4K UHD Review – King of the Gypsies

The grand successes of 1972’s “The Godfather” and 1974’s “The Godfather Part II” certainly had an influence over the film business, and producer Dino De Laurentiis wasn’t about the let such glory pass him by. 1978’s “King of the Gypsies” isn’t a sprawling story of family and crime (Dino isn’t about to pay for that), but it shares some of the domestic turmoil and community exploration with the Francis Ford Coppola classic, finding writer/director Frank Pierson (1976’s “A Star is Born”) tasked with bringing Peter Maas’s 1975 book to the big screen. The ties that bind remain as tight as ever in the picture, which surveys growing tensions between rival Romani clans and follows the itchiness of a young man who doesn’t want anything to do with it. It’s a messy adaptation with extreme forms of acting, but Pierson looks to celebrate culture and drama with the endeavor, finding periodic success with the madness of it all. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com