Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Its AV presentation may not grab hold of you, but the history of the game will...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown June 7, 2011

If a picture is worth a thousand words, every second of film is worth at least 24,000. A single image can convey a lifetime, a minute of footage can transport someone through time, and a well-crafted documentary can shed light on an entire era, offering insight into a period in history that might otherwise be forgotten. And that's precisely the thing that makes HBO's three-film series, When It Was a Game, one of the most rewarding baseball documentaries available. Rather than continually cut away to modern legends-in-the-making and sharp-suited commentators, each entry is comprised entirely of 8 & 16mm home movies and archive footage shot between 1925 and the mid-60s. It isn't a complete chronicle of baseball history, mind you. Far from it. But it does lives up to its name, focusing on an era when baseball wasn't the complex cash-cow it is today; when it was simply a beloved game, a recovering nation's pastime, and a burgeoning populous' escape from a world plagued by war and uncertainty.

When It Was a Game is divided into three parts; the first produced in 1991, the second in 1992 and the third in 2000. The narrative it weaves, though, begins as America struggles to lift itself out of the Great Depression, expands as a rapidly changing culture and society survive a second World War, moves on as the Soviet Union launches the space race with a little satellite called Sputnik, and watches as a country and its pastime are radically altered. But history merely serves as the series' framework. The fabric of each entry is richly textured and incredibly valuable; an intimate look at the rituals, heroes, fans, stomping grounds and passions that dominated baseball in the '30s, '40s and '50s, as well as the changes that began affecting the soul and purity of the game in the '60s. Part I, though a bit broad in scope, mounts a spirited celebration of baseball and lays the groundwork of a sport that captured the imagination of entire generations. Part II is more deliberate, charting the evolution of baseball, from 1925 to 1961, and examining the manner in which the state of the nation influenced the state of the game and its players. Part III documents baseball's loss of innocence in the '60s despite the rise of Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax.

But its the use of home movies and candid footage that makes When It Was a Game so unique. Narration and audio interviews provide plenty of context, of course, but the joy of watching the series is in seeing legends of the sport as everyday human beings; laughing, crying, gritting their teeth and slapping each other on the back; unaware of the history they're making with every swing, pitch, home run and broken record. No grand press conferences, no grand jury revelations, no steroid controversies, no multi-million dollar salary disputes, no sweeping organizational buyouts or strikes... just baseball as it was meant to be played, through the eyes of players as they really were, at a time when America was in a constant state of flux. It's fascinating, honestly, even when it isn't able to delve as deep or dig as diligently as more sprawling documentary series like Ken Burns' Baseball. In some ways, When It Was a Game is arguably a more personal production; one that views the sport through a more narrow lens, but manages to tell a more nuanced tale of the very attributes that made baseball everything it was and would become. In the end, though, it serves as an excellent part of a growing history of baseball being assembled by filmmakers, historians and documentarians over the years. It deserves a place in any baseball fan's collection.

When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"The following program consists solely of 8 & 16mm home movie film. It was taken by Major League Baseball players and fans. The color is all original."

True to the opening disclaimer that accompanies its first two entries, When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection's 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation doesn't feature any scenes recorded in recent years, interview or otherwise. Instead, each episode consists of archive footage and archive footage alone, meaning there isn't a single shot that screams "high definition standout." Even the series' first-episode title card looks fittingly worn and weathered; a nod to the HBO series' unwavering devotion to its source materials. And almost all of the imperfections that appear -- color and clarity inconsistencies, poor saturation, muted black levels, specks, scratches, splotches, lines and all manner of print blemishes -- are inherent to the vintage home movies used to create the series, making it difficult to criticize the results. If anything, the results beg the question: why Blu-ray? The answer, though, is simple: because it represents a more proficient presentation than HBO was previously capable of producing for home video release. Comparisons between the new Blu-ray release and its DVD counterpart reveal a number of subtle improvements, nominal or downright negligible as they may be. Ultimately, as long as you're armed with appropriate expectations, When It Was a Game won't disappoint. That said, those who own the DVD edition may find such a modest upgrade isn't worth the cost of admission. Proceed accordingly.

When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The same could be said of HBO's DTS-HD Master Audio stereo track. The difference between the Blu-ray edition's lossless mix and the standard DVD's lossy track is marginal at best, and doesn't eliminate the obvious volume and fidelity variances between the interviews, commentaries, anecdotes, literary readings and archive audio recordings that narrate each episode. Sound effects and crowd cheers are merely background noise buried beneath the speakers' voices, the series' music and period songs aren't always prioritized as efficiently as they could be, and normalization discrepancies abound. Even so, I doubt anyone will so much as bat an eye. A lossless track is most appreciated; regardless of how much or how little it improves the experience, Warner can't be accused of shortchanging the series' Blu-ray release. Unless you're expecting a water-into-wine sonic miracle, When It Was a Game's DTS-HD MA track is as commendable as its video transfer, glaring flaws and all. Only a complete overhaul would change matters and, even then, I can't imagine by very much.

When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection doesn't include any special features.

When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

When It Was a Game: The Complete Collection is as unique and engrossing as the American pastime it celebrates, and baseball fans from all walks of life owe it themselves to dive into this engrossing exploration of pre and post-World War II-era Major League Baseball. The Blu-ray edition only represents a modest upgrade, but don't let that scare you away. Aside from the disc's complete lack of special features, little else warrants any serious concern. Baseball enthusiasts will be ecstatic.