7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A battered wife sets her husband on fire one night after living with his beatings and humiliations for years.
Starring: Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat, Richard Masur, Grace Zabriskie, Penelope MilfordCrime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
After becoming a sex symbol, or perhaps THEE sex symbol of the late 1970s, Farrah Fawcett struggled to be taken seriously as an actress. After rising to the top of pop culture awareness with “Charlie’s Angels,” Fawcett turned to television movies to make a different impression. While trying to find a sense of creative satisfaction, Fawcett struck gold with 1984’s “The Burning Bed,” which offered the actress a chance to put away demands of glamour and portray a woman subjected to horrific abuse in her toxic marriage. “The Burning Bed” takes inspiration from the true-life tale of Francine Hughes (who passed away earlier this year), and director Robert Greenwald (“Xanadu”) treats the severity of the story with some care, trying to keep melodramatics at arm’s length for as long as possible. But this is truly Fawcett’s big showcase, delivering a haunted performance that’s impressive in its dramatic commitment and physical display, helping the endeavor remain grounded as its television interests fight for attention.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a basic HD upgrade without a recent refreshing. Already a modest endeavor visually, "The Burning Bed" still battles a level of softness, with detail stronger in close-ups and when exploring dingy dwellings. Make-up effects are also textured. Colors are adequate, with secure primaries that accelerate when around paint jobs on emergency vehicles and period costuming. There are a lot of browns and grays in the movie, preserving its somber mood. Delineation is acceptable. Source offers no significant points of damage. The disc also includes a 1.33:1 version of the film -- a comparison is on view in the final four screenshots.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA isn't advanced, dealing with small sonic goals befitting a television production. Dialogue exchanges are clear, with subtle emotionality easy to understand, while more violent encounters offer no distortion. Scoring is artistically odd (light jazz?) but registers as intended, with adequate instrumentation. Sound effects, including the opening inferno, offer agreeable intensity.
"The Burning Bed" evolves into a legal film in its third act, with Francine facing murder charges, challenging her lawyer to try and find way into her story that keeps the mother and victim sympathetic to the jury, working to bring out pure fear from his client. Again, the material plays simply at times to welcome a mass audience (the effort was a huge success when it aired in October, 1984), but it also provides a spotlight on a widespread issue, working as a tool of empowerment for viewers who might be trapped in the same situation, without completely condoning Francine's graduation to murder to put an end to her suffering. And in the middle of all this is Fawcett, who delivers a sensational performance as Francine, using restraint as her primary weapon, rarely indulging hysterics as the character endures the worst life has to offer. It's a critical moment in Fawcett's career, and she proves herself skilled for the job, shedding glamour and overacting to simply inhabit Francine's despair, and it gives "The Burning Bed" a special power that supports the effort as it tries to be something more than a routine study of torment.
2018
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Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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Quality X / Slipcover in Original Pressing
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