Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) has a rural upbringing defined by the early loss of his older brother and a critical father. His love of music, though, sustains him through a stint in the armed forces, then a strained marriage to Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). His passion takes him to Sun Records in Memphis, where he and two friends land a recording deal and quickly hit stardom. Drug use and infidelity follow, but Cash’s better nature recognizes the goodness of June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). She will help him clean up and become the love of his life and musical partner.

CRITIQUE

Genius going hand-in-hand with self-destruction is not a new idea, and examining lives like this provides biopics with plenty of material to work with. The astounding creativity in music in the 1960s offers an entertaining setting as well, as this film demonstrates. Stunning music is only the most conspicuous part of Walk the Line, which celebrates a legendary musician and a legendary love with excellent performances and a strong story.

Upon its release, this film was perhaps unfairly and inevitably compared to Ray, the biopic of Ray Charles that won Jamie Foxx an Oscar that had come out the year before. The films both feature the drug-addled musical genius and icon who redeems himself and creates art. The similarities end there, though. Ray was about one remarkable man. Walk the Line claims as its distinguishing feature something that is inherently hopeful -- romance. The connection between Johnny and June Carter is the centerpiece of the film and the palpable chemistry between Phoenix and Witherspoon makes it vastly effective. The inspiring and saving power of love as a force receives affecting and entertaining treatment here.

The musical sequences, similarly, thrive not only as rousing examples of music performance but are wisely used to enrich the romance. Also, it is stunning to see Cash on tour with rock acts like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, as this truly emphasizes the impact of Cash’s creations. As another element of the accomplishments of Phoenix and Witherspoon, they sing everything themselves and also learned the guitar and autoharp, respectively. This is good not only for authenticity but provides an unparalleled opportunity to recreate musical collaboration between two people as it happens.

The additions to this “Extended Cut” don’t amount to too much time but do deepen the film for the most part. We get a bit more of Ginnifer Goodwin’s performance as Cash’s first wife Vivian and a welcome note of ceasefire in a final bit between Cash and his father, played with gruff authority by Robert Patrick. These add to Mangold’s achievement. Emotions, music and performance coalesce into a thrilling story in Walk the Line.

THE VIDEO

Walk the Line is presented in anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is excellent, both in picture and color.

THE AUDIO

Walk the Line is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 DTS. These are perfect as dialogue and music come through very clear. Additional Spanish and French language tracks are offered, as well as optional English and Spanish subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary: Director Mangold goes solo here for a track but it is an excellent one. He begins a bit stiltedly, reading directly from his screenplay, but he goes on to interestingly discuss Cash and filmmaking. I love the way he compares the astonishing creativity of music in Memphis in the late ‘50s, particularly Sun Records, with the evolution of acting that spawned out of the Lee Strasberg studios in New York at the same time. We also hear behind-the-scenes facts like that the bus used for the refused proposal scene near the end of the film was a hotbed for mosquitoes.

Extended Musical Sequences: Eight longer musical performances are collected in this section and they are great to see in their entirety. The singing of all is extremely impressive but there are also examples of good filmmaking in these bits, like the transition from one performance to another in the song “Jackson.” Best of all are the informative introductions by music historians that precede each clip if the viewer chooses. They reveal a lot about each song, like that “Get Rhythm” was on the B-side of “Walk the Line” and that Jerry Lee Lewis had originally auditioned for Sam Phillips with country music.

Deleted Scenes: Only two scenes are included here and they are a bit more extended than deleted. The first reveals a deleted character and the second shows a bit more of his bottoming out. Director Mangold has optional commentary on these, which basically cover why they were cut.

Becoming Cash/Becoming Carter: This extra focuses on the casting of Phoenix and Witherspoon in their roles and the way they worked to portray these two legends. Both actors learned to sing and play instruments but we learn other interesting facts too. For instance, Phoenix developed a lower octave in his voice shortly before filming and their work styled began to mimic that of John and June.

Sun Records and the Johnny Cash Sound: This excellent doc is around 12 minutes long and is filled with facts about the venerable Sun Records and Cash’s unique sound. Lots of musicians and music historians offer discussion here and we learn a lot. For instance, Sam Phillips, the impresario who ran the label and signed many singers who would go on to be icons, simultaneously sent Cash’s music through rock and roll and country channels. The singularity of the sound that Johnny’s two band members provided to his music gets covered too.

Folsom: Cash and the Comeback: This doc follows the format of the others and focuses on Cash’s 1968 Folsom Prison live concert and album, it’s effect on his career and it’s aftermath. This is excellent, as good interviews with musicians and music historians are supplemented by footage of the prison today. I like best the discussion of the way the album’s success resuscitated Cash’s career.

The Cash Legacy: LOTS of recording artists discuss the influence of Cash on music in this nice extra. Cash’s distinctive voice and his genre-crossing get plenty of comment but the most interesting thing is that the artists who speak here are as diverse as Willy Nelson and John Mellencamp, to Kid Rock and Ozzy Ozbourne. This is truly an example of how Cash left his mark on music, not just people talking about it.

Ring of Fire: The Passion of Johnny and June: The love between Johnny and June is lovingly discussed here by the same people in the other docs, including their son. The personal anecdotes are the best here, and the final shots of photos of the real couple are truly touching. This is one of the best extras.

Cash and His Faith: Spiritualism in Cash’s life is discussed here by people including Cash’s sister and two pastors. The solidity of Johnny’s faith and the way he related that to others through music is inspiring. Particularly poignant is the conversation Cash’s sister recounts at the end of the doc.

Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line: The same amazing array of musical artists accompany director Mangold and actors Phoenix and Witherspoon in interviews for this nice, long doc covering the making of the film. Most of this info is elsewhere on the disc, but it’s still nice to watch. Kris Kristofferson narrates the extra, obviously made for television prior to the film’s 2005 release. The best moment is Merle Haggard recounting being an inmate at Folsom when Johnny gave his concert there.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Walk the Line has more than iconic music and excellent performances- it is an affecting, American love story. The story of a life and of creativity meshes thrillingly, though romance stays the thread of the script. This extended cut version is a nice one to watch, and my preference for buying. The extra features are added value for this Extended Cut edition, being wonderful overall. Film and music fans will be enthused by Walk the Line.