Fixed Bayonets! Blu-ray Movie

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Fixed Bayonets! Blu-ray Movie United States

Kino Lorber | 1951 | 92 min | Not rated | Sep 20, 2016

Fixed Bayonets! (Blu-ray Movie)

Price

List price: $19.34
Third party: $19.60
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Buy Fixed Bayonets! on Blu-ray Movie

Movie rating

7
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users4.5 of 54.5
Reviewer3.5 of 53.5
Overall3.5 of 53.5

Overview

Fixed Bayonets! (1951)

The story of a platoon during the Korean War. One by one Corporal Denno's superiors are killed until it comes to the point where he must try to take command responsibility.

Starring: Richard Basehart, Gene Evans, Michael O'Shea (I), Craig Hill, Skip Homeier
Director: Samuel Fuller

Drama100%
War21%
ActionInsignificant

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
    Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1

  • Audio

    English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)

  • Subtitles

    None

  • Discs

    Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie4.0 of 54.0
Video4.0 of 54.0
Audio3.0 of 53.0
Extras2.5 of 52.5
Overall3.5 of 53.5

Fixed Bayonets! Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 3, 2016

A master of the war picture, director Samuel Fuller goes insular for 1951’s “Fixed Bayonets,” which oversees pressure building in the battle zone during the outset of the Korean War. However, while violence plays a key role in the movie, Fuller’s screenplay attempts to dig into the psychology of an American soldier facing a true test of courage in a foreign land. “Fixed Bayonets” is surprisingly nuanced work, dissecting issues of combat and duty while still maintaining the expected suspense of enemy encounters.


It’s bad enough to experience the horrors of war firsthand, but the men at the heart of “Fixed Bayonets” also have to deal with a winter chill, finding the cold playing a supporting part in the picture, complicating camaraderie as tensions rise due to discomfort. Fuller doesn’t need much more than a cast and a playground of snow and ice, and indeed, “Fixed Bayonets” is captured like a filmed play at times, remaining close to the characters as they struggle with the demands of duty and the power of instinct, which flares up once trouble begins and casualties thin out military numbers.


Fixed Bayonets! Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  4.0 of 5

The AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) is billed as a "Brand New 4K Restoration," and the feature certainly looks refreshed at times, picking up on the meaty faces of the soldiers and the particulars of the environment. Detail is acceptable, bringing a proper amount of texture, and grain is filmic. Delineation isn't troublesome. Of primary concern is the final shot of the movie, watching soldiers march toward the camera, which is plagued with posturization, sustaining for the feature's final minutes.


Fixed Bayonets! Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  3.0 of 5

The audio event for "Fixed Bayonets" is peculiar. The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is very quiet, requiring a substantial boost in volume to help balance out levels, but even that doesn't secure stability, finding dialogue exchanges presented softly, while war elements and scoring are cranked up. It makes for a problematic sit at times, demanding a degree of dial riding to manage. Intelligibility isn't entirely softened, but performances aren't always pronounced. Music handles with acceptable instrumentation, and sound effects hold their snap. Hiss is present, but not overpowering.


Fixed Bayonets! Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  2.5 of 5

  • Commentary features film historian Michael Schlesinger, with Christa Lang Fuller and Samantha Fuller.
  • And a Theatrical Trailer (2:36, SD) is included.


Fixed Bayonets! Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  3.5 of 5

Action interrupts rising tensions, though war sequences are smaller in scale, lacking emphasis to concentrate on the mental battle at hand. "Fixed Bayonets" doesn't have the rah-rah drive featured in likeminded pictures, and while it lacks traditional hostilities, it does offer a depiction of war from an intimate perspective, capturing the subtleties of fear and survival.