Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

In Love and War Blu-ray Movie Review

Ernest goes to Italy.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 8, 2023

Released to mild commercial success but mostly torched by critics, Richard Attenborough's 1996 period drama In Love and War concerns the exploits of young Ernest Hemingway (Chris O'Donnell) during WWI and events that would shape the rest of his life and career, namely his frequently unrequited romantic feelings for older American Red Cross nurse Agnes von Kurowsky (Sandra Bullock) during his time in Italy. Though it takes liberties with well-document historical facts and frequently borders on "dressed-up Hallmark movie" during a few more melodramatic stretches, In Love and War is a decently watchable effort that's perhaps a little better than its lukewarm reputation suggests.

The story goes like this: 19 year-old Hemingway, already an aspiring writer but serving as an ambulance driver during the war effort in Italy, suffers a leg injury while saving a soldier's life. Taken to a nearby hospital, he's treated by kindly nurse Agnes who's almost a decade older and, not surprisingly, becomes infatuated with her. Though initially flattered by his advances, she keeps things professional but their feelings grow after a successful operation to save his infected leg literally puts him back on his feet. Nonetheless, the obvious age gap prevents Agnes from pursuing a relationship, and a change in orders sees her and other nurses moved to a more dangerous location. What follows is the expected melodramatic marathon of will-they-or-won't-they, extended almost to its breaking point after Agnes and a pal spend the weekend with handsome doctor Domenico Caracciolo, who likewise quickly falls for the kindly nurse. Yet she still has clear feelings for Hemingway, who awaits letters from her which gradually dwindle in number.

Since its release, many critics have complained about the idealistic but fatally muted tone of its romantic elements, which is accurate but I'd argue more purposeful than accidental (and yes, perhaps due to the stifling PG-13 rating). Though it has flaws I'll get to soon enough, In Love and War feels more like a story told from Hemingway's young and biased point of view, more of a stylized than objective retelling of historical events. This element of its approach can't be graded on the same curve as others in this genre, so I've always given it a pass in that department.

But the elephant in the room -- and likely the main reason why In Love and War doesn't work quite as well as it ought to -- is the lack of chemistry between its two leads. It's not stone-cold dead by any means, but the spark and flame of passionate love -- especially in the midst of chaos -- can rarely be spotted with having to squint really hard. I dare say that both leads are basically miscast here, or at least neither one puts in the required energy to make their characters more alive. Their central romance ends up taking a backseat to what does work, and that's pretty much everything else in the technical department: from the music and cinematography to its production design and period-specific dialogue, there aren't any other obvious weak links in the chain. Of course, both leads lacking chemistry in a romantic drama is a fairly large hurdle to overcome... so unless you have a degree of nostalgic attachment to this film (which may have stemmed from a teenage crush on either leading performer), you might not be able to warm up to it.

But there are other things to appreciate about In Love and War, and they're all supported by its sterling new A/V presentation on Warner Archive's excellent Blu-ray edition. Like others in the boutique label's back catalogue, it's a purist-friendly effort with strong technical merits and a welcome replacement for its last home video edition, a DVD released before the turn of the 21st century. While admittedly not the strongest blind buy in recent memory, it's nonetheless a capable period drama.... but more for the period than the drama, if that makes sense.

In Love and War Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a new 4K scan of the camera negative, In Love and War shines on Blu-ray and far outpaces its last physical release, a 1999 snapcase "flipper" DVD that was 16x9 enhanced on the widescreen side. Improvements are immediately seen as the understated cinematography, which often has a diffused look, shows much greater fine detail and textures while retaining a slightly soft and period-specific appearance, with a much greater range of contrast and deeper blacks. Color representation is solid with accurate skin tones, a good balance of muted and natural hues with bold primaries, and as always the boutique label's expert encoding ensures that no banding, macro blocking, or other compression artifacts are seen -- not always an easy task, given the plumes of smoke and varying light levels during battle sequences. Film grain is present every step of the way yet the overall picture is free from dust, dirt, and other debris, revealing yet another fan-pleasing five-star effort that's the next best thing to a 4K UHD release.

In Love and War Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix advances on the DVD release's lossy Dolby Digital track which was, to be fair, a capable effort for its time. Dialogue and background cues are well-mixed and surround effects are used sparingly but to great effect at key moments; obviously front-and-center fighting scenes are the most active but other scenes are perhaps more appreciable, such as quiet conversations far from the battlefield where distant low explosions remind us that the threat of harm is ever-present in the background. It's a solid mix overall, one that's not tremendously showy but gets the job done to great effect. Not surprisingly given the film's relatively young age (at least as far as Warner Archive's typical output is concerned), no obvious damage or other defects could be heard along the way.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only.

In Love and War Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with familiar cover artwork and no inserts of any kind. On-board extras are unfortunately minimal, mimicking the basically barebones DVD edition with its "interactive menus!".

• Theatrical Trailer (2:23) - This vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

In Love and War Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Richard Attenborough's In Love and War has plenty of talent in front of and behind the camera but, while this period drama has some decently effective moments and great production design, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. It's still a bit better than its rather lukewarm reputation suggests, which may be due to the excellent A/V presentation provided by Warner Archive's welcome Blu-ray edition. It replaces a DVD that's more than old enough to enlist and, though no new extras are added, its new facelift should make this release a no-brainer for established fans.