Overview: Recluse Smith (Sam Neill) is drawn into a revolutionary struggle between leftist guerillas and the New Zealand government. Implicated in a murder and framed as a revolutionary conspirator, Smith tries to avoid violence while caught between warring sides.

Blu-ray Verdict: Neill in his first lead role in a feature plays Smith, a man escaping the break-up of his marriage by finding isolation on an island off the Coromandel Peninsula. As he settles into his new life, the country is experiencing its own turmoil: an oil embargo has led to martial law and civil war, into which Smith reluctantly finds himself increasingly involved.

Co-starring Warren Oates (Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia) as the commander of a US army unit drawn into the conflict, 'Sleeping Dogs' is simultaneously a political thriller, a personal drama and a true landmark in New Zealand cinema.

Released in 1977, the film possessed a poignancy for New Zealanders, who at the time viewed the then Muldoon National Government with some suspicion. A scene involving riot police in an Auckland street was a chilling portent of events during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour to New Zealand, and indeed on its release in the USA, some Americans confused the film's images with media reports of the tour protests.

On the run from the police and the army to save his life, the only ones who can help him are the same members of the resistance that caused him trouble; including Bullen (Ian Mune), who had an affair with Smith's wife, Smith now has to think on his feet - and fast!

There's a few gaps in the narrative, some things are half explained and others don't get any explanation at all, also a lack of idealism or reasons to explain why there's a conflict between the rebels and the government, and all that made the film less appealing, and very confusing.

Both sides of the political tensions are presented equally distant from us, so we can't decide which one is right and which one is wrong; our empathy must stay at all time with Neill's character, who is an enigma to us, we don't know what was his occupation before his life gets shattered, and he got framed as terrorist because someone planted guns in his boat. But the story tells us this guy's very smart, he knows combative techniques, some tricks under the sleeve (his escape from the police car by forcing a vomit was incredible).

In his first film director Roger Donaldson makes a very good thriller, effectively tense, and with good moments and great performances (includes a special appearance from Warren Oates as an American military who is following the rebels).

A higher focus on the political aspects and placing the characters motivations more on the surface would make this film perfect.(RA) This is a brand new High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs and come with the Special Features of:

•High Definition (Blu-ray) presentation
•Original mono audio (uncompressed LPCM)
•Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
•Commentary by writer-director Roger Donaldson, actor Sam Neill and actor-writer Ian Mune
•The Making of Sleeping Dogs, a 65-minute documentary on the film s production featuring interviews with Donaldson, Neill, Mune, Geoff Murphy and others
•Theatrical trailer
•Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips
•FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Neil Mitchell, a contemporary review by Pauline Kael and the original press book