7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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 HomeierDrama | 100% |
War | 22% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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