Tequila Sunrise – Arrow Films

 

Director: Robert Towne
Screenplay: Robert Towne
Starring: Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell.
Country: USA
Running Time: 115 minutes
Year: 1988
BBFC Certificate: 15

 

 

 

 

 

When I learned that Arrow Films were going to reissue Tequila Sunrise on 4K and blu ray in the UK for the first time, I was more than interested. This release is entirely in keeping with their recent strategy of releasing key mainstream Hollywood films from the 80s and 90s like Cobra, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy and the forthcoming release of The Last Boy Scout. Having first seen the film on its VHS release all the way back in 1989, I was intrigued to see what this film would be like to watch again all these years later. The mind can play tricks on you, especially when it comes to recollections of films.

The film should be considered one of those peak 1980s high concept films, with megawatt star power in front and behind the camera. A one-of-a-kind cast list includes Mel Gibson as ‘Dale “Mac” McKussic as a notorious drug dealer trying desperately to go straight, Kurt Russell as Nick Frescia, a friend of Mac since childhood and a detective in the narcotics division, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Jo Ann Vallenari, the beautiful restauranteur and object of their desires. Written and directed by the screenwriting giant Robert Towne and filmed by the legendary cinematographer Conrad Hall, Tequila Sunrise fits all the criteria of a seriously heavyweight project, which it undoubtedly is, but it has many more levels that I had previously considered. It is at once a love triangle involving three morally compromised individuals on both sides of the law, and it is also Towne’s complex love letter to California, specifically the curve of its South Bay, where the surfer dream clashes head on with the conspicuous wealth of the metropolis of Los Angeles.

These characters inhabit a high gloss, ultra-materialist world, but there is a cerebral edge to their encounters – this is most definitely not Miami Vice. Coming off the worldwide sensation that was Lethal Weapon, Mel Gibson intentionally dials it down to convey McKussic as a man desperate to live a new life, but is beset by personal and ‘professional’ obligations. By contrast, Kurt Russell excels as an outsize, morally flexible detective whose professional instincts are second to none, but his personal life is anything but. His sleek appearance and combative approach to relationships in no way prepares him for Jo Ann, played superbly by Michelle Pfeiffer. Her character has the most difficult story arc, and it is thanks to her acutely measured performance that we are able to maintain a grip on the emotional core of the film amidst Towne’s customary multi-faceted narrative. Her way with a gesture or a subtle shift of expression tells the audience everything they need to know.

For cinephiles with an eye for a character actor, Tequila Sunrise is an absolute feast. You have the likes of Arye Gross (with one of those indeterminate haircuts that could only have existed in 1980s Hollywood) and the brilliant J.T. Walsh, who is reliably repellent as the Drug Enforcement agent who continually clashes with Kurt Russell, as well as Daniel Zacapa (his role as the paternalistic bartender Arturo deserves especial praise) and the extraordinary Raul Julia, who grabs the film by the scruff of the neck and completely dominates its latter half. The ‘two guys, one girl’ formula in part has its roots in the French New Wave, so to see this set up as the source of a post New Hollywood film like this is a testament to the universality of the core theme. If you want to see another variation on this theme (and why wouldn’t you), please watch Walter Hill’s Extreme Prejudice, released around the same as Tequila Sunrise. The film is a strange beast that just about holds a sense of itself together, but there are points where the film almost breaks apart at certain junctures. Some of these are due to elements that have dated very badly indeed, such as two sickeningly racist comments made by Frescia early on, and the overall misogynistic tone on view throughout the film. Others have to do with abrupt shifts in tone, notably when Raul Julia’s character is introduced about an hour into the film, or a sequence like the infamous hot tub love scene, which is anachronistic to the point of complete parody.

However, the film is saved from such moments by the commitment of its stars and the quality of the dialogue. This is where Tequila Sunrise elevates itself from other films of the period, with scene after scene of exquisite dialogue and emotional heft. Kurt Russell delivers perhaps the best performance of his career in just one intense scene with Michelle Pfeiffer. She in turn is truly stunning in so many scenes with Mel Gibson, where their characters gradually break each other’s defences down. Narratively it leaves something to be desired, and there are parts that simply strain credulity (J.T. Walsh’s character is a very bad marksman indeed), but for this and so many other reasons, Tequila Sunrise is a Hollywood blockbuster well worth revisiting.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative by Arrow Films
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original and newly restored lossless stereo and 4.0 audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by producer Thom Mount
• California Dreaming, a brand-new interview with producer Thom Mount
• From Chinatown to Manhattan Beach, a brand-new appreciation of Robert Towne by Lucy Bolton
• Sunrise to Sunset, a brand-new interview with 2nd AD Robert Roda
• Sin City, a brand-new interview with actor Lala Sloatman
• Image gallery
• Theatrical trailer
• Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Sean Hogan and Josh Nelson, and excerpts from American Cinematographer
• Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options

The commentary by producer Thom Mount is one of the most engrossing and thorough that I’ve had the pleasure of sitting through in recent times. In his calm and unruffled way, Mount tells the story of the film’s production from beginning to end as the film itself unfolds, from Robert Towne’s first treatment, to the tumultuous casting process (at one point both Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin were attached to the project), to the financing of the production via ‘negative pickup’, a term I had heard of but hadn’t known precisely what that meant until now. His aim for the film to be a ‘film noir but very glamourous’ was certainly fulfilled by the hiring of Conrad Hall as cinematographer, and there are no end of great stories, notably that both Raul Julia and Mel Gibson were drunk for real during certain key scenes on set, and that great lengths were taken to reassure and prepare Michelle Pfeiffer over the hot tub love scene. Given that she still has such a negative view of the film, these measures clearly did not have the desired effect. His take on the film is that it was ‘life among the compromised’, which is a very poetic description from a Hollywood film producer. The accompanying interview with Mount is a condensed version of events described in the commentary, although he does offer more information in relation to Robert Towne’s wayward timekeeping due to substance abuse issues.

Lucy Bolton provides an excellent overview of Towne’s career as the screenwriter par excellence of the New Hollywood era, accurately describing him as ‘uniquely famous’ for both his credited and uncredited work for everyone from Roger Corman to Francis Ford Coppola. Her affection for the film is obvious, although I must respectfully correct her assertion that Conrad Hall won an Academy Award for Tequila Sunrise: although he was nominated for an Oscar, he did not win that year. He was however awarded the American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases.

The interview with Robert Roda is an informative look at the work of an assistant director, how he came to be hired for the role, what his responsibilities were and his memories of both cast and crew on a film that he is still very proud to have worked on.

The interview with Lala Sloatman was for me one of the highlights of the disc. As a relative of the late great Frank Zappa, I was thrilled to hear the details of her life living with the Zappa family, as well as her accidental path into acting via her relationship with the late Corey Haim. Her memories from her two days on the set of Tequila Sunrise as one of the two ‘Sin Sisters’ are smart and self-deprecating, remembering her young self in such a raw and candid manner. Then it hit me: I finally realized that she also starred in one of my favourite films of the early 1990s, the underrated Christian Slater film Pump Up the Volume. An outstanding special feature.

The trailer is peak 1980s fare, giving way too many bits of the film away, making it seem far busier and more action-packed than it truly is. A series of promotional photos complete the special features.

The booklet accompanying the limited edition blu ray sadly wasn’t available for me to review.