Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Cease Fire 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Cease Fire, Commence Watching in Glorious 3D.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 29, 2018

Cease Fire is more a curiosity than it is a classic, but it may be one of the more authentic wartime picture ever made. While some are certainly based in first-hand reality -- Oliver Stone crafted Platoon largely from his own experiences in-country -- Cease Fire stars the very men who served and was filmed on-location in Korea immediately following the cessation of hostilities. It's also one of the first War films to be shot in 3D. Indeed, it all adds up to a curiosity, albeit a rather authentic one, and a fun little movie, too. The film arrives on Blu-ray 3D from the 3-D Film Archive, fully restored from the original 35mm elements. As always, the Archive has a very detailed look back on the film on its website, which is well worth reading and contains far more insight into the production than this review could ever include.

2D does not do this shot justice.

The film follows an infantry platoon on the final day of the Korean War. Though the military brass has agreed on a cease fire, the fighting men find themselves in that difficult and delicate time when both sides are situating to reach an end, and they're given one final mission, a long trek across dangerous country where they encounter enemy machine gun nests, wounded British soldiers, well-hidden landmines, and other surprises that threaten their safety even as the war has all but officially come to an end. The film is described as "accurate and authentic," featuring the real men who battled an enemy that would only “respect force and despise weakness” as relayed during an introduction by General Mark W. Clark, Former Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Forces in the Far East.

The film was produced by Hal Wallis, whose credits include Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. So even as the movie was made with, literally, no-name actors, it had plenty of clout behind it, and it shows. While the film deals only in essential actions and minimal production values, the use of real terrain, real men, and real equipment, as well as the scope-enlarging and audience-absorbing 3D visuals, all yield a much more impressive final product, one that, even without the realism of blood-and-guts, draws the viewer into the ranks and allows him or her to experience the ebbs and flows of war. Additionally, the film's music was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, whose best-known works include Westerns High Noon and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Obviously, though, the film’s highlight is its casting of real soldiers who recreate a sliver of the war on an authentic battlefield. They fought the war, then they play war, and one can only wonder what some of the real emotions they experienced prior to and during filming may have been. And they pull it off rather well. The acting is fine, very natural, for the most part. It’s not as if they’re doing anything new or portraying characters they have to come to know and understand to accurately portray the parts. They’re working with familiar people in a familiar place which gives them a leg up on “real” actors who must study and train before tackling a role. Some of the acting is less than stellar to be sure, with various characters appearing to blandly, coldly, and without emotion simply recite whatever line was given to them. But the physical work is very impressive, and kudos to the men for making the movie as good as it is. It’s a unique experience to be sure, for them and the audience alike.

Cease Fire 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: the 2D image was reviewed on an LG OLED65C7P while the 3D content was reviewed on a Sony XBR65Z9D.

Cease Fire contains both 2D and 3D presentations. First, a review of the 2D image. This is a very strong image that features high yield textural qualities. Sharp military dress uniform and facial definition in the opening address are readily apparent. Old radio equipment in a command tent seen at the 33-minute mark shows high use wear-and-tear, and various example of Korean terrain including rocky formations and brush are pleasantly complex. Uniforms are agreeably defined, and viewers can see the texture on the hand grenades the soldiers wear on their chests or the textural qualities of the wooden rifle stocks in close-up. The grayscale image is crisp and properly shaded at all times. There are some remnants of print wear, but it's relatively minor.

The 3D image is spectacular. Of special first note is how cool the movie's menu screen looks. The title not only pops out, it does so with a modest outward curvature in the middle. Two explosion animations and the "in 3 dimensions" text are both nicely demarcated from the background, too. The otherwise static open with the General is very impressively deep. His desk appears to stretch far back before the camera zooms in far enough to remove it from view. The distance between the him and his background, even his back and the chair in which he sits, are made very obvious in 3D. The sequence not only introduces the movie, it sets the perfect tone for the 3D goodness to follow.

The movie's opening shot looking down the barrel of a large canon (screenshot directly above) is incredibly impressive. It's a great shot and perhaps the most distinctly unique ever seen in 3D, with the elongated barrel protruding from the screen while it's simultaneously easy to look far deep down into it. It's one of those rare 3D moments for which one just wants to pause the image and absorb its beauty and complexity. A trench seen at the 10-minute mark is another wonderful 3D shot. Both its length and depth are very obvious, and the space between the crouched, huddled men in it is clear to see. The image boats impressive depth at various sizes and instances. Whether wide open fields or somewhat more densely oriented villages, there's a very clear sense of general space evident throughout the film. Some of the most impressive moments come as the men stand around before stepping into a minefield. With the characters spaced and staggered just so, a brand new sense of place and perspective opens up to the viewer (screenshot #1). That said, some of the most impressive 3D images take place in tents. Take a look at the beginning of chapter two. Characters and the tables and chairs on which they sit are clearly separated from one another and the back of the tent.

Even little things -- brush out in the field, radio antennas, the little spaces between a shirt sleeve and vest -- are capably defined with wonderful spacing and shape within the larger environment. In 3D, the picture's grayscale looks marvelous, the image appears meticulously clean, and details are very crisp and sharp. By all accounts this is a much more satisfying view than the 2D image. Indeed, the entire movie plays much better in 3D, drawing the viewer into the world in a way the 2D image cannot and without feeling at all gimmicky beyond a few fun shots like that one of the canon barrel mentioned earlier, but even then those fit right into the movie's tone and narrative. This is a wonderful 3D image and a must-enjoy for both 3D and War genre fans.

Cease Fire 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Cease Fire features a contextually satisfying three-channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Music finds appropriate width and solid definition throughout the range, whether crisp high notes or more substantial bottom end deliveries, even without the benefit of a subwoofer channel. This holds for artillery fire as well, which has a nice zipping sensation as the shells fly in the distance, and explosions, while not prominent, find just enough heft to satisfy requirements. Dialogue is clear and center positioned, though there are a couple of very minor lip sync issues as well as some shallow lines, such as in a command tent in the 52-minute mark. Atmospheric effects are basic but effective when present as the men march through the countryside.

Cease Fire 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Cease Fire contains several brief extras.

• Trailer (1080p, 2:31): Audio is very scratchy to open, but picture quality is very good.
• Trailer (3-D Tagged) (1080p, 2:31).
• Alternate General Clark Intros (3-D) (1080p, 1:20): This supplement will also play in 2D.
• Radio Ad (1080p, 0:57): An audio advertisement, supported by high definition stills and promotional materials in high definition.
• An In-Depth Look at Cease Fire: A link pointing to the 3-D Film Archive's essay, as linked above in the opening paragraph of this review.

Cease Fire 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cease Fire is a different kind of "authentic" War picture. Rather than depict the gritty, grisly realities of war, the filmmakers in this case have cast real G.I.'s and photographed them recreating their actions on authentic Korean locations. While the film's primary highlight is its 3D construction, it's also well worth watching for the real portrayals of men in war, and despite some stiff line delivery, it's about as truly "authentic" as one is going to find. This release, from Kino and 3-D Film Archive, boasts, as always, exceptional 3D video. 2D video is rather good, too, as is the 3.0 lossless soundtrack. A few brief extras are included as well. Highly recommended.