Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Universal Pictures released The Fast and the Furious in the summer of 2001, a modestly budgeted street racing picture that became a cultural reset for action cinema. Built around illegal LA racing circuits and an undercover cop drawn into the world he is meant to dismantle, it launched a franchise that would eventually dominate global box office charts for two decades. Its success rested on chemistry between its leads, a genuine affection for car culture, and a willingness to treat loyalty and family as central themes rather than afterthoughts, setting the template for every sequel that followed.
This cell centers on Brian O'Conner, played by Paul Walker, the undercover officer whose divided allegiances drive the entire narrative. If Loyalties Must Be Broken speaks directly to his defining conflict, the moment his badge and his bond with Dom's crew become impossible to reconcile. Collectors seek Walker material from this era precisely because it captures the actor at the origin point of a role that would define his career. A 35mm cell tied to this theme preserves not spectacle but the emotional hinge of the story, the quiet turning point beneath the horsepower.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital theatrical release print of The Fast and the Furious (2001).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds two frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with an analog stereo print; Dolby Digital data blocks appear present in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge, indicating a Dolby Digital optical print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a warm amber-orange cast to the dye image in the exposed frame area; the dark frame area shows deep black dye density.
Projection history
No visible splices or cue marks; faint longitudinal lines are present across the frame area consistent with projection wear.
Picture
Positive image; the two frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot; the title text 'IF LOYALTIES MUST BE BROKEN' is legible and consistent with a trailer or title card from the film on record.
Era check
The combination of analog variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and clear polyester-base stock is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2001 release of the film on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000062901
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
