Blu-Ray Review: Compañeros

By Brad Henderson

As a kid I grew up on a variety of different films. My mother loved horror, dad loved westerns and action flicks, my grandma was obsessed with dramas, and I loved everything. I’m thankful for the upbringing I had because it made me who I am today. Even though I was a cinephile by the time I was seven or so, I still missed a lot of films. Now I’m 30 and I’m still making epic discoveries on my own. Recently I discovered one of the best westerns I’ve ever seen, Compañeros.

Sergio Corbucci is most well known for Django. He created that character along with the unforgettable Franco Nero. Nero has a face that can’t be forgotten and a smile that imprints in your brain so you can’t help but smile back. Nero is the guy who can play any role because he is so charismatic and then in 1.3 seconds he can be one sinister a-hole. He has played the bad guy, good guy, and everything in between because he is a fantastic actor. He is one of the many reasons why I’m now obsessed with Compañeros.

Compañeros is like Lethal Weapon but set in the old west. I’ve seen many westerns but I’ve never encountered a “buddy western” quite like this. Companionship has always played a big part in westerns but Compañeros makes you feel like you are one of the gang, very much like The Wild Bunch does. Films that make you feel like you are one with them never leave your heart. Watching a film and feeling like you are part of it is a very special thing and it doesn’t happen too often. I ’m not sure if other people have that feeling with movies but I sure as hell do.

There are a few companies that I recommend for “blind buys” as well as keeping an eye on for upcoming releases. Blue Underground, Raro Video, Kino, Vinegar Syndrome, and sometimes Scream Factory are doing amazing things. They are giving life to a dying breed and it’s something that I love and cherish even if I dislike the films. No film should go away. Blue Underground have been pioneers of this renaissance long before the Blu-ray craze hit a couple of years ago; they have been introducing me to badass cinema since around 2005.

As usual with a Blue Underground release, the transfer for the film looks and sounds excellent. There is a great interview with the film’s composer Ennio Morricone and the stars of the film, Franco Nero and Tomás Milián, which shows the friendship between the two and makes the film even more unique. There is also an audio commentary with journalist Henry Parke and C. Courtney Joyner, one of my favorite horror film writers from back in the day. He is the man responsible (along with Mark Lester) for making one of my all time favorites, Class Of 1999.

If you love buddy comedies or Spaghetti Westerns, Compañeros is for you. Hell, even if you’re not into that shit I can almost guarantee you will have fun with this film. There are so many old westerns that you can get a little overwhelmed but films like Rio Bravo, The Wild Bunch, Once Upon A Time In The West, Django, and Compañeros are great films to start you on your journey to the old west.

Compañeros was released by Blue Underground on October 28, 2014.