Criterion has prepared a Blu-Ray edition of Sean Baker‘s Prince of Broadway for release, marking the first Region A release of the film (earlier this year, it was included in a French boxset of the filmmaker’s early work). Following the critical and commercial success of Baker‘s latest film, last year’s Palme d’Or-winning Anora — which received the Academy Award for Best Picture this year alongside wins for Baker in the categories of Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing and which has also recently received a home video release from Criterion — their release of Prince of Broadway could not have come at a better time, as those wishing to explore Baker’s early output now have easy access to it in the best possible quality (additionally, 2000’s Four Letter Words and 2012’s Starlet have recently been acquired by Janus Films, and a Criterion release of the latter was confirmed earlier this year).
Prince of Broadway follows Lucky (Prince Adu), a West African immigrant, and his Armenian Lebanese boss Levon (Karren Karagulian), who deal in the trade of counterfeit luxury clothing in Manhattan. One day, an ex-girlfriend (Kat Sanchez) confronts Lucky and reveals a son that he never knew about, forcing him to juggle the new pressures of fatherhood alongside his daily hustles.
Criterion’s release of the film arrives in a clear plastic two-disc case with a cover designed by Drusilla Adeline (who has previously designed covers for Criterion releases such as Bound, Mean Streets, and After Hours), with additional photography by Ivory Woods. Inside, the disc retention hub is placed on the right side of the case, with the Blu-Ray disc intentionally designed to resemble a bootleg BD-R disc, a creative choice that I found quite amusing when I first opened the case. On the left portion of the case, a fold-out leaflet is included (as is the standard of Criterion’s releases), detailing the cast, crew, and other technical information, as well as an essay by critic Robert Daniels titled “Out on the Streets.”
Video and Audio
As noted in the “About the Master” section of the leaflet, Prince of Broadway is presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1, in a new 4K master created from a 35mm negative made from the original digital video master.
This is a very strong master of a film that, not unlike Baker’s other work, is near-cinéma vérité in its presentation. I believe that anyone who has been waiting for a superlative release of this film will be very satisfied with how it looks here — the visuals have been rendered with exceptional detail for this new release, aiding viewer immersion in the movie’s raw, yet nuanced portrayal of late-aughts New York City. Additionally, the new master has a visibly wider color spectrum than the original version that looks fantastic alongside the improvement in actual image clarity.
Furthermore, as also noted in the leaflet’s “About the Master” section, the new 5.1 surround soundtrack was remixed from the original digital audio files by rerecording mixer Jeremy Grody. The disc’s DTS-HD Master Audio track is terrific, too; in comparison to the original version, the effort that was put in to clean up the somewhat noisy source is very clear.
Special Features
There are several supplements included on this Blu-Ray disc. All descriptions below are taken directly from the disc itself.
- Commentaries
- Sean Baker: This commentary track, recorded in 2011, features co-writer and director Sean Baker.
- Darren Dean, Karren Karagulian, and Victoria Tate: This commentary track, recorded in 2011, features producer and co-writer Darren Dean, actor Karren Karagulian, and associate producer and actor Victoria Tate.
- Introduction by Sean Baker
- Archival Interviews
- Meet the Hustlers: This 2011 documentary features co-writer and director Sean Baker; producer and co-writer Darren Dean; production designer and script supervisor Stephonik; associate producer and actor Victoria Tate; and actors Karren Karagulian, Keyali Mayaga, and Kat Sanchez, among others.
- Reflections on “Prince of Broadway”: In September 2024, co-writer and director Sean Baker gathered the cast and crew of Prince of Broadway for a reunion dinner and a series of interviews reflecting on the making of the film.
- Restoration Demonstration
- Trailers
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- 2025 Trailer
Conclusion
The films of Sean Baker exude such a lived-in compassion for their characters and those characters’ stories. Anyone who’s seen one of Baker‘s movies knows how skilled he is at writing and directing characters as if they aren’t characters at all, but people you could just walk past or interact with on the city street. Prince of Broadway is no exception to this.
Criterion’s Blu-Ray edition of Prince of Broadway is a fantastic release that gives the film the high-definition home video treatment it deserves and that fans of Baker‘s output have long been waiting for. I believe that both new viewers and those who have seen the film before will value what this edition brings to the table in terms of the quality of its visual and auditory presentation as well as the substantial supplemental features that will certainly enrich viewers’ appreciation of the movie.
Prince of Broadway was released on April 29, courtesy of Criterion.
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