Cutter’s Way

Summary

“These are just the facts, Rich. I haven’t even begun to let my imagination loose on this one.”

Fun City Editions has quickly established a great reputation for releasing offbeat films from the Seventies and Eighties that have slipped through the radar for catalog releases from the major studios. The 1981 Ivan Passer directed film Cutter’s Way had actually been released on Blu-ray a few years ago by one of my favorite film labels Twilight Time. With the death of founder Nick Redman, Twilight Time as we knew it essentially disbanded. I was lucky enough to correspond with Nick until his passing, and have been lucky enough to stay in contact with Julie Kirgo in the years since. I was elated to see that Fun City Editions was releasing a film that Twilight Time had championed and that the excellent Nick Redman and Julie Kirgo commentary was intact on the new release. Despite having owned the prior release, I had (embarrassingly) failed to watch the film until the Fun City version was released. I picked up the Fun City version, which features a new 2K restoration from the 35mm interpositive, alongside some new special features and numerous archival featurettes. It’s a stacked release of an excellent film.

One of my favorite film genres is film noir, and I love the ways in which noir was reinterpreted in the Seventies and Eighties. Cutter’s Way is an excellent example of a sun baked noir, and fits in properly with revisionist noir films like Altman’s The Long Goodbye or Night Moves. After watching the film, I am happy to report that I would rank Cutter’s Way high on my list of my favorite catalog releases of last year.

In Santa Barbara, California, Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) is a rake and a drifter. He meets women and sleeps with them while they are on vacation, enjoying their generosity of food or drink. In a hotel room, he is accosted on this front by his latest conquest and he slips out to the beach. When his car breaks down in an alley, Bone witnesses a man throwing something large into a trash can before quickly driving away. Bone does not think much of it, and meets with his friend Alex Cutter (John Heard) and Alex’s wife Maureen (Lisa Eichhorn) who goes by Mo. Bone has been staying with Cutter and Mo while working as a boat salesman for their mutual friend George Swanson (Arthur Rosenberg.) Alex is a Vietnam vet who has suffered injuries that have left him missing a leg, an arm, and an eye. He is also a drunkard. The next day it is reported that a young girl named Vicky Duran’s body was found in the trash can. Bone is brought in as a suspect in the murder. While watching the Founder’s Day Parade with Mo and Cutter, Bone identifies a man as having been the person he saw dumping the body. The man he points out to Cutter is oil baron J.J. Cord (Stephen Elliott.) Alex, Richard, and Mo begin investigating J.J. with hopes of solving the murder. They bring in Vicky’s sister Val and hatch a plan that involves blackmail with hopes of ultimately exposing J.J. as the killer.

Cutter’s Way is based on a novel titled Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornburg. Ivan Passer worked with screenwriter Jeffrey Alan Fiskin to craft a film that served as a character study of the disillusioned post-Vietnam generation, a time capsule of Santa Barbara, California, while still adhering to the noir themes of the novel. The film has an extremely memorable finale. At the time of the film’s release, critics were divided on the film’s merits. I can not understand for the life of me what could have kept the film critics from appreciating Cutter’s Way’s genius. Luckily, the film has been reappraised in the years since its release. 

The largest issues that critics took with the film involved Ivan Passer’s strategy of focusing on the characters much more than on the mystery at the core of the plot. The film’s willingness to be somewhat ambiguous was looked at as a weakness at the time. In my opinion, the decisions made in the film make it stand out from the crowd and more interesting. Ivan Passer was more interested in exploring the intricacies of Vietnam veteran Cutter’s psyche than he was in solving a mystery. The ending of the film is where I think Cutter’s Way drew the most fire from critics. The ending makes deliberate artistic statement from Passer and screenwriter Jeffrey Alan Fiskin that some critics absolutely hated. Does everything have to be wrapped up in a bow for a film to be successful? I would argue that Cutter’s Way becomes more interesting because of the loose ends it does not fully address.

Ivan Passer directed the film with a strong sense of visual style with the help of cinematographer Jordan Cronenberg. All of the actors in the film turn in great performances under his direction. The performance by John Heard stands out in particular. It is exceptional. Heard threw himself into the role of the psychologically and physically damaged Alex Cutter. It had to be an incredibly difficult part to play with his limbs hidden from sight. The high energy necessary to deliver the character’s lines and movements must have taken a toll on the actor. He is magnificent in the film. It’s a truly unforgettable role for the actor. Jeff Bridges is perfectly cast as the rakish Richard Bone. Bridges’ handsome looks and low key personality make him a perfect fit for the part. He is great. Lisa Eichhorn also brings her role of Maureen to life realistically. The interactions between the three main actors are extremely convincing. The non traditional romance in the film is also notable. Ann Dusenberry rounds out the cast as Valerie.

Cutter’s Way is my favorite release from Fun City Editions thus far. It is an exceptional sunbaked noir that offers great performances, compelling writing, and strong direction. It sustains a noir mood for the duration of the film while exploring the wounds felt by the generation from experiencing the Vietnam War. It is a really deep and satisfying experience that sticks with you long after the credits roll. I know that I will return to it time and again. I highly encourage checking out Cutter’s Way. 

Video

Cutter’s Way comes to Blu-ray with a brand new 2K transfer from its 35mm interpositive. The film had been brought to Blu-ray before by Twilight Time, but that was sourced from an older master. Cutter’s Way is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio with an MPEG-4 AVC encode in 1080p. This is a really healthy presentation of the film that should please any fans of the movie. Grain is filmic and the color timing looks true to the source. I really enjoyed this presentation of the film.

Audio

Fun City Editions has provided a DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track in English. The score is fairly subtle and the dialogue comes across crystal clear. I had no issues with this track. It is a good representation of the original source material. 

Supplements:

• Commentary #1 features author Matthew Specktor.
• Commentary #2 features film historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman. I was elated to see that this commentary was brought over from the former Twilight Time disc. The commentaries from that label always made me smile like hearing from two old friends. I hope that as their other titles in the Twilight Time catalog get picked up by distributors they will take the same approach and preserve the Twilight Time commentaries.
• Commentary #3 features assistant director Larry Franco and production manager Barrie Osborne.
• “Mo’s Way” – actress Lisa Eichhorn discusses her start in the business and the roles she played which eventually led to her part in Cutter’s Way. 
• “The Wound” – director Ivan Passer discusses the development of Cutter’s Way from script to final product. There is a great story about how Jeff Bridges’ pit bull bit producer Paul Gurian, which guaranteed he would take the roll. Fans of the film will be happy to see this extensive interview.
• Interview with Jeff Bridges – in an audio only chat, star Jeff Bridges discusses his personal affection for the film and the cast. It’s a brief piece but enjoyable.
• “Two Plus One” – my favorite feature on this disc is an interview with screenwriter Jeffrey Alan Fiskin who discusses the process of being brought on by producer Paul Gurian to write the script from the novel Cutter and Bone and how he worked with Ivan Passer to shape the script into something incredibly special. Don’t skip this feature.
• “Cutter and Bone to Cutter’s Way” – this is an audio-only discussion of United Artists Classics with former employee Ira Deutchman. This is a pretty interesting look at the marketing efforts by United Artists to market their films after their original theatrical release.
• “Gurian’s Way” – in this video conference interview with Paul Gurian, the producer of the film talks at length about the development of the novel into the finalized picture. Another good piece.
• “Cut to the Bone” – an audio only discussion of Cutter’s Way with music editor Curt Sobel.
• “Cutter’s Way” – an appreciation piece from director Bertrand Tavernier.
• Image Gallery
• Isolated Score
• Theatrical Trailers for Cutter’s Way and Cutter and Bone

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 5/5

Overall – 5/5

Cutter’s Way is a low-key masterpiece. Ivan Passer crafted an incredibly compelling film that serves as a capable sunbaked noir, but also dives deep into the psyche of those most scarred from the Vietnam War. The performances are exceptional – especially John Heard’s legendary performance as Alex Cutter. Fun City Editions has given the film an amazing collector’s edition that ranks as one of my favorite releases of last year. It includes a bevy of new supplements alongside the supplements that were found on the Twilight Time release. Fans of Night Moves and The Long Goodbye will find a lot to love about this film. The movie stays with you long after its credits roll, and is just as enjoyable on repeat viewings. This release earns our highest recommendation.