An attempted attack on the President of the United States for an effective thriller, released 30 years after the assassination of President Kennedy.
Frank Horrigan, a Secret Service agent, is haunted by the memory of a painful failure. He was part of the brigade responsible for the protection of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Thirty years later, he is again called upon to ensure the close protection of the President of the United States who is entering his re-election campaign…
In the line of sight (In the Line of Fire), released in 1993, thirty years after the assassination of President Kennedy, named for three Oscarsthose of Best Screenplayof Best Editing and Best Supporting Actor for the performance of John Malkovich, is the rendering of an original screenplay by Jeff Maguire by Wolfgang Petersen who began his career as a director in Germany until the success of Das Boot – The Boat
(1981, declined in miniseries in 1985) opens the doors of Hollywood to him and allows him to create several popular successes: The never-ending story (The Neverending Story1984), In the middle of a storm (The Perfect Storm2000) and a Homeric budget peplum, Troy
(troy2004), starring Brad Pitt.
In the line of sight rests solely on the merciless confrontation of two men, the President of the United States, whose name is unknown, making only a few brief appearances. The most developed character is that of Frank Horrigan, as uncontrollable as Harry Callahan, the
dirty harry of the saga launched in 1971 by Don Siegel, but more respectful of ethics than the San Francisco crime cop. The other is Mitch Leary, a mysterious man, hidden under the name of a dead man whose identity he usurped. They have in common a keen sense of duty, the will to accomplish their mission even at the risk of their lives.
In the line of sight is supported by a judicious choice of actors. Clint Eastwood gives a sacred presence to Frank Horrigan and makes him feel the suffering imposed on him by the physical efforts he must make as he approaches the age at which he will have to retire. Mitch Leary, a disturbing protean psychopath, is played by John Malkovich, one of the most spectacular roles he has held to date. We must also salute the performance, in the use of second knife, of Dylan McDermott who will shine in 1997 in the excellent series The Practice of which 20th Century Fox has, curiously, published in France only the first of the eight seasons. Rene Russo, meanwhile, is mainly there for decoration, without the opportunity to demonstrate his talent that will offer him Night Call (NightcrawlerDan Gilroy, 2014).
Well photographed, punctuated by well-staged action scenes and efficient editing, In the line of sight remains, thirty years after its release, a gripping show, without downtime, with long moments of suspense.
In the line of sight was nowhere to be found since the mediocre 2008 Blu-ray edition sold out. Better built thanAngles of attack (Vantage PointPete Travis, 2008), on a similar theme, it deserved to reappear in our catalogs, this time in UltraHD, after a remarkable 4K remastering operated by Sony Pictures for the edition released in the USA in June 2021.
In the line of sight (128 minutes) and its supplements (58 minutes, not counting the audio commentary) fit on a BD-100 three-layer UHD Blu-ray housed, in this combo edition, along with a BD-50 Blu-ray, in a black case slipped into a sheath.
The animated and musical menu offers the film in its original version, in English, in Dolby Atmos audio format with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core, and in a dubbing in ten other languages, including French in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 format.
Subtitles in 18 languages, including French and English.
These subtitled supplements, taken from the DVD edition released by Sony Pictures in 2001, are all supported by each of the two discs.
Audio commentary by Wolfgang Petersen
(subtitled), with producer JM Kinney asking the questions. This commentary, recorded several years after the release of the film for the 2001 edition, introduces the actors, evokes anecdotes of the shooting, the design of the visual effects and the stunts, the staging of the sequences bringing together up to 3,000 extras , the contribution of cinematographer John Bailey, screenwriter Jeff Maguire, the good reception of the film…
Behind the scenes of the Secret Service (20′, 1.33:1, Showtime, 1993), with Bob Snow, ex-deputy director of the US Secret Service, technical adviser to In the line of sight, members of the film crew and some Secret Service agents. A presentation of the Secret Services, their history, their mission, the training of agents… A little too much space has been given to statements by members of the film crew and to excerpts from scenes which add nothing to the subject.
The ultimate sacrifice (22′, 1.33:1, Columbia Pictures, 2000). For screenwriter Jeff Maguire, Frank Horrigan and Mitch Leary are two sides of the same coin. The fiction is anchored, with the cooperation of the Secret Service, in a historical reality, that of the assassination of Kennedy. With Bob Snow, ex-assistant director of the Secret Service, agents of this institution and members of the film crew. There again, certain interventions, particularly those of the actors, unnecessarily lengthen the duration of this complement which, on the other hand, contains repetitions with the precedent.
Visual effects (5′, 1.33:1, Columbia Pictures, 1993). Some scenes have been reconstructed with archives from Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, digitally retouched, on which actors have been inserted.
Catch the counterfeiters (5′, 1.33:1, Columbia Pictures, 2000). Kevin Foley, deputy director of the Secret Service and other agents, echoing the first scene of the film, evoke the fight against counterfeiters, to whom computers have provided new means, combated by several methods, in particular by the embedding watermarks…
Five deleted scenes (5′, 4/3, 1993).
Trailers ofAngles of attack
(Vantage PointPete Travis, 2008) and the first season of the excellent saga Damages (2007-2012, 59 episodes).
The new 4K remastering of the image (2160p, HEVC – HR10), at the original 2.39:1 ratio, gives a spectacular gain in definition, both in wide shots and in close-ups of faces. Grain management ideally reconciles the profit to be made from UHD and respect for the silver texture. In addition, the reinforcement of the brightness and the depth of the blacks improves the contrasts very pleasantly. Finally, the revitalization of the colors and their density is obvious.
The ultimate in what UHD can offer!
The Dolby Atmos remix, tested in the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 format, is consistent with the original 6-track sound of the 70mm version. It gives the dialogues clarity and naturalness and a beautiful breadth to the original composition of Ennio Morricone. A convincing feeling of immersion in the ambience is ensured by the firm support of the side and rear channels, with the appropriate reinforcement of the subwoofer.
The French dubbing benefits from a fairly effective multi-channel sound, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, but without the depth of the original sound. On the other hand, the dialogues, often lacking in naturalness, are less well integrated into the soundtrack.
Image credits: © All rights reserved