Directed by
Lewis Milestone
USA 1944
I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this blatant U.S. flag-waving war
film (that isn't really a war film, but a courtroom drama) - rife with such
strident propaganda that I almost stood and saluted... and I'm not even
American! Director Lewis Milestone will oft be remembered for
All Quiet On
The Western Front from 1930 as well a vast varietal range including the
musical
Hallelujah I'm a Bum and the later atmospheric
Film Noir -
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. It takes a special kind of ability to
instill patriotism in an obvious but still effective manner. Milestone is right
on the money here.
The story deals with the fate of a captured American bomber crew - stacked with
Dana Andrews as Capt. Harvey Ross, Richard Conte as Lt. Angelo Canelli, Farley
Granger as Sgt. Howard Clinton and Kevin O'Shea as Sgt. Skvoznik among the
notable performances. The Japanese hierarchy stage a kangaroo court in civil
jurisdiction to threaten our lads with the death penalty if they don't give up
some vital information. Cruel torture - both physical and psychological are used
and the tension builds in a patient, measured fashion.
If you can respect this expression for its historical significance, the time
period it was made, and Milestone's ability to bowl you over, only at the
appropriate moments, then you will love this film as I do. A real gem that I
strongly recommend!
Posters
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Theatrical Release: February 23rd, 1944
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 2, 4 -
PAL vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 2, 4 - PAL LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC RIGHT)
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| Distribution | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Home Video - Region 2,4 - PAL | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC |
| Runtime | 1:35:48 (4% PAL Speedup) | 1:39:48 |
| Video | 1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.46 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.37 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate: PAL |
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| Bitrate: NTSC |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (mono) , DUB: Spanish (mono) |
| Subtitles | English (hearing impaired), None | English (hearing impaired), Spanish, None |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Commentary
by Richard Schickel |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Commentary
by Richard Schickel |
| Comments: |
ADDITION: Region 1 NTSC - April 07': Not much difference in these DVDs - the NTSC has yellow subtitles and options for Spanish speaking audiences and the PAL has 4% speedup with white subs. Both have the strong Schickel commentary and a stills gallery. Image quality has no strong differences. Unless you are sensitive to the PAL speedup or require the Spanish support (DUB and subs) then we suggest getting the least expensive. Although, at the time of this review, the PAL is 62% off but it is about the same after currency conversion for the NTSC which has a 25% discount. Great film - I loved it. ****
What an impressive package! The image quality is near pristine (aside
from a little dust and dirt), it includes a great commentary, of which
there are optional subtitles for both the feature and Schickel's
informative audio, plus a photo gallery and trailer. If I was Region 1
locked I'd be livid that this isn't available yet... and it would be a
good enough reason to buy a universal DVD player. I wouldn't wait to
purchase this folks - there is nothing wrong with this disc - great
film, great transfer, great extras and the price is fantastic! I'm going
to go watch it again right now!
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DVD Menus
(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 2, 4 - PAL LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC RIGHT)
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(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 2, 4 - PAL TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM)
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(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 2, 4 - PAL TOP vs. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC BOTTOM)
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| Distribution | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Home Video - Region 2,4 - PAL | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC |
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Gary Tooze
Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA |
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