One of Sidney Poitier’s more unusual films, “BROTHER JOHN” is now available on dvd, from COLUMBIA TRISTAR. Poitier plays a John Kane.  He’s returning home to a small Mississippi town to attend his sister’s funeral.  Will Geer(Grandpa Walton) plays the town doctor, whom realizes that John only comes back to attend family funerals. And he suspects something “otherworldly” about him.  Unfortunately, a politician and law enforcement suspect he may be involved with a local union, currently striking and causing turmoil for them, so they begin to keep a watch on him. 

As the authorities dig deeper and more callously into uncovering John’s background, the mystery of trying to figure out “who” he really is, becomes more mysterious.  After turning his motel room upside down, they uncover bibles from all over the world, as well as a passport showing he’s been traveling extensively. They and the audience wonder about John’s real purpose.  The film will frustrate many as it’s intended to raise more questions than it will answer.  Even when the film’s ended, there is a lot of room for debate as to “whom” John really was.  Perhaps to fog things up a bit, a sub-plot involving a young schoolteacher from John’s past and now attracted to him, is thrown in.  It doesn’t add anything worthwhile to the film however, but it’s always a pleasure to see how Poitier acts in every type of situation, and there’s a smoldering intensity to scenes between the two. 

It’s hard not to be cheering for Poitier anytime he takes on the bad guys, and just as in “IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT,” there are plenty of them here!  In one spectacular scene a racist cop confronts “John,” and the redneck gets taught a substantial lesson, very quickly. 

With “BROTHER JOHN,” the parts are better than the whole, and while there are great scenes and performances, the overall plot, or lack of a cohesive one, ends up making it somewhat of a disappointment. 

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has preserved the film’s 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with 16:9 enhancement.  The image is just above average.  The colors are severely restrained, often appearing dull.  Contrast is fine. There is some excessive grain in spots. Fleshtones appear natural.

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has presented a Dolby Digital Mono mix. The dialogue is always intelligible, but the music creates a shrill sound at times.  COLUMBIA TRISTAR has included three trailers for other Poitier films.