Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

1776 Blu-ray Movie Review

Musical the vote.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 1, 2015

In the days before C-SPAN captured everything that happened in the hallowed halls of congress, there was apparently much singing. Director Peter H. Hunt's 1776, based on the hit Broadway production of the same name, tells the story of early American independence through song and narrative that sees many of the key players in the nation's founding days not only debating the notion of independence from the British -- which states will support the movement, which will hold firm against -- but singing about their plights and the issues of the day, too. It's an odd combination to be sure, a costume drama with a background of centuries-old politics defined through song. The movie is about what one would expect, then, an oftentimes borderline silly and hammy take on one of the most important timeframes in history that's reduced to caricatures, quips, and not particularly contagious or memorable tunes. The movie is sometimes as dry as a poorly written history text and rarely alive as a captivating lecture on the subject. That middle ground isn't a bad place to be, warts and all, but don't count on 1776 to serve as a bedrock of early American independence education, if only because the movie won't likely hold students' attention.

Let's debate.

John Adams (William Daniels) is fully behind the independence movement, but his fellow delegates in congress aren't quite so ready to go all-in. He laments their focus on trifling matters rather than the elephant in the room and seeks solace in Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva) who advises him that it should be another representative to re-introduce the subject to the body. That man is Virginia's Richard Henry Lee (Ron Holgate) and, with his introduction, so begins the debate. It's hotly contested from both sides, with a number of players coming at it from all directions, including Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard), a freshman representative from Georgia named Lyman Hall (Jonathan Moore) who personally supports independence but sides with his constituency that says "no." Staunchly against is Pennsylvania representative John Dickinson (Donald Madden). As the debate rages, votes begin to sway and the concept of American independence grows ever closer to reality.

The story should (emphasis on should) be familiar to American audiences even considering that the independence era seems a relatively obscure one in the entire annals of filmed entertainment. There are precious few actual dramatic movies (never mind musicals) on the subject, leaving the material largely in the hands of the documentary sector. 1776 focuses strictly on the politics of the matter, which makes it part of an even smaller niche that leaves out the sort of material that may not be a easier to film but that's certainly going to draw a larger audience, i.e. stories about the battles that shaped American independence, not the stuffy politics behind it. Perhaps that's why one of the few films to actually tackle the subject resorted to music to sell the concept, to add some variety to an intriguing (in a history and politics nerd sort of way) but admittedly stuffy series of events that are amongst the most important of the past few centuries and shaped by some of the smartest men to walk the planet in that time. The truth of the matter is that political debate and 18th century costumes alone aren't going to sell many tickets. Sadly, the movie doesn't really work in the way it's constructed. It's too long and the songs are too forgettable, two impossible hurdles for a movie already facing an uphill battle to cross.

The movie isn't a total loss, however. Its appeal lies more with the raw dramatic angles and core story and less with the musical routines. Viewers with a keen interest in politics, early American history, or both will find the core narrative compelling and the various debates and the drama that results as interesting and sometimes even as intense as any sort of action film set in the same timeframe could deliver. The movie offers a nicely appointed stage and wardrobe, both presenting with an easy, authentic flavor that accentuates the narrative and rarely gets in the way, and then only when the costumes are so loud or garish that they momentarily draw the audience's attention away from where it should be. The movie plays with what is predominantly a stage production flair, with minimal distances away from the center chambers setting, moving outdoors or to a few other various locations throughout. The largely confined and intimate settings help the movie feel more focused but at the expense of robustness. Acting satisfies and musical performances are well done, even if the songs themselves are hardly memorable.

1776 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

1776 finds its high definition independence with a fine "mastered in 4K" transfer presented at 1080p. Despite a sluggish start within the confines of a dark and soft opening shot, the movie tightens up considerably when the action shifts to better-lit locales, which comprise the bulk of the film. Light grain hovers but never interferes and lends a fine quality film-style appearance. Details are precise and come easy. The image is naturally sharp and refined, with pinpoint details on period clothes, faces, woods inside, and cobblestone outside all looking terrific. Colors are exacting, with the rather loud -- but never garish -- attire the standout. Natural greens are realistically colored with no evidence of paleness or, on the other end of the spectrum, unnatural showiness ("expanded color" is available to equipped viewers on the "director's cut" version of the film). Black levels wobble, but never too heavily, between approaching crush and pushing a very dark purple. Skin tones, however, appear accurate. Minor banding and very mild blocking artifacts are evident but never intrusive. This is a very strong presentation from Sony, one that Director Peter H. Hunt has called "gorgeous" and "miraculous" (cited from press materials).

1776 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

1776 sings (and signs) onto Blu-ray with a good quality DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is generally rich and satisfying, playing with a good frontal balance and light, but helpful, surround support. Instrumental details impress, particularly the highs, and vocals enjoy rich depth, accuracy, and evenness. The track provides some quality supportive details along the way, particularly in various outdoor scenes that allow the track to expand a bit beyond the general emptiness and mild hollowness of the congressional floor. A ringing bell, light footfalls and rolling carriages on the cobblestone street, and other small details add some flavor to an otherwise cold soundtrack. The movie's base requirement, outside of the musical numbers, is dialogue. Despite a couple of minor occurrences where it comes across as mildly hollow, there's no cause for alarm. The spoken word enjoys nice front-center placement, consistent intelligibility, and minor reverberation when necessary. The track is by no means remarkable but it's in no way a misfire. It does what it must well, with no real flair but no real faults, either.

1776 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

1776 contains two commentaries, alternate and deleted scenes, and screen tests. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a voucher for a UV digital copy. The disc contains two cuts, one a director's cut (2:45:11 runtime) and the other an extend cut (2:47:55 runtime).

• Audio Commentary: Director Peter H. Hunt and Actors William Daniels and Ken Howard deliver a newly minted and well-rounded track that covers a wide range of topics, from basic insight to fascinating technical detail. The track also covers the characters and songs, the real history depicted in the movie, additions to the movie to facilitate the storytelling, sets and shooting locations, and plenty more. Available only on the director's cut version of the film.
• Audio Commentary: Director Peter H. Hunt and Screenwriter Peter Stone cover a myriad of details, including the titles, characters, performances, historical anecdotes that made it into the movie, basic story details, technical details surrounding film's assembly, songs, and more. There's a fair bit of repeating material here; only diehards will want to listen to both tracks. Available only on the director's cut version of the film.
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes (1080p): Piddle, Twiddle & Resolve (3:20, also available with director's commentary), Reprise of Lees Old Virginia (1:12, also available with director's commentary), and Privy (0:54, alternate line of dialogue).
• Screen Tests (1080p, 1.33:1): Pre-shoot footage includes William Daniels as John Adams (1:13), William Daniels and Howard Da Silva as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin (3:13), William Hansen as Caeser Rodney (1:40), Patrick Hines as Samuel Chase (1:06), Daniel Keyes as Josiah Bartlett (1:07), Leo Leyden as George Read (0:36), Ray Middleton as Colonel Thomas McKean (1:55), James Noble as Rev. John Witherspoon (1:26), and Rex Robbins as Roger Sherman (1:14).
• Theatrical Trailers (1080p): Teaser Trailer (1:02) and Theatrical Trailer (3:13).

1776 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

1776 could have been a superior movie, but audiences are left with a fairly bland retelling of an otherwise interestingly unique period in world history that the filmmakers have attempted to liven through song. Sadly, the mesh just isn't there, whether because the material doesn't really lend itself to music or, more likely, the music isn't at all memorable. The movie is at its best away from music and intently focused on the drama of the day, allowing the actors to shine and the history to flow. It's a passable movie, too long and in several ways flawed but, at the end of the day, mildly intriguing for history buffs and see-'em-all Musical fans. Sony's Blu-ray release of 1776 features very strong "mastered in 4K" video, solid lossless audio, and a decent array of bonuses. Rent it.