid, ugly picture of the death and cruelty that plagued the era.
The film follows two confederate soldiers in the wake of the Civil War. Once friends, the two divide when 'Devil' Anse Hatfield (Kevin Costner), disenfranchised by the horror of war, deserts his fellow soldiers. This doesn't sit well with Randall McCoy (Bill Paxton) who sees it as an insult to their friendship, to his fellow soldiers, and to God. But things only turn for the worse when the two come home and find corruption, inhumanity and war have infected their souls and their families.
Not to get cheesy, but to quote John Rambo from First Blood: Part II, "To survive war, you must become war." That sentiment couldn't ring more true than in the historic feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. Both men found themselves tired of war and hoped to return to a world of peace. But war had changed the both of them. It was running deep through their veins, poisoning their thoughts and actions.
This is also a story of escalation -- how two men, who should have been able to settle their differences with a peaceful conversation, slowly gnawed and chewed away at each other until their only solution was war itself.
Directed by Kevin Reynolds, who previously directed Costner in the underrated sci-fi flop Waterworld, as well as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, does a fine job bringing this tumultuous tale to life. And despite his sordid, ironically toxic history with Costner, the duo delivers a dazzling experience layered with brutal complexity, tragedy and blood-soaked violence.
Performances are absolutely outstanding, with Costner, Paxton, Jena Malone, Andrew Howard and Powers Boothe standing out among a sea of equally potent performances from the supporting cast. Production/costume design plays a major role here, and even under the strict HD spotlight it feels real, bringing an authenticity and grit to every scene.
Another standout is cinematography, from Arthur Reinhart (Tristan + Isolde). Matching the epic brilliance of Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood or Terrance Malick's The New World, rarely does this miniseries ever feel like TV.
While Civil War tales often tread common ground, Hatfields & McCoys transcends the traditional clichés and plot contrivances. And while the three-part miniseries does take some liberties with the real story (which proves a touch annoying) and also runs a tad long (while also rushing the finale), the film is a feat of brilliance destined to be watched and enjoyed for decades to come.
Hatfields & McCoys comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film is presented in 1.78:1, encoded in 1080p/AVC. Shot on Red Epic HD cameras, Hatfields & McCoys looks nothing short of absolutely jaw-dropping. Depth and clarity are just astonishing. The film's muted palette draws out the visual intentions, adding an authentic layer of realism to the miniseries. If the transfer has one issue, it would be just a slight hint of motion blur seen throughout pretty much every scene. While not distracting, it does, on occasion, smooth over textures, drawing the viewer out of the experience. Regardless, this is a visually stunning presentation that stands among the best of TV-on-BD.
Audio is presented in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Like the transfer, mixing is of a classy theatrical quality, with aggressive surround cues adding atmosphere and realistic texture to pretty much every single scene. Bass punctuates action beats, while also adding weight to the film's rich, poetic score. Dialogue is also crystal clear, with no distortions or crackles noted whatsoever. Simply put, this track is absolutely beautiful.
Unfortunately, extras on this two-disc set aren't quite as impressive as the A/V presentation. There's a terrific 31-minute making-of documentary as well as a music video and trailers. But that's it. Oddly, no UltraViolet digital copy is provided. The miniseries is also presented in its uncut form.
Hatfields & McCoys is a wonderful miniseries rich with history, emotion and character. If you haven't already, give it a spin. And if you're already a fan, this set is well worth owning.
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