7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
During World War II, a marine sergeant must turn his recruits into fighting men.
Starring: John Wayne, John Agar, Adele Mara, Forrest Tucker, Wally CassellWar | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
From our isolated perches in our capitalist funded ivory towers, we often lament the use of “propaganda” by fascists and/or Communist governments, insisting that we’re above such shenanigans. People point to such filmmakers as Leni Riefenstahl (Triumph of the Will) or even Sergei Eisenstein (Battleship Potemkin, Alexander Nevsky) as creative artists who helped to shape public opinion over various sociopolitical issues that confronted their respective countries. Of course there’s little doubt that the American film industry wasn’t immune to such efforts, as Hollywood’s output during World War II more than admirably proves. Interestingly, one of the films regularly cited as a kind of cinematic cheerleader for America’s war effort came out some four years after hostilities had ceased. Sands of Iwo Jima is an unusual “war” film from a couple of perspectives, not the least of which is the fact that the titular battle comes fairly late in the proceedings, after a glut of relatively soap operatic developments involving a martinet sergeant named Stryker (John Wayne, receiving his first of only two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in the role) and his unruly brigade of neophytes, many of whom hold pretty significant grudges against their commander.
Sands of Iwo Jima is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. As has tended to be the case with many of these Olive releases culled from the Republic catalog, "what you see is what you get," with Olive's hands-off approach almost always guaranteeing no overt digital intrusion, but also no explicit restorative efforts. In the case of Sands of Iwo Jima, that's actually a good thing, for the elements are in generally surprisingly good condition. There are still some attendant age related issues, including occasional dirt and flecks, but nothing that rises to the level of genuine concern. What is striking (Stryking?) about this transfer is its genuinely solid contrast, something that supports really fluid gray scale and good, deep blacks. There are some minor inconsistencies late in the film on what look like a couple of day for night shots, but otherwise things are very consistent. Grain is natural looking and shows no signs of having been digitally scrubbed. The stock footage, which is used quite a bit throughout the film, is in widely variant condition, as might be expected. Some, including the epochal final battle, looks pretty good, though it's obviously more ragged and blown out at times than the bulk of the film. Other elements, including some utilized in montage sequences, is fairly shoddy looking, but is only onscreen for a few seconds.
Sands of Iwo Jima's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track shows some very slight distortion in the upper midrange which is especially evident in some of Victor Young's score, including the opening credits' use of "The Marine Hymn". This anomaly can also slightly "fuzz" some of the explosive sound effects in the two main battle sequences. Otherwise, this accounting nicely supports the film's dialogue, with no issues other than a slightly boxy sound.
No supplements are offered on this Blu-ray disc.
Those going into Sands of Iwo Jima expecting a circa 1944 version of Saving Private Ryan may be disappointed, at least if they're expecting a big battle scene up front. The only battles on display until well past the half hour mark are between Stryker and his intransigent men. That said, Sands of Iwo Jima nicely charts the destinies of several interlinked characters, and provides Wayne with a forceful role that tamps down emotion in favor of stoic resolve. With some well utilized stock footage and the participation of several real life Marines, Sands of Iwo Jima may not be a "war film" in the traditional sense, but it delivers quite a bit of impact nonetheless. Recommended.
1967
Warner Archive Collection
1945
Warner Archive Collection
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Fragile Fox
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Special Edition
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2018
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