7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In WW II, a Major and volunteers are expected to paddle canoes into Nazi-held waters, plant limpet mines on enemy boats, and return safely to their own lines.
Starring: José Ferrer, Trevor Howard, Dora Bryan, Christopher Lee, Victor MaddernWar | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.55:1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
José Ferrer's "The Cockleshell Heroes" (1955) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new video interview with film historian Sheldon Hall. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
The future heroes
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, José Ferrer's The Cockleshell Heroes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
I don't know when the master that was used to source this release was prepared, but it has some qualities that are usually present on older masters that were done during the DVD era. This being said, I don't think that it is bad either, it just has some obvious limitations. Density levels for instance are quite good, but delineation fluctuates and during the nighttime footage is rather easy to see that it could be quite a bit better. Generally speaking, close-ups look the best, while the wider panoramic shots reveal the most weaknesses. Color is good, but there is room for improvement both in terms of stability and saturation. The current saturation levels and nuances do not have the consistent organic Technicolor values, though I personally did not find them disappointing either. Again, they just look a tad dated. Image stability is good. Some tiny dirt spots and scratches pop up here and there, but they will not distract you. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The audio is stable and clean. The music, which has a very prominent role throughout the film, is nicely balanced with the dialog as well, though I think that it is possible to introduce some minor improvements in the upper register. There are no audio dropouts, hiss, hum, distortions, etc.
I enjoyed The Cockleshell Heroes but I found its characterizations and tone incompatible with the true story that it aimed to recreate. The men that volunteered to go to Bordeaux and destroy the German ships that were docked there were not the mostly clueless thrill seekers that you will see in the film, and it is beyond childish to even speculate that they were. In other words, the film is a lot more credible as a straightforward British comedy than as a factual war drama. So, if you like these types of vintage films consider picking up a copy for your library, but approach it with the right set of expectations. RECOMMENDED.
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