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Minnesota Clay – Koch Media/Explosive Media (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1965
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Writers: Adriano Bolzoni, Sergio Corbucci, José Gutiérrez Maesso
Cast: Cameron Mitchell, Georges Rivière, Ethel Rojo, Diana Martín, Antonio Roso, Fernando Sancho, Antonio Casas, Gino Pernice, José Canalejas, Ferdinando Poggi

Release Date: January 27th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: FSK 16 (Germany)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: €14.99 (Germany)

"Minnesota Clay (Cameron Mitchell) is an aging gunfighter imprisoned for a murder he did not commit. Forced to escape from the jail before his date with the hangman’s noose, Clay sets out to track down the man who withheld evidence at his trial which would have proved his innocence." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Minnesota Clay comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.1 GB

Feature: 28.2 GB

Though no information is provided about this transfer, the source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, the image clarity is good, and outside of one sequence, black levels look very good.

Audio: 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian)

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, a DTS-HD mono mix in German, and a second DTS-HD mono mix in German. Though the English language track is in good shape, there are a few minor audio imperfections. That said, the dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced. The Italian language track is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and it is more robust than the English language track. This release comes with removable German subtitles and removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, and a second English subtitle track for the final scene, which is only in Italian when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (29 images-posters/lobby cards/stills), U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 37 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), and reversible cover art without the ratings logo.

Other extras include trailers for Massacre Time, Django, Prepare a Coffin, Ben and Charlie, The Hunting Party, and The Spike Gang.

Summary:

Sergio Leone is the name that is most identified with the spaghetti westerns, even though there were other directors like Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Sollima who directed many films which are considered undeniable classics within the genre. Also, one element that Spaghetti Westerns share is their visuals, and most notably, the use of Techniscope’s 2.35:1 frame, which lends greatly to the landscapes and shoutouts. That said, where Sergio Leone shot all of his spaghetti westerns in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, some of his contemporaries, like Sergio Corbucci, shot many of their spaghetti westerns in a flat 1.66:1/1.85:1 matted widescreen, with end results that are comparable visually to the more expansive 2.35:1 aspect ratio. A case in point is Sergio Corbucci's Minnesota Clay.

Before directing nihilistic spaghetti westerns like Django and The Great Silence, Sergio Corbucci directed Massacre at Grand Canyon and Minnesota Clay, a pair of spaghetti westerns that gave no indication of where he would evolve as a filmmaker. That said, Sergio Corbucci’s growth as a filmmaker, from Massacre at Grand Canyon to Minnesota Clay, is substantial.

Though Minnesota Clay’s premise is at times reminiscent of A Fistful of Dollars, both films have a protagonist who pits two rival gangs against each other. The result is a film that stands apart from any of its inspirations, especially when it comes to Cameron Mitchell’s (Blood and Black Lace) portrayal of Minnesota Clay, an aging gunslinger whose eyesight is greatly diminished. His character's flaw is this film’s strongest attribute; a vulnerable character who uses his vulnerability to his advantage.

When it comes to the rest of the performances, they range from adequate to good. Another performance of note is Georges Rivière (Castle of Blood) in the role of Fox, an old associate of Minnesota Clay who withheld evidence that would have cleared Minnesota Clay at his trial.

Content-wise, Minnesota Clay has all the elements that one would want from a spaghetti western. A strong narrative that's briskly paced, character backstories fleshed out, and an ending that provides a perfect coda to the events that preceded. Other areas where Minnesota Clay excels are its visuals, which have a few visually arresting moments and inventive compositions that heighten the mood. Also, when it comes to the action set pieces, even at this stage of his career, Sergio Corbucci proves that he’s one of Italian cinema’s best when it comes to directing tense moments. Ultimately, Minnesota Clay is a solid revenge tale that spaghetti western cinema fans are sure to enjoy.

Minnesota Clay gets a good release from Koch Media/Explosive Media that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, recommended.