Running Time 1316 Min
Format: DVD MOVIE
Customer Reviews:
disappointed.......2007-05-09
I was disappointed that the description of this DVD stated that it was closed captioned, but it is not. Since the captioning was the main selling point for me, it was a useless purchase.
A test for great theatre.......2007-03-30
This version of Macbeth probes that for having the greatest theatrical experience all you need is a superb text, real actors and an IDEA. Trevor Nunn produced an unique experience, and the McKellen/Dench duo is simply perfect. Specially her... no one else can stand besides Dame Judi daring to be called "Lady Macbeth".
Yes, the quality is not as we could wish (it is 1978 and for TV!) but nevertheless the whole film blows up any big studio production of Shakespeare`s bloody text.
Again: master text, great actors and someone with an idea. That`s theatre!
Definitive Macbeth.......2007-01-22
I liked this DVD very much. I watched several versions of that play, but this one is my favourite now, I can't imagine a more brilliant and powerful Macbeth & Wife than sir Ian and dame Judi. Unforgettable.
Awesome Judi.......2007-01-16
If you are a Dame Judi Dench fan and you haven't seen Macbeth, you're missing a most ingenious performance. She never fails to entertain and this phenomenal award winning actress will really astound you with this rivetting performance. In the entertainment business there are good actors and great performers...Jude is "entertainment squared" in Macbeth.
In one part she emits the most eeriest primal scream I've ever heard. With Dame Judi she makes you believe she is the character in a way no one else can. Dench fans..this is a must.
A performance of historic importance........2007-01-07
Trevor Nunn's 1979 Thames Television production of "Macbeth," directed by Philip Casson, is a dark, stripped-down, claustrophobic version that emphasizes the furnace-fire terror of Shakespeare's play. As star Ian McKellen tells us in an introduction and reminiscence included in the DVD's special features, the broadcast documents a production of the play that had been running, with the same cast, for the previous three years in Stratford and London. The cast had become a family by then, he tells us, and its members were so in tune with each other that the film took less than a week to shoot, rather than the usual several weeks. The sheer fluidity of the performances attests to the teamwork the cast members had achieved. The camera, shooting mostly in close-up, offers the actors nowhere to hide; they must give us the whole, unvarnished truth of the story with their faces and voices, and that they do. McKellen makes a brilliantly Stalinesque Macbeth, spiraling unforgettably into murder, paranoia, and nihilism. Judi Dench is, if anything, even better than McKellen; the extended, ripped-flesh scream she rips from herself during Lady Macbeth's final soliloquy seems to emanate from the Ninth Circle of Hell. Also notable are Roger Rees as Malcolm, John Woodvine as Banquo, and Ian McDiarmid as Ross. Not all of the performances, alas, are on this level. Although McKellen pays loving tribute to the late Bob Peck in his reminiscence, I found Peck's performance as Macduff inexplicable at times. (When a man hears that his wife and children have been murdered, don't you think his reaction would be a little less, well, CLINICAL?) Nevertheless, this has to be counted as a Shakespearian performance of historic importance, with the two greatest Shakespearian actors of the late 20th century giving us their definitive versions of Lord and Lady Macbeth. This is a must-buy for anyone with even the slightest interest in Shakespeare.
Average customer rating:
- SKIMPY...WHY?
- An early gangster film and a cinema landmark
- the best gangster movie ive ever seen
- A "TALKY" THAT CARRIES QUITE A WALLOP -- for 93 MINUTES
- production code problems
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Scarface (Universal Cinema Classics)
Starring: Paul Muni , Ann Dvorak , Karen Morley , and George Raft
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B000N3T0H8
Release Date: 2007-05-22 |
Amazon.com
Howard Hawks's Scarface was one of the first "talkies" to reclaim the fluidity of the late-silent masterpieces, while also tapping into a feral new energy that came with talking smart and moving smarter on the motion picture screen. Outgunning such contemporaries as Little Caesar and The Public Enemy--in terms of both its ferocious death-dealing and dynamic style--the movie was interfered with by censors and kept out of circulation for decades thanks to its eccentric producer, Howard Hughes. It remains the gold standard among classic gangster pictures. Paul Muni's portrayal of Al Capone surrogate Tony Camonte etched a screen original: a merciless assassin who's not only reflexively criminal but pre-civilized, almost pre-evolutionary, a simian shadow ready to rub out the world if he can't have it for his own. This is still one of the greatest, darkest, most deeply exciting films American cinema has produced. Those demonically ubiquitous X's--starting with that titular scar gouged into Tony's cheek--rival "Rosebud" for resonance. --Richard T. Jameson
Description
Generally regarded to be the best of the classic gangster films, Scarface tells the exciting story of organized crime's brutal control over Chicago during the Prohibition era. Oscar winner Paul Muni gives an electrifying performance as Tony Carmonte, an ambitious criminal with a ruthless drive to be the city's top crime boss. Produced and directed by the legendary Howard Hawks, Scarface was a groundbreaking film which established both Paul Muni and George Raft as major Hollywood stars, while influencing all gangland films to follow.
Customer Reviews:
SKIMPY...WHY?.......2007-06-12
With such an historic and classic film, that really deserves a commentary track or maybe two, (one, on the films making and importance by film historians, and two, by gangster historians, to elaborate just how close to the truth this film was at the time). It is the same version that came out a few years ago in that SCARFACE box set (exclusive). At least it is out for the people who did`nt want to pay that high price. I did`nt get that then, and I`m not getting this now, since I`ve had this on VHS for a number of years now. I`ll wait for the special edition, or the collectors edition, or the anniversary edition, or the extended edition, or the directors cut edition. PS. I can probably build a whole library of first edition DVDs (sans frills), that were made obsolete when the special editions became available. Tomorrow the special edition two disc version of The Hustler is coming out, OH BOY, maybe I can decorate my Xmas tree with all the first editions.
An early gangster film and a cinema landmark.......2007-05-26
I see reviews here dating back to the year 2000. This review is for the Universal Cinema Classics release of Scarface that came out in May 2007. First off, the video and audio on this print are excellent. There is no hissing in the audio, and there are very few artifacts in the video. The extras are another matter. First there is an introduction by TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne who provides the same excellent short introduction that he would were Scarface playing in prime time on TCM and he were introducing it there - no more, no less. The only other extra is an alternate ending scene for Scarface. There is no commentary track, which is a shame considering this film, along with "Little Caesar" and "The Public Enemy" form the founding trio of the gangster film in the sound era of the motion picture.
As for the movie itself, it is based on real events that happened in the criminal career of Al Capone, although Capone's criminal career had already ended with his conviction on charges of tax evasion six months before this film was released in April 1932. You know you're watching a Howard Hughes production when, during the first scene, a bar employee is sweeping up after a party held by one of Chicago's big gangsters and finds a bra among the confetti. The film shares some aspects with its gangster film predecessors - Tony Camonte is motivated by a desire for power just as Edward G. Robinson's Rico was in "Little Caesar", and also like Rico takes over the gang from a boss he perceives as weak. However, Camonte doesn't seem to have the pent-up rage of Public Enemy's Tom Powers. When Tony performs acts of violence it is usually related to gangland business. The actual deaths are strictly business, but the execution of the killings themselves are something Tony takes pride in - a sort of work of art on his part. Like Tom Powers, Tony Camonte is given a family background, but unlike Tom Powers, Camonte's family is a completely dysfunctional one. What is unique in this gangster picture is Tony's trio of love interests. He wants his boss' girl, Poppy, as a status symbol. He also seems to have a love affair going with the machine gun, acting like he has discovered America the first time he shoots one. Finally, Tony is in love with his own sister Cesca. Tony's only true fits of rage occur when he sees her with another man, and it is this loss of emotional control over this one issue that is ultimately his downfall. George Raft, an ex-gangster of sorts himself, is terrific as the smart and level-headed Guino Rinaldo, Tony's right-hand man. Finally there is Vince Barnett as Tony's extremely inadequate secretary in a bit of comic relief turned tragic at the end of the film. This film is truly a classic. I just wish Universal had put in a commentary track, for such a cinema landmark is certainly worthy of one. Highly recommended.
the best gangster movie ive ever seen.......2006-09-27
i just watched and taped this movie from tcm.i really liked it.i thought,like many old movies it would be long and devoid of any action.boy was i wrong!all the events in the movie were based on real life happenings.it is set in a time where one of the biggest crime bosses just went down and 10 more are jumping in to take his place.so theres someone getting shot up in every scene!it was great!of course its done in a 1932 type way so you wont see any graphic violence gow we think of it today,but it was top of the line for its time.my favorite part is when the lead character is getting the building hes in shot to pieces and he looks up for a second at his shooters and sees their machine gun.and he gets really exited like a kid at x-mas and says"they got a machine gun you can carry around!i gotta get me one of those!".i think its the best gangster movie ive ever seen and yes i have seen "the godfather"
A "TALKY" THAT CARRIES QUITE A WALLOP -- for 93 MINUTES.......2006-03-27
----- * IN A NUTSHELL: NO GLAMORIZING OF PUBLIC ENEMIES HERE -*
A dark and dank insight into the depraved and exciting world of bootlegging gangsters at their worst.
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: [WARNING -- CONTAINS PLOT SPOILERS BELOW]
Tony Camonte [Paul Muni], is the lead, and a character patterned after Al Capone (also called "Scarface")but not in every way. The obviously amoral Camonte gradually seizes control of the bootlegging racket, from Johnny Lovo (Osgood Perkins), his boss, through a series of barbaric murders which eventually include Johnny Lovo. Apparently, Camonte's ambition is translated into brutality as his sole constructive force, which is hardly constructive at all. There is no bargaining, communicating or making deals, Camonte simply kills everyone that stands in his way even if it is really not needed. I think I counted 26 murders in the film, but others have stated that they counted 28.
BACK TO THE ACTION:
After bumping off his boss Lovo, with the aid of henceman Guino Rinaldo [George Raft], Camonte took up with Lovo's mistress, Poppy [Karen Morley]. Though he has lusted after Poppy from the start, Tony has shown oddly incestuous interest in his own sister, Cesca [Ann Dvorak] that seemed more emotionally deep than that for his newly found trophy girl. There were hints about the incestuous nature of their relationship throughout the film with their mother, who Tony never implied was anything more than a domestic servant, constantly warning Cesca about Tony's intentions in veiled but unmistakable language.
Believe it or not, there is actually humor woven into "Scarface" throughout, with one of the best examples being the murder of Gaffney, [Boris Karloff] while he was bowling. The camera pans to Gaffney's bowling ball knocking down all the pins which is a strike, and one of the many examples of the "X" being used to indicate a murder being committed throughout the film. This reduced the explicitness of the violence, but was perhaps more effective and thought provoking through the implicitly clear outcome.
In the end, Camonte got what he had coming and took it like a weasel, which was required by the censors, but it also removed the romanticism that frequently was given to the many violent criminals of the day, especially Capone. His sister died with him, actually before him. At which point he became a defeated man, ready to throw in the towel, but not before he provided proof that he was no hero and unworthy of anyone's respect, which the police had told us to expect.
ABOUT THE TONE OF THE FILM AND ITS TIME:
Hughes had all kinds of problems with the censors of the day, and we are told that two versions of the film were released. One without the censors approval and one with. Also, that a moral prologue had to be added at the beginning of the film, and added several times during it, to make clear that this was a bad thing we were seeing, [the ruthless life of a killer] and that it was not okay to emulate. In essence, to make clear that the message of the film was NOT to encourage this kind of lifestyle.
MY TAKE ON THE MESSAGE:
To me, the lead character, Tony Camonte, is a vicious swine whose courage came in the form of a gun in his hand. His lusts' and interests' were both perverted and dispicable, making him an unsympathetic character, and a blight in any civilized society. Good - because that is how he was meant to be seen. That, in no way, diminishes the potency of this film. Instead it punctuates and highlights the right from the wrong, the good from the bad. We may not be sure what the good and right is, after seeing this film, but we can be sure what is bad and wrong, because we have seen it for 93 minutes by the time the film ends.
-----*- PRINCIPAL ACTORS -*
Paul Muni - Tony Camonte
Ann Dvorak - Cesca Camonte
Karen Morley - Poppy
George Raft - Guino Rinaldo
Boris Karloff - Gaffney
Osgood Perkins - Johnny Lovo
-----*- PRODUCTION CREW -*
Howard Hawks - Director / Producer / Screenwriter
Howard R. Hughes - Producer
W.R. Burnett - Screenwriter
Ben Hecht - Screenwriter
John Lee Mahin - Screenwriter
Seton Miller - Screenwriter
Fred Palsey - Screenwriter
Armitage Trail - Book Author
ABOUT THE VIDEO:
The video quality was variable, but it was watchable from beginning to end. The sound was even better, with very little of the background hiss that we can expect from a 74 year old film.
BOTTOM LINE:
An excellent film and an excellent companion for the more recent remake of Scarface,1983, Directed by Brian De Palma and starring Al Pacino. When one recalls that Scarface was made in 1932, before film-noir, and actually during prohibition [1920-1933] it reminds us of what a gem this "talky" is.
production code problems.......2006-03-09
By today's standards it is almost a PG film due to the inherently innocent look into the graphic nature of the cinematography. But just the same, by the standards of that time period, it was a horrifically violent movie with around 30 deaths in the film. This was a record breaker in itself. Howard Hawks, under the control of the industry for which he was working had to hold off on releasing the movie more than two years because they were fearful that it was praise for criminals and the crimes they committed. Chicago alone refused to show the film for another year on top of the original two.
Average customer rating:
- Ugetsu
- A true classic from Mizoguchi
- An Antti Keisala Comment: There's A Ghost In Every Mirror
- a great must-see japanese classic made in 1953
- Gorgeous.
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Ugetsu - Criterion Collection
Starring: Masayuki Mori , Machiko Kyô , Kinuyo Tanaka , Eitarô Ozawa , and Ikio Sawamura
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
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- Le Samourai - Criterion Collection
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ASIN: B000BB14I0
Release Date: 2005-11-08 |
Amazon.com
Hailed by critics as one of the greatest films ever made, Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu is an undisputed masterpiece of Japanese cinema, revealing greater depths of meaning and emotion with each successive viewing. Mizoguchi's exquisite "gender tragedy" is set during Japan's violent 16th-century civil wars, a historical context well-suited to the director's compassionate perspective on the plight of women and the foibles of men. The story focuses on two brothers, Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) and Tobei (Sakae Ozawa), whose dreams of glory (one as a wealthy potter, the other a would-be samurai) cause them to leave their wives for the promise of success in Kyoto. Both are led astray by their blind ambitions, and their wives suffer tragic fates in their absence, as Ugetsu evolves into a masterful mixture of brutal wartime realism and haunting ghost story. The way Mizoguchi weaves these elements so seamlessly together is what makes Ugetsu (masterfully derived from short stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant) so challenging and yet deeply rewarding as a timeless work of art. Featuring flawless performances by some of Japan's greatest actors (including Machiko Kyo, from Kurosawa's Rashomon), Ugetsu is essential viewing for any serious lover of film. --Jeff Shannon
DVD features
The Criterion Collection's high standards of scholarly excellence are on full display in the two-disc set of Ugetsu, packaged in an elegant slipcase reflecting the tonal beauty of the film itself, which has been fully restored with a high-definition digital transfer. The well-prepared commentary by critic/filmmaker Tony Rayns combines the astute observations of a serious cineaste (emphasizing a keen appreciation for Mizoguchi's long-take style, compositional meaning, and literary inspirations) with informative biographical and historical detail. In the 14-minute featurette "Two Worlds Intertwined," director Masahiro Shinoda discusses how Mizoguchi's career and films have had a lasting impact on himself and Japanese culture in general. Interviews with Tokuzo Tanaka (first assistant director on Ugetsu) and cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa focus more specifically on anecdotal production history Mizoguchi's working methods, including the director's legendary perfectionism regarding painstaking details of props, costumes, and production design.
Disc 2 consists entirely of Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director, a 150-minute documentary from 1975. Though it occasionally gets bogged down in biographical minutia, the film provides a thoroughly comprehensive survey of Mizoguchi's career, including interviews with nearly all of Mizoguchi's primary collaborators. Director/interviewer Kaneto Shindo ultimately arrives at an emotionally devastating coup de grace when he informs the great actress Kinuyo Tanaka (star of The Life of Oharu and other Mizoguchi classics) that Mizoguchi had considered her "the love of his life." Tanaka's graceful response provides a moving appreciation of their artistic bond, which never evolved into romance. As we learn, the tragic irony of Mizoguchi's life is that he died in sadness and suffering, in 1956, just as he was entering a more hopeful and artistically revitalized period of middle age. After showing us all the locations that were important in Mizoguchi's life, the film closes with a blunt discovery of life's ethereal nature: The great director's final home was torn down and replaced with a gas station. The 72-page booklet that accompanies Ugestu contains a well-written appreciation of the film by critic Phillip Lopate. Also included are the three short stories that inspired Ugetsu, allowing readers to see how Mizoguchi and screenwriter Yoshikata Yoda masterfully combined elements of these unrelated stories to create one of the enduring classics of Japanese cinema. --Jeff Shannon
Description
The great Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi's crowning achievement, set in sixteenth-century Japan, a period of bloody civil war, and focusing on an ambitious potter haunted by a beautiful ghost and a farmer who dreams of becoming a samurai. A classic com
Customer Reviews:
Ugetsu.......2007-06-27
One of the great masterworks of Japanese cinema, "Ugetsu" is part ghost story, part wartime drama, and the two mix beautifully under Mizoguchi's cogent direction. In some ways, he links the suffering of women--murder, rape, destitution--to the selfish acts and desires of men, an unambiguously progressive theme in postwar Japan's reevaluation of tradition. "Ugetsu" benefits enormously from the presence of Kyo as a sensual apparition, as well as Kazuo Miyagawa's gliding camerawork. Film lovers will embrace this entrancing story of human longing.
A true classic from Mizoguchi.......2007-05-28
I watched the Criterion Collection DVD of Kenji Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu" a few nights ago. This may well be my favorite Asian film of all. It may be a film that deals with ghosts, but above all it's a film about humanity and the things that drive us. Set during the civil wars of 16th century Japan, it tells the tale two farmers (Genjuro and Tobei), their ambitions (one to be a potter, the other to become a samurai) and the terrible effect it has on their families.
The B&W picture looks very good - sharp with good contrast, and definitely better than I remember the Criterion LD looking. The cinematography is effective, the music alternately haunting and heart rending. I've not yet watched any of the interviews or the two and a half hour Mizoguchi documentary, but I look forward to it. I'm sure I'll get "Sansho the Bailiff" by Mizoguchi, as well.
In short, this film is a must see for anyone interested in Asian cinema, classic cinema or for anybody who has emotions and can feel.
An Antti Keisala Comment: There's A Ghost In Every Mirror.......2007-05-20
I'm writing this comment in anticipation of Criterion's release of Sanshô dayû, one of my all-time favourites. I live in Finland and found access to that film through the British Film Institute's VHS release, which, to my great frustration, broke a few years back. I've been waiting a Criterion release ever since.
The first sign of a reward was this, the "other" Mizoguchi everyone's talking about. And truly, what an experience. In this film every image is a mystery, each of them is just one branch in a tree of mysteries. If you're out for some beautiful imagery, this is worth recommending for that reason alone. I'm all for imagery, because our quest in cinema really has to do with them, and hopefully most of the time.
This isn't a new concept, just something that we all find when we plod on. My personal name for it is "visual narrative", a way in which the camera moves and reveals things, and what it reveals and does not. It's a narrative eye, a conscious camera that moves in a seemingly two-dimensional world by diving deep into other realities. By this I simply mean that while often cinema is perceived as having two layers, that of the story (or context) and that of the image. This is why I think some people find films such as Wong's In The Mood For Love and 2046, Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev and Malick's The Thin Red Line pretentious. For me this duality doesn't exist: these layers are organically one and the same, an idea that was introduced in literary theory by the Russian formalists almost a hundred years ago.
You could think of this film as having two gods, two narrative threads intertwining. The first is what we always associate with whatever Mizoguchi, the feminist story-telling device and deep sympathy. Ironically we find out in the documentary on the second disk that it was never Mizoguchi's intention to be a feminist film-maker. Yet the wonderful invention here comes from the other half of the story, which is about ghosts. Mizoguchi has segmented this in sotto voco throughout the whole narrative, mostly because the notion is already so strong. That is, we also have ghosts in the visual narrative, in every frame and beyond. These ghosts are figments of a visual space that I assume explicates itself when the visible narrative ("plot") advances, becomes errant, folds and becomes intrusive. Then these ghosts unleash and the big shift is how there ultimately should be nothing; how we see the woman beside the fireplace when she shouldn't be there - the illusion is so strong it remains.
The supernatural is presented in the story beautifully. This film dwells on both fronts unlike most Mizoguchi, whose films are so often rooted in grim reality. And I think it's the reason why the film turns out to be so beautifully captivating and as magical as it is. The packaging itself is beautiful, and also included is the two-hour mammoth documentary on Mizoguchi, which isn't only informative, but actually funny and interesting as it goes through his whole life. Also included is a book that includes two short stories that inspired the film (including Guy de Maupassant) and a writing from film critic Philip Lopate. A magical experience. If you have the chance or any interest, this wouldn't only completement Mizoguchi's "Sanshô", but Bergman's The Seventh Seal. Two wondrously mystic films. Lovingly recommended.
With best regards,
AK
a great must-see japanese classic made in 1953.......2007-04-29
this film won award is not a surprise, because it's indeed a great film. a potter with ambitious prosperous dream, a loving wife and caring mother to their child; a village's idiot and a moron, dreaming of becoming a samurai wannabe, abandoned his lovely young wife who later was raped by the soldiers...then the potter met a mysterious lady who actually was a ghost but fell for his pottery artworks. a beautifully shot film and an immediate classic to be treasured without any time frame. screenplay so nicely adapted from two short stories one domestic one foreign with quite simple scenario and plot but well interpreted by good actors and actresses.
this film has reminded us that the history of every nation, no matter how justified or glorified, was simply built along the blood path of killing of their own people. all the history of a nation was nothing but a continued killings of their own people. japan, korea, china, countries in south east asia, india, egypt and all the muslin tribal countries, russia, all those european countries, france, united kingdom, countries of latin america and africa, the united states of america, or even on the remote islands in the south pacific, the governing entities always kept killing their own people to get their histories glorified. how a kingdom or a nation was finally united? by endless and merciless killings, of course, as simple as that. and, of course, winners took all.
this film is a very doomful yet melancholy haunting and beautiful masterpiece of all time.
Gorgeous........2007-03-05
Ugetsu Monogatari (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953)
I've been trying to come up with a way to kick off an Ugetsu review for the past half-hour. I thought about writing something about the sudden explosion of great Japanese film that began in 1950, but the Japanese were making great films long before that (Mizoguchi started his career in the twenties, Ozu made Ugikusa Monogatari in 1934, etc). Then I was going to start off with something about Machiko Kyo, who may be, pound for pound, the most beautiful woman to ever grace the silver screen, and who was as ubiquitous in what Time Magazine called "the Japanese assembly line [of] masterpieces galore" (in their Hundred Best Movies Ever issue) as Michael Caine was in pretentious mystery films in the seventies. (And the eighties. And, wait, the nineties too. Oh, hell, he's going to be in the Sleuth remake, and he was in the Sleuth original, doesn't that say it all?) But that didn't feel right, either. And the only word I can come up with to describe Ugetsu itself is "lyrical," because the more I think on all the different meanings of the word "lyrical," the more I realize that Ugetsu-- which, I must admit, I found an enjoyable-though-minor movie when I finished watching it, and have had to let it simmer in my subconscious for a few days to truly grasp it-- fits every definition of the word.
Count yourselves lucky, I just deleted 1,500 words recounting many definitions of "lyric" and "lyrical" and tying them, often quite tenuously, to this movie. Unfortunately, however, I have nothing to replace that particular mess of pottage with; every once in a while, I read a book or see a movie that defies being reviewed, and Ugetsu seems to be one of them. It's a ghost story. It's also an anti-war film that veers between slapstick and tragedy. It's a stunning visual experience, even half a century later. And now I'm back to "everything about this movie is wonderful," so I'll just tell you that everything about this movie is wonderful. See it. **** ½
![Excalibur [HD DVD]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Xp4yD0eJL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- Excaliber
- Dated, but still greaat to watch.
- Excalibur (HD DVD)
- Superior to all others!
- Good History, good Movie
|
Excalibur [HD DVD]
Starring: Robert Addie , Charley Boorman , Katrine Boorman , Brid Brennan , and Barbara Byrne
Director: John Boorman
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ASIN: B000JLSLZG
Release Date: 2006-10-31 |
Amazon.com essential video
This lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman (Deliverance) masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, Excalibur is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. --Robert Lane
Description
Raised by merlin, young Arthur draws the mystical sword of Excalibur from the stone and becomes King. He grows to manhood and with his wife Guenevere and first knight Lancelot unites the country and founds the Knights of the Round Table. But the love between Lancelot and Guenevere, and the treachery of his sister Morgana and son Mordred cause King Arthur's pride to jeopardize the kingdom. An epic battle between the knights of good and evil decides the fate of Camelot,
Customer Reviews:
Excaliber.......2007-05-28
One of my all time favorites!! Its great to have it in dvd collection now too. A must have for the medival-King Arthur etc fans!!
Dated, but still greaat to watch........2007-05-14
I had forgotten how interesting this movie was -- a little frustrating with its mixing of the legends, but a good watch and a fun reminder of how film styles have evolved in recent years.
Excalibur (HD DVD).......2007-05-09
The enhanced sound and vision on HD DVD makes a good film even better.
Superior to all others!.......2007-04-08
Simply put..this is the best sword and sorcery movie of all time. And....arguably, one of the best films of any genre. I wish there were more footage available of this movie. A nice long directors cut would be nice.
Good History, good Movie.......2007-04-04
I enjoyed this book as it was sort of based on the series of books based on "Merlin" and his life. This movie follows closely to historical accounts, but the fantasy scenes are pretty good.....hated the ending, loved the movie.
Average customer rating:
- What did she realize?
- A well detailed documentary on Marie Antoinette
- Anuphab Phraewphanarai - Bangkok, Thailand
- "Tribulation first makes you realize who you are"
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Marie Antoinette: A Film by David Grubin
Starring: Patricia Kessler , Barbara Scaff , Caroline Bernard , Philippe Altier , and Blair Brown
Director: David Grubin
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ASIN: B000GH3CQG
Release Date: 2006-11-28 |
Description
This is the story of a callous monarch, swept to her death in the torrent of the French Revolution. It is also the tale of a fragile young woman struggling to find herself during one of the most turbulent moments in human history. Filmed in France and Austria, with rare access to Versailles, Le Petit Trianon, and the Austro-Hungarian palaces of her youth, Marie Antoinette will tell the intensely human story of the often misunderstood monarch who was beheaded during the turbulence and horror of the French revolution.
Customer Reviews:
What did she realize?.......2007-03-01
As far as the facts of Marie Antoinette's life this movie is the best, but I have to take issue with the idea of her 'inner transformation', never once in her life did she concede to doing anything wrong. Ultimately she was the primary cause of the French Revolution, she was willing to see her family killed, the Monarchy destroyed, and France thrown into turmoil, rather than accept that she hadn't been chosen by God to rule France
A well detailed documentary on Marie Antoinette.......2006-11-18
I never really given much thought to Marie Antoinette. All I knew about the former queen of France was that she was beheaded after found guilty of various crimes ranging from corruption to treason. After I saw the lifeless Sophia Coppola film "Marie Antoinette", my curiousity about the former queen was piqued. This PBS documentary was aired not too long ago but I missed seeing most of it. I was fortunate to find a copy to rent through the web based rental service I use.
I found "Marie Antoinette" the documentary far more engaging. The life of Marie Antoinette is indeed fascinating. She almost reminds me of Paris Hilton of her day with her lack of intellectual curiousity and love of frivolous spending and other means of pleasure. It is hard not to see the comparison between the deceased queen of France and the current queen of overexposure.
In the PBS documentary, the filmmaker goes further in depth of Marie Antoinette's life after she and Louis tries to leave Paris, France and eventually their gruesome fate at the hands of the guillotine. I would have liked to have heard more about Marie's life prior to her marriage to Louis (like it was covered in thorough detail in Antoina Fraser's book). Blair Brown does a superb job as narrator. I found this documentary extremely well produced and thought out. There are other documentaries on Marie Antoinette but I only imagine that they would be not as good as PBS's two hour documentary on Marie Antoinette. I had fun learning about Marie Antoinette which led me to check out more books and documentaries about the former queen of France.
Anuphab Phraewphanarai - Bangkok, Thailand.......2006-11-09
This documentary on Marie Antoinette was superb. When I turned it on, I was glued to the screen. I accept the fact that this documentary does not show many actors completely acting out a scene, but along with the narrators and original paintings of the past, you can picture the whole story in your mind. In other words, the paintings and the pictures of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI told everything of what had happened. It is just like reading a comic book without text. You can just weave the picture together yourself. I did not regret ordering this two hour film on Marie Antoinette, and I suggest that whoever is interested about France's history, should not miss the life story of Marie Antoinette
"Tribulation first makes you realize who you are" .......2006-09-27
Marie Antoinette was born November 2, 1755 in Vienna, Austria. She was the youngest and most beautiful daughter of Francis Stephen I and Maria Theresa Emperor and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire. Marie Antoinette was brought up believing her destiny was to become queen of France, the hope of forging an alliance with the two countries. She married the crown prince of France in 1770. Four years later she became queen when her husband was crowned King Louis XVI
One of the most interesting facets of this two-hour special on Marie Antoinette was that she never said the famous line "let them eat cake." In fact, the poor Marie was remarkably naive about the needs of the French peasantry and even about her adopted country. Living in a secluded life in the palace of Versailles, she had never seen the sea and spent most of her short life confined within the walls of the palace and gardens.
This fascinating documentary, which aired on PBS last night - in preparation for Sofia Coppola's big-screen dramatization, starring Kirsten Dunst - expels many of the myths associated with this deeply misunderstood Queen. She was indeed only a child - just fifteen - when her mother Maria Theresa married her off to the teenage Prince Louis.
Naive about the role of a Queen, Marie a woman of great charm and beauty, spent much of her time gambling and partying, spending money from the public coffers, oblivious to who paid for it all. The fact that Louis was Unable to produce a heir was a source of great consternation in the court, and as the years went by with still no child, Marie found an outlet by building a private world on the Versailles grounds, Le Petit Trianon, a private retreat where she could get back to nature.
Children did eventually come, but it didn't help the status of the monarchy, especially in the eyes of the public, who viewed Marie and her moneyed dalliances as responsible for much of the crises in the country. Louis was an incompetent and bumbling King, who found it hard to make decisions. With the political and social ideology of France quickly changing, Louis and Marie were urged to limit their power, and help contribute to forming a constitutional monarchy but they remained stubbornly tied to the strictures of the past.
Marie offended many of the nobles, adding their denunciation to the scandalous stories spread by royal hopefuls. It was the nobility that balked at the financial reforms the government ministers tried to make, not the King and Queen, who were in favor of change. In truth, Antoinette and Louis' fate were sealed by the irrevocable march of history, innocent porn's caught up in the winds of change.
Both Louis and Marie ended up guillotined, but in the meantime Marie grew as a woman, a mother and a monarch, the irony being that she was much more of a Queen when she was stripped of her royal status and awaiting trial in Paris.
Actress Blair Brown narrates this gripping film, while historians Antonia Fraser, Simon Schama, Evelyne Lever, Antoine de Baecque and Fanny Cosandey and novelist Chantal Thomas provide much of the interesting narrative about the tragic life of this beautiful and much misconstrued woman. Mike Leonard September 06.
Average customer rating:
- Great documentary of the best/worst of Monday Night Wars...
- Not very comprehensive...
- This garbage is actually getting 5 stars?.
- Excellent and well done
- Top 20 WWE Best Mathes Ever on Raw
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The Monday Night War - WWE Raw vs. WCW Nitro
Starring: Vince McMahon , and Eric Bischoff
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- WWE Tombstone - History of the Undertaker
ASIN: B0001CCXCA
Release Date: 2004-02-10 |
Customer Reviews:
Great documentary of the best/worst of Monday Night Wars..........2007-05-25
Competition is great. Many will say it's necessary to the existance of capitalism. The Monday Night Wars of the late ninties is a fine example of competition, but of the greed and power-madness it can beget.
I was there for most every moment during the Wars, and this DVD documents pretty clearly the bold moves and stupid mistakes of both organizations.
It is a great documentary, and one any true wrestling fan needs to own.
Not very comprehensive..........2007-05-06
When covering the greatest competition in pro wrestling history, how can you stuff it into one DVD with some bonus features to boot?
Monday Night Wars does a barely satisfying job covering the main points and highlights of the Monday Night Wars, with lots of focus on Eric Bischoff's involvement in WCW, including the nWo and the harsh competition between WWF and WCW.
But aside from that, there's little detail. It's not as comprehensive as "Rise and Fall of ECW" was, and suffers as a result. There's no mention of the infamous Fingerpoke of Doom and its implications for WCW, no mention of the David Arquette as WCW champion incident, Gillberg and the spoofing (aside from brief mention of a spoof of Jim Ross which was very poorly received by fans), etc.
On the plus hand, it does a satisfactory job of telling some of the backstage issues at WCW including Hogan and the nWo refusing to let others go over, and Vince Russo's "reign of terror" of sorts at WCW.
The bonus features are mostly WWF matches and some WCW matches, along with some random features like the WCW reformation of the Four Horsemen, and Rick Rude showing up on WWF Raw is War and WCW Nitro on the same night (and very little is elaborated on it, except that McMahon and Ross didn't realize he had left until they saw him live on TV).
A very poor production, all in all. I don't know what held the WWE back in producing this DVD, or if they just wanted to chuck it out there for money, hoping to do as well with it as they had the Rise and Fall of ECW DVD.
This garbage is actually getting 5 stars?........2006-12-15
Vince McMahon crying that Bisheoff tryed to put the then WWF out of business is pure comedy gold after the way McMahon ran all the competition under in the 80's.
Funny things is Paul Heyman just loves to whine about WCW talent raiding ECW (Tommy Dreamer in a classic once compared WCW to the Taliban) yet not a word is mumbled from him when the WWE did the same thing and of course no one mentions how McMahon raided almost every major player in American Pro Wrestling in the 80's.
Anyone giving this trash 5 stars is either a die hard WWE fan or never watched wrestling during the war.
I watched both companys and both were under handed and just plain retarded at times but both also put on some amazing TV and sadly we may never see a glorious time like that in wrestling again.
Excellent and well done.......2006-10-16
This dvd could have been a Vince Mcmahon should his mouth off about how he crushed wcw. Instead both Vince Mcmahon and Eric Bischoff both talk about their struggles and what they succeeded at. It is a fascinating look into what went down between the two biggest players in wrestling in the late 90's. Both speak their mind and wear their heart on their sleeves in this one. Very well done. The extras are very cool also.
Top 20 WWE Best Mathes Ever on Raw .......2006-09-04
Underrated WWF Matches
1. Sabu vs Flash Funk (aka Cold Scorpio) 6/23/97
Sabu 1st premiere in the wwf who did not come back until this year paul heyman, ecw owner, was special guest commentator alongside jim ross and vince mcmahon this was a short but really sweet match the contest was under seven mintues long for a fairly large man flash funk certainly impressed me with his performance bumping around like a tennis ball sabu was good as normal what prevented this from being a great match was the ref calling for the bell when he saw sabu get the table from underneath the ring i know there was no stipulation involved but it would not have hurt to seen sabu do his table spots while the match was still happening i dislike aftermatches because they are nothing but moments it is stuff that should have happen in the duration of an actual wrestling match an example of an aftermatch is john cena vs jbl judgement day 2005 everything was going beautifully then all of a sudden jbl announced that he quit and the match was over then n da aftermatch john push jbl through judgement day glass if that spot was included in da match it would have been better now speaking back to the sabu vs flash funk they did alot in the short time that they were given there were at least 15 spots all together in the entire match before sabu did his broke table moves this match deserves a rating of ***1/2 it would have been higher if the table spots were added in the match
2. Mick Foley vs Ken Shamrock November of 98 on Raw
this was a forgetton match because i never hear the company bring it up when talking about all-time best hardcore matches while not the best hardcore match ever it was defintely close to be labeled as one of the best street fight match there were a series of brillant hardcore bumps and decent pin attempts in the match after watching this match i gained additional respect for ken shamrock he was a solid wrestler who deserved his spot as a mid card performer he bumped well in the match as did mankind who always deliever a decent outling in his contests that involve objects vince mcmahon, the big bossman, and some other guest were viewers who watch the entire match from the entrance ramp akin to the previous match this a little longer than the other match these two men got a lot accomplish in 8 in a half minutes i wish they had another couple minutes to do more work both wrestler fought all over the place in the ring, out the ring, on the announcer, and on the entrance ramp weapons used in the match was mankind expensive shoe, mankind came into the match dressed in a fancy tuxedo, steel stairs, a chair, and entrance ramp, which was a steel floor also came into play ***1/2-***3/4 one of the better hardcore bouts ever
3. Shawn Michaels vs Mankind not mind games October 1997
this was an underrated bout because it was overshadowed by their five star classic street fight match a month before this match this second no hold bars bout between these two were no exception just much shorter time length spots that was not seen in the first match was introduced in this match i was a little annoyned by the interfence from hhh, chyna, and some other wrestler who was big back in the 80s i wish that could have been saved for the aftermatch both of their matches featured interfences i wished these two had a third and final match that did not have interruptions from wrestlers who are not schedule to wrestle in the match i would name the stipulation a cage match or 2 out of 3 falls match since that has not yet happen nor may it never happen i am glad to be treated with two exciting battles from two of the very best in the sport i rate this match ***3/4 almost ****
other excellent matches on raw
4. Stone Cold HBK vs Owen Hart British Bulldog 5/97 ****3/4
5. HHH Stone Cold vs Benoit Jericho 5/21/01 ****1/2-
6. HBK vs Shelton Benjamin 5/2/05 ****1/4-
7. RVD vs Christan Ladder Match 9/29/03 ***3/4
8. Eddie Guerreo vs RVD Ladder Match ****1/2-
9. TLC 4 10/7/02 ****
10. Hardys vs Edge and Christan Ladder Match 9/24/00 ****
11. Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit Cage Match ****1/4
12. Stone Cold vs Chris Benoit after Survivor Series 2000 ****
13. Undertaker vs Jeff Hardy Ladder Match 7/02 ***1/4
14. Chris Jericho vs Jeff Hardy 2/03 ***1/2
15. Edge vs John Cena 1/06 ***1/2
16. Edge vs Ric Flair TLC V ***3/4
17. Trish vs Lita 12/6/04 ***
18. RVD vs Jeff Hardy sometime in 2002 ***
19. HBK vs RVD 12/02 ***1/2
20. Shelton Benjamin vs Chris Jericho 10/04 ***1/4
Average customer rating:
- "What if Hitler had the A-bomb?" Great question, but this program doesn't even try to answer it (despite this DVD's packaging).
- Simple review
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National Geographic's Untold Stories of WWII
Starring: Ron David (II) , Josef Goebbels , Isoroku Yamamoto , Wilhelm Frick , and Winston Churchill
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ASIN: B00008V2X1
Release Date: 2003-05-20 |
Description
What if Hitler had had the A-bomb? Why did Japan's submarine sneak attack on Pearl Harbor fail? Could the kamikazes have turned the tide of war in the Pacific? Now these and other compelling stories about the secret weapons, ruthless tactics, and remarkable heroism of World War II can be told.
Customer Reviews:
"What if Hitler had the A-bomb?" Great question, but this program doesn't even try to answer it (despite this DVD's packaging)........2006-08-24
This is a generally decent documentary of sorts, but it is not really what the packaging and description make it out to be. First of all, it is only 54 minutes in lenth (not 116 minutes), and it never even addresses the question "What if Hitler had the A-bomb?" Moreover, the subtitle of this DVD, "Three Secrets that changed the War," is hardly apropo since the DVD doesn't really reveal anything that was particularly not well known except for one issue. But even the less well known issue herein of Hitler's heavy water plant in Norway didn't affect the war by this program's own admission. ("Later the allies would learn that the Nazis were never close to an atomic breakthrough.") So resistance members in Norway who eventually were able to neutralize this supply of Nazi heavy water didn't really engineer something that really changed the war. Of course the story on how this was accomplished (by sinking a passenger ferry boat, after unsuccessful sabotage and bombing raids) is a fascinating one, but it is not really what this disc claims for it. Likewise, the other half of this program concerns the Japanese use of several mini-subs in their attack on Pearl Harbor and the ultimate use of kamikaze planes. The latter is anything but "an untold story of WW2" while the former was so unsuccessful that it didn't change anything regarding the outcome of the Japanese attack on Hawaii. "Hidden secrets revealed." Where? Certainly not on this (otherwise still interesing) program. So, do partake of this selection from the folks at National Geographic if such is your inclination, but don't expect the packaging/description to live up to its advertising. Actually, you be much better off in having a look at the (albeit far more expensive, but very thorough) "World at War" boxed set of over 2 dozen WW2 documentaries. Cheers to learning ever more about the Second World War.
Simple review.......2005-04-19
This DVD has 3 ideas and the stories behind them. First is about Hitler's plan to build the A-Bomb, but the story is more about what the Allies did to try to stop it. Next up is about the mini-subs that Japanese sent in to Pearl Harbor, but it doesnt really speak of how they failed. It was more concerned with the background stories and the propanda involved. Lastly, about the Kamikazes. First time I had actually send one of the planes. All three stories are interesting, and worth watching. I dont regret buying this DVD.
Average customer rating:
- Very Well Done and interesting
- Gettysburg & Stories of Valor - Civil War Minutes
- An amazing experience for Civil War buffs!
- Best Civil War Minutes To Date!
- Best one yet in the series by far
|
Gettysburg and Stories of Valor - Civil War Minutes III DVD Box Set
Starring: Keith Carradine , Narrator: Keith Carradine , and Co-Writer: Michael Kraus
Director: Mark Bussler
Manufacturer: Inecom Entertainment Company
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- Civil War Minutes - Confederate DVD Box Set
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- Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition)
ASIN: B0001UZI0Q
Release Date: 2004-08-31 |
Product Description
"Narrated by Keith Carradine, "Gettysburg and Stories of Valor - CIVIL WAR MINUTES® III" focuses on one of the most exciting periods in United States history, America's Civil War. This 3-hour documentary captures the scenic beauty of the Gettysburg battlefield, examines rare Civil War artifacts and tells the personal stories of the men who fought in the war. Disc One covers the Battle of Gettysburg with episodes such as: Colonel Strong Vincent's defense of Little Round Top; Hallowed Ground of Gettysburg National Cemetery including the grave of President Nixon s great-grandfather; mysterious Devil's Den photographs; General Winfield Scott Hancock's injury and presidential campaign; and Confederate General Lewis Armistead's secret distress call. Disc Two focuses on additional heroic and tragic moments in the Civil War such as: brutality at the Dead Line in Andersonville Prison; loss of Brigadier General Alexander Hays; medical and surgical history of the war; the Confederate President; and explosion at Allegheny Arsenal. Special Features Include: Full-length commentary track with Michael Kraus, David M. Neville and Mark Bussler. Interview with Writers Michael Kraus and David M. Neville about the cultural and military significance of Gettysburg, illustrated with deleted scenes from the film. Trailers for "Johnstown Flood," "CIVIL WAR MINUTES® - Confederate" and "Civil War Life - Shot to Pieces."
Customer Reviews:
Very Well Done and interesting.......2006-06-26
I thought this was a very well done documentary..I would of given it 5 stars, perhaps, but I've just finished Ken Burns again and that is the gold standard in my opinion. This set was well done and very educational and informative, the images are outstanding as is the content. A welcome addition to any Civil War collection.
Gettysburg & Stories of Valor - Civil War Minutes.......2005-09-03
Interesting and informative. Almost a little too thorough as it lost me a few times. Very long; both my husband and I fell asleep while watching it. Aided in our visit to Gettysburg, but not exactly entertaining.
An amazing experience for Civil War buffs!.......2005-04-07
This is the first of the "Civil War Minutes" documentaries that I've watched and I'm very impressed. Despite all I've read about the Battle of Gettysburg there was plenty I learned from this outstanding film! Little known stories of extraordinary courage from privates to officers, and even civilians (John Burns, the Gettysburg resident and War of 1812 veteran who fought alongside Union soldiers and was shot three times, surviving miraculously!) are retold in detail. Actual artifacts are shown, from a blood-stained drum to a bullet-scarred Union jacket, that help bring these forgotten tales of courage and sacrifice back to life. Disc 1 focuses on Gettysburg while disc 2 is a "mixed bag" of Civil War information, from the infamous Andersonville Prison to the medical/surgical history of the war. Bonus features include an informative commentary with Michael Kraus, David M. Neville, and director Mark Bussler, an interview about Gettysburg, and bonus trailers for other "Civil War Minutes" films. Perfect for both the novice and the historian, this highly informative and entertaining documentary is sure to please all history buffs!
Best Civil War Minutes To Date!.......2004-10-05
This DVD box set shows what can be done when you take the time to get the history right! I found the first DVD to be chock full of interesting episodes based around the Battle of Gettysburg. The 2nd DVD rounds out the set with stories of valor from throughout the Civil War - some of the episodes feature things this Civil War buff did not know! Be sure to check out the commentary tracks for added insight!
Best one yet in the series by far.......2004-09-09
Many thanks are owed to Bussler, Neville, Kraus, and everyone else who clearly worked very hard to bring this documentary to life. The most professional of the series so far, they are palpably coming into their own as filmmakers while retaining the love and care of amateurs (meant in the best, noble sense). Also very nice for the more educated Gettysburg scholar is the focus on some of the not-as-prominent people and places of interest, i.e. Col. Strong Vincent and Culp's Hill.
The only drawback is one that one hates to mention, but nonetheless it is what kept this from being a 5-star review. Acknowledging that Carradine is a history buff and an accomplished actor, his narration at times drives one to distraction. Emphasizing the last word or syllable, in the same way, of every sentence in the film makes it seem like work after a while. It's not so much that it's monotone, but more like tri-tone. But maybe it was just my mood or something else. It might be the kind of thing that would go unnoticed by most people, and I hope it is.
On the other hand, the alternate commentary is great. With the exception of the bawdy and juvenile ha-ha regarding John Burn's statue, and uncomfortable silence that follows it, the track is packed with still more information than the actual documentary. It lends credence to the filmmakers' assertion that hundreds of documentaries could be made about stories from this auspicious battle. Don't pass this feature up.
Average customer rating:
- tremendously moving
- Good but a glaring ommission
- i will never shake the image of the swastika balloons
- Painfully well done
- A moving documentary told by adults speaking as children
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Into The Arms Of Strangers - Stories Of The Kindertransport
Starring: Franzi Groszmann , Eva Hayman , Judi Dench , Ursula Rosenfeld , and Lory Cahn
Director: Mark Jonathan Harris
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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Similar Items:
- The Long Way Home
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ASIN: B00005MEPJ
Release Date: 2001-08-28 |
Amazon.com
This Academy Award®-winning documentary (produced with the cooperation of the United States Holocaust Museum) chronicles one of the lesser-known stories of the Holocaust: that of the kindertransport, which saved the lives of 10,000 Jewish children. In the late 1930s, England agreed to accept these children seeking refuge from Nazi oppression. They were placed in foster homes and hostels. Narrated by Dame Judi Dench and directed by Mark Jonathan Harris (who received an Oscar® for his 1997 Holocaust documentary The Long Way Home), this devastating and deeply moving film bears witness to the kindness of these "simply wonderful people" and to the resilience of the kinder, now elderly, who recall in haunting stories the unimaginable grief of being suddenly torn from their parents, the trauma of not knowing whether they would ever see them again, and the difficulties some faced in their new homes. Recalls one, "None of the foster parents with whom I stayed could stand me for very long. But all of them had the grace to take in a Jewish child." But despite having their youth uprooted, many possess an indomitable spirit. One woman speaks of devoting her adult life to human rights and social justice causes. "I can't pay back or thank some of the people who helped me," she states, "But I can do something for other people." --Donald Liebenson
Customer Reviews:
tremendously moving.......2007-04-11
This film about the evacuation of Jewish children to Britain just before World War II is the kind you don't forget in a hurry. It portrays the horror of war in a much more personal way that statistics and figures ever could. The makers have a great subject at the end - the few children who ended up with two families. It's shattering.
The early 2000s may have been the greatest period in film history for documentaries - "Capturing the Friedmans," "Touching the Void," and "Grizzly Man" being three other fine examples. Make sure you see "Into the Arms of Strangers" if you missed it.
Good but a glaring ommission.......2006-10-12
"Into the Arms of Strangers," covers the British kindertransport program that saved some 10,000 Jewish youngsters from annihilation at the hands of the Nazis. Using interviews and actual footage it follows the lives of some of the children as they went from peaceful upbringing to the wrenching experience of seeing their parents perhaps for the last time as their train left the station to the trauma of finding out what happened to them after the war.
At the same time, this documentary is missing an important piece of the historical picture. Most of the children (the majority of whom originated from observant homes) ended up in non-observant or Christian homes. By contrast, there was a kindertransport program organized by Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld, who placed 3,000+ children escaping Nazi-occupied Europe into dormitories in Britain run by observant Jews -- yet Rabbi Schonfeld's kindertransport is not even mentioned in this documentary!
This is a stunning ommission. From a purely sociological point of view, it would be interesting to compare the experiences of the children placed in the home of individuals vs. those in Rabbi Schonfeld's group homes. It would also be fascinating to find out how the placements may or may not have affected their religious lives before, during and after. And if you cannot do that, at least interview one child from Rabbi Schonfeld's group. At least mention he existed. Rabbi Schonfeld was one of the true heroes of Holocaust rescue. I was disappointed to find out he and his efforts receive no attention in this documentary.
Nevertheless, the fact that lives were saved and that an emotional impact/solidarity with the children is achieved without resorting to the graphic images (often associated with Holocaust material) makes this documentary a worthwhile experience for the student, teacher, parent or interested individual.
i will never shake the image of the swastika balloons.......2006-09-06
without a doubt, the best documentary film about the holocaust. by this time ive seen most of them, and while i may appear a trifle jaded when writing about them, its partly out of a sense of discomfort and partly out of a sense of anger at filmmakers trivializing the subject by turning images into cliches. the people who made this movie have avoided that, in finding a fascinating new angle by focusing on the lives of the few thousand children who were saved in the days leading up to war by being sent to england -- usually (though not in all cases) never to see their parents again. the archival footage time and again shocks with images we have never seen before: color film of the pogroms, actual footage of kristalnacht, and in arguably the most haunting image ive ever seen on screen, the swastika-marked balloons launched in celebration of the anschluss. heroism comes about when its not sought after. this is among the best films ill ever see.
Painfully well done.......2005-03-26
The first moments in the movie refer to a child who is about eight years old - the same age as my daughter as I watched the DVD. Perhaps that set a different tone for me because suddenly, this wasn't a documentary about some monumental thing that happened half a century ago, it was a documentary about the pain of a child who was the same age as my own daughter - and my imagination did the rest of the work for the mothers and the fathers.
This film speaks to the potential goodness in everyone and how the most trying times can create the most remarkable situations. I would highly recommend it to everyone.
A moving documentary told by adults speaking as children.......2005-01-28
During that relatively small window of time, prior to the beginning of Hitler's conquest of Europe, when exportation rather than extermination was still the prudent solution to the "Jewish Problem", a rescue plan called the Kindertransport was begun which provided for the relocation of Jewish children from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia into Great Britain. INTO THE ARMS OF STRANGERS is a documentary that examines the Kindertransport program through the eyes of the participants. No broad social commentary here, just remembrances of parents that had to send their kids away to a foreign land and into the arms of strangers so that they might survive the Nazi barbarians. The difficulty of having to provide a whole life's worth of instruction to children just before those devastating last goodbyes. A little girl wondering why, just after Hitler annexed Austria, none of her long-time Austrian friends showed up for her eighth birthday party. Parents desperately trying to keep the harsh reality of Nazi occupation from the innocent little people oblivious to the evil of man. And once the children were safe in Britain, their desperate attempts to get sponsors for parents left behind and for those lucky enough to be re-united with family after the war, having to say goodbye once again, only this time to broken hearted foster parents. This documentary is made more effective by snap-shots of the children, archival footage of Nazi Germany during the late 1930's ( a veritable sewer of anti-Jewish destruction and propaganda), and in this context, the painfully frightening sound effects of broken glass, trains and the voices of children singing in German, which seem strangely perverted - an unfortunate consequence which Germans should never forgive the Nazi's.
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