Synopsis
Colin Farrell plays the Hart of the title, a callow youth kept from the front lines of WWII by his senator father. Fate puts him in a prison camp, however, where he meets McNamara (Bruce Willis), who is determined to continue to fight (echoes here of William Holden in The Bridge On the River Kwai).
Audio
The sound is spectacular. You Are There, be it in the war or in the prison camp. Footsteps, wind, horses hooves — everything resounds on all sides. The music, bea…tifully evocative, sounds pretty damn good too. And in the middle of this environment, the dialogue rings through clearly.
Video
You have a choice between widescreen (2.35:1 anamorphic) and fullscreen versions here, but please, please, please, respect the simply gorgeous cinematography and stick to the widescreen. The compositions are beautifully preserved. The colours are warm when they should be, and cold and grey when that is called for. The blacks and flesh tones are strong too. The only possible nit I could pick is to request just a little more contrast.
Special Features
There are two commentaries here. The first is by Willis, director Gregory Hoblit and writer Billy Ray. Much is said about the difficulties the artists had with both script and shooting. Willis plays a pretty minor role in the conversation. Commentary 2 is by producer David Foster, who has many nice things to say about everybody, and lapses into silence a fair bit. Also on offer: 10 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Hoblit, a photo gallery, the theatrical trailer, and trailers for Stargate SG-1/Jeremiah and Windtalkers. The menu has a fully scored and animated main page and transitions.
Closing Thoughts
Maybe nothing you haven’t seen before, but it sure does look terrific. The winter scenes make interesting companion viewing with Conspiracy.
Special Features List
- Commentary by director Gregory Hoblit, writer Billy Ray and Bruce Willis
- Commentary by producer David Foster
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Director
- Photo Gallery
- Trailers
