Bang the Drum Slowly - Cinématographe 4K UHD

Henry Wiggen (Michael Moirarty) and Bruce Pearson (Robert De Niro) are best friends and play on the same baseball team together, the fictional New York Mammoths. Wiggen is the pitcher, and Bruce is the catcher. They couldn’t be more different from each other. Henry has the nickname amongst the teammates “Author” because he wrote a book once. It’d be amazing if Bruce had even read a book on his own. But still, they’re inseparable, especially after Wiggen discovers that Bruce is dying.

Wiggen is up for contract negotiations, and part of his deal is that he wants it baked in that wherever he goes, Bruce goes. If he gets transferred, Bruce goes with him. If he gets renewed, Bruce gets renewed, too. The ownership balks at this idea; they’d never heard of anything like this before. Something about the earnestness behind Wiggens’ request allows the suits to say yes, that if it’s that important, it must be for a good reason. And, of course, it also raises suspicions. Wiggen and Bruce keep the medical diagnosis a secret, because if they find out, they’re liable to tear up the contract and either can Bruce or send him to the minors. As questions keep coming in regarding their whereabouts when they had visited the hospital together, management notices holes in their stories, that certain segments keep changing and no one can keep it straight. These two are obviously hiding something… whether it’s a romantic affair behind their wives’ backs, or something else, they’ll uncover the truth eventually.

While Wiggen is one of the strongest players on the team, Bruce is one of the worst, and he’s the butt-end of a lot of jokes. Finally, when he can’t stand to see it anymore, he lets slip to one player that the man is dying, lay off him. That little secret quickly spreads and spreads until everyone knows.

It’s funny what a little thing like death can do to you, how it changes the way you see someone. All of us, every one of us, will die one day. And not just us. Everything. Whether you live a day or thousands of years like some giant redwood, it’s our lot in life. We all know our mortality, but we spend so much of our existence in denial that, one day, our number will be up. When we’re faced with the reality of death, it changes the way we think about someone. Everyone on the team starts treating Bruce better. Management even lays off of him. And, what’s else, the team starts playing better. They start treating everyone better and put their grudges or their racist bullshit aside for a minute to see that they’re playing for the same team, the same purpose, and finally come together. Even Bruce starts playing the best he’s ever played in his life.

What’s remarkable about Bang the Drum Slowly is how it portrays all of this without leaning into tearjerker territory. It doesn’t feel like some manipulative melodrama. It feels organic and real. Director John Hancock tells the story straightforwardly, without a lot of directorial panache. It has the nonsense look of a documentary. Stars Moriarty and De Niro, both known for their improvisational skills, are a natural fit for Harris’s dialogue, who eschews so-called formal language, opting for naturalism in the way his characters speak together.

Because of its matter-of-fact storytelling, it feels more real as we near the end, knowing the inevitable event is inescapable. They carry themselves with a quiet dignity, although not without moments where they lose control of themselves in fits of emotional outburst. But, at the end, they take this moment of their lives and use it to learn, to grow, and to see their own lives differently.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Cinématographe hits a home run with its release of Bang the Drum Slowly on 4K UHD Blu-ray. The film is printed on two discs, both a 4K UHD Blu-ray and a regular Blu-ray, with the majority of special features found on the second disc. As per the label’s usual offerings, the two discs are housed in a specially designed, cloth-bound media book and custom-molded disc tray, with a removable slipcase featuring artwork from the film. The media book features essays by Noah Gittel, Glenn Kenny, and Dan Mecca.

Bang the Drum Slowly was scanned in 4K from its original film negative and graded in Dolby Vision HDR. Results, overall, are quite good, however I’ve noticed that a number of the Cinématographe releases tend to have a bit of a heavy hand when it comes to the HDR grading in certain sections. These sections look a bit overcooked, leaning very heavily on reds, so skin tones look a bit flushed and feverish. When comparing the same shots to the Blu-ray, the 1080p presentation is much more subdued. Overall, these shots are limited and far outweighed by the pros, but are worth mentioning. Generally, the 4K/HDR presentation looks terrific, with details sharply rendered and excellent use of color, varied and with a wide color gamut that feels natural and organic. The 4K scan also honors its filmic roots with a fine layer of film grain throughout.

On the audio front, we’ve got a great DTS-HD AM mono track. It’s a single-channel mono mix, as opposed to a wider 2.0 mono, so everything is going to be coming in from that center speaker. It’s nicely leveled, with dialogue taking priority in a mix that has a lot going on, with atmospheric effects ranging from the subtle (the echoing chitchat of a locker room), to the more bombastic (the cheering roar of a crowd). Stephen Lawrence’s musical score has a chance to shine, too, without completely overpowering the soundscape.

Bang the Drum Slowly doesn’t quite knock it out of the park, considering the sheer amount of special features included with most Cinématographe releases, but the offerings here are nothing to spit at. We’ve got a pair of audio commentaries, an interview with the director, and a video essay about De Niro’s early career, including movies like Bang the Drum Slowly, just before he hit superstardom.

4K Disc

• Audio Commentary – Director John Hancock, moderated by Justin LaLiberty
• Audio Commentary – Film Critic Jim Hemphill

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary – Director John Hancock, moderated by Justin LaLiberty
• Audio Commentary – Film Critic Jim Hemphill
• Interview (HD 11:44) – With director John Hancock
• The Early Films of Robert De Niro (HD 18:02) – Video Essay by Chris, O’Neill

Bang the Drum Slowly is a movie that balances a lot of elements with its narrative, without ever losing sight of itself. It’s funny, it’s tragic, and it’s very human. It is all of these things, and never risks a tonal whiplash because it’s honest in its portrayal of these characters coming to terms with death. Wonderfully acted, from a screenplay that understands human nature as well as it understands baseball, and directed in a way that allows us, the viewer, to be a fly on the wall, a passive observer as the drama unfolds in front of us. The team at Cinématographe has given the film a great video transfer (give or take a few scenes where the HDR implementation looks a little overcooked), and crystal clear audio, with a handful of features that give insight into the film’s production. Bang the Drum Slowly is Highly Recommended. 

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