Another solid collaboration between Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass. News of the World is a beautiful film with an powerful emotional center. This one deserves to be seen the best way possible, so grab this one on 4k today!
“Five years after the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Academy Award winner Tom Hanks) moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news from the far reaches of the globe.
In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken in by the Kiowa people and raised as one of their own. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place they can call home.”
Tom Hanks stars in his first Western-type film, based on a book by the same name which introduces Hanks as Captain Kidd, a retired Confederate Captain that makes his living after the war reading interesting stories from around the country from town to town, in an effort to distract from the hardships of every day life. While traveling between towns, Kidd stumbles across a wrecked wagon, and the driver, a Black man, hanged from a tree not far away. Kidd then discovered Johanna (Helena Zengel), a wild young girl who he learns was raised by the Kiowa people before their entire village was wiped out. With no one willing to care for her, Kidd reluctantly agrees to make the several hundred-mile journey to take her back to relatives or her original family that was killed in a Kiowa raid.
News of the World is just simply beautifully crafted in every way. Paul Greengrass is able to capture both the beauty and the hardships of the state of the South a few short years after the Civil War. Still reeling from the loss, and inundated with Northern Troops that try to keep order by forcing the people to change their core beliefs seemingly overnight, we are able to see the palpable tension between people everywhere you look. While the Civil War isn’t the focus of the film, it’s one of the causes of the landscape becoming the way it is: hostile, aggressive, closed off, and how Captain Kidd must navigate this world in order to reach his destination.
The narrative follows a structure very much like a novel. While it is linear in its storytelling, there doesn’t seem to be much connection between any of the events that happen as Captain Kidd and Johanna travel to their destination. As much as I enjoyed the overall story, this method of storytelling leaves a bit to be desired. There really is no single antagonist in the film. While one person he meets, Almay (Michael Angela Covino) wants to buy Johanna and ends up chasing the pair down, it’s a very abrupt change in pace the story has thus far provided, and for me, didn’t come with any emotional weight whatsoever. This is the case in every obstacle the pair comes to. It does provide bonding between them, which is the most important point the story is trying to make, but the danger just seems a bit hollow when there is no context to the rest of the story.
As I mentioned, the film is beautifully crafted. The dust and dirt that are prominently displayed that cover absolutely everything really makes you feel like you’re immersed in the world as well. Gorgeous open landscapes, dark, stormy sequences with pouring rain, all highlight the torrential and violent weather changes of the great plains. Tom Hanks gives a great performance as always as Captain Kidd. He’s a broken-down man thanks to the Civil War, and while it doesn’t go into great depths on why he fought, it took a great toll on his life, and he blames that event for what happens between him and his wife. While there really isn’t a way in today’s society to make Tom Hanks a typical Southern Civil War Captain, he does seem very out of place when it comes to the rest of the people he comes across. The film is sure to be clear his character isn’t a racist, but it then begs the question why did he even fight for the South? While I can understand the intent is how that war ruined his life in every way, we just don’t see that other than one short sentence toward the end of the film. Was this the intention, or did they just not want Tom Hanks to sound like a Confederate Captain? I don’t dwell on that question much because regardless, Hanks delivers a great performance, and in the end, it’s not about his character’s beliefs, but his connection with Johanna and how they grow closer in their journey. The most surprising performance though has to be Helena Zengel. She’s able to capture that little girl torn between worlds, fighting to keep the identity she’s known most of her life, while slowly remembering details from before. This transformation and the trust she begins to show Captain Kidd are the highlights of her moving performance, for someone so young, is quite impressive.
Video
News of the World is presented in 2160p 4k Ultra High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1 featuring HDR10. With the stunning landscape that Paul Greengrass highlights throughout his film, 4k is the way to see this film. The daytime sequences provide stunning backdrops with brilliant brights. Although there aren’t many vibrant colors in the film because of the Western-tone, what you do see look quite nice. There is also just as many, if not more, night sequences in the film than there are daytime, and the deep darks of the HDR and crystal clear picture make these much easier to see. Stunning quality all around, worth the upgraded format.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, and again, a stunning track that is a perfect accompaniment for the film. The Atmos track provides some great range on the surrounds, most notably the sparse gun battles throughout the film. Those shotgun blasts echo throughout, while the storms on the plains also make good use of the atmos speakers. Dialogue is clear and concise from the center channel, with no defects or issues noted.
Special Features
Extras are located on both the 4k disc and Blu-ray and include:
- Deleted Scenes
- Partners: Tom Hanks & Helena Zengel
- Western Action
- Paul Greengrass makes News of the World
- The Kiowa
- Feature Commentary with Co-writer/Director Paul Greengrass
News of the World may have some shortcomings in adapting the novel to screen, but the talent involved in creating the film and portraying the two main characters far outweigh any inconsistencies or problems I had with the story. Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks deliver another fantastic film together and I for one hope this isn’t Hanks’ only foray into the Western genre.
