aussie movie fan Reviews

The War (1994)

'The War' now available on HD DVD - big improvement over DVD!

[8/10 · 16 July 2007]

Overview

I admit to being a big fan of this movie, although I know it can be a bit 'preachy' at times. The War is set in the summer of 1970 in Mississippi. Steven Simmons (Kevin Costner) has recently returned from Vietnam and is trying to fit back into life as he once knew it. However his time in Vietnam has left its scars (both physically and emotionally), and has placed strain on his relationship with wife Lois (Mare Winningham), and his children Lydia (Lexi Randall) and Stu (Elijah Wood), who are 12 year old twins. While Steven is trying to re-build his own life, Stu and Lydia are spending the summer building a tree house with the help of their friends, while trying to avoid the Lipnicki children, who take on the "local bullies" role.

The acting by most is natural and convincing. Elijah Wood's portrayal of the intense but likable Stu is very well done. Kevin Costner, in what must be one of his best (yet lesser known) roles, is very understated and brilliantly cast as Steve. Lexi Randall, as Lydia, also shines at times, although she is almost overshadowed by the wonderful performance of her best friend Elvadine, played by Latoya Chisholm

This movie has a similar feel to that of Fried Green Tomatoes (both films are directed by Jon Avnet

Picture

The overall picture quality of this HD DVD is very good. For the most part the image is sharp and the colours are vibrant. The lush greens of the forest and the bright blue sky in some scenes look fantastic. There are some close-up shots of the actors' faces that are so detailed I just said 'wow' out loud when I saw them, and the scenes filmed in the forest display an incredible depth. At times this transfer looks brilliant - almost on par with the best looking HD DVD titles out there

There is some noticeable grain in night scenes and some sequences filmed indoors. There is also the odd occasion where the picture looks slightly soft and out of focus, and while contrast is fine in daylight scenes, blacks tend to look more dark grey at night.

Being very impressed with the overall picture quality of this HD DVD, I dusted off the DVD version and gave it a spin for comparison's sake. The difference between the two is so great, I now find the DVD unwatchable. You do not realise just how much better the remastered HD DVD looks until you compare it with the original DVD transfer.

From the first 30 seconds of this movie, as the camera pans around a large oak tree that is to become a central part of the movie, the difference between the two formats is like chalk and cheese. The DVD looks dark and out of focus, colours are muted and you struggle to make out any finer details of the tree and its surroundings. There is also constant and irritating grain. In comparison, the detail of the tree's twisting branches and bark on HD DVD is much more evident. After comparing the remastered HD DVD to the DVD, this has to be the greatest improvement I have seen when comparing the two formats and the same movie. Hats off to Universal!

Audio

First up, I was surprised when The War was announced on HD DVD by Universal, and even more surprised to learn that it would come packaged with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack.

This movie is primarily dialogue driven, therefore the majority of the soundtrack comes out of the front three speakers. However the rear speakers are employed almost constantly in a subtle way for most of the movie. You are constantly aware of the chatter of insects buzzing through all speakers – typical of what you would experience in the Deep South in the middle of summer. It is a wonderfully immersive mix that draws you in to what is happening on-screen

There are some loud and impressive sections in this soundtrack where all speakers are used to great effect. Flashbacks to the Vietnam War, and scenes at a water tower and marble mine are the audio highlights of the movie. These scenes are mixed at a high volume in comparison to the rest of the soundtrack, adding to their impact. Bass is strong and tight without becoming overpowering. Sure, the discrete sound effects are not as convincing as those on well recorded and recently released action movie, but once again it is an impressive mix for a 13 year old movie

The War soundtrack includes a mix of classic songs from the 1960s and 1970s (Cat Stevens, Credence, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin), and also boasts and interesting and varied score that is especially moving in some scenes.

In comparison to the DVD (which contains a 5.1 Dolby Digital track), the HD DVD Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack is a noticeable step up in quality, but not as great as the improvement in picture. The DVD soundtrack is actually not that bad to begin with (and is mixed about 4dB higher than the HD DVD), but the HD DVD version is more immersive during the quieter scenes, and definitely more powerful during the action sequences. The difference between the Dolby Digital Plus and TrueHD mixes are slight, with ambient noises and dialogue sounding clearer on the TrueHD mix.

Summary

Being familiar with The War already, it was a real treat to see a movie I enjoy viewing so much being resurrected to look and sound this good. If you want to see just how good 13 year old catalogue title can scrub up, pick up a copy of this HD DVD.

The War (1994)

One of my favourites, albeit with some small flaws

[8/10 · 10 June 2002]

This is my first ever movie review, so please bear with me :)

I first had the pleasure of viewing this gem of a movie in 1997 and I enjoyed it immensely. I now own it on DVD and consider it in my "top 5" movie list. The War is set in the summer of 1970 in Mississippi. Steven Simmons (Kevin Costner) has recently returned from Vietnam and is trying to fit back into life as he once knew it. However his time in Vietnam has left its scars (both physically and emotionally), and has placed strain on his relationship with wife Lois (Mare Winningham), and his children Lydia (Lexi Randall) and Stu (Elijah Wood), who are 12 year old twins. While Steven is trying to re-build his own life, Stu and Lydia are spending the summer building a tree house with the help of their friends, while trying to avoid the Lipnicki children, who take on the "local bullies" role.

I won't go into anymore detail concerning plot, as it may spoil parts of the movie for some. The length of The War, at just on 2 hours, is sufficient for the plot and all its happenings to unfold, but any longer may have proved to be a little drawn out.

The performances put in by all the main actors and actresses (as well as many of the minor parts) are quite good. Elijah Wood's portrayal of the angry but likeable Stu is very well done. With his angry outbursts, expressive face, and "naturalness" in front of the camera, Wood creates a very believable Stu. This is one of his best performances, except maybe for his portrayal of Mikey in The Ice Storm

Kevin Costner, in what must be one of his best (yet lesser known) roles, is very understated but brilliantly cast as Steve. The uncertainty that he expresses within own life, but also the wisdom that he imparts to his children in various parts throughout the movie, are very touching indeed. Many people are critical in their assessment of Costner's acting, but I beg to differ. This is because, a few months back, I rented (and subsequently bought) 3000 Miles to Graceland, in which Costner plays a mad, mean and sinister robber. His performance in this particular movie could not have been further from his role as Steven in The War, but again he plays the part with ease. After watching these two movies, his acting talent and the range of characters that he can effectively bring to life is obvious.

Mare Winningham is perfectly cast as Lois, the hard-working, determined and supportive wife and mother. She breezes through this role, one which is similar in nature to her part in Everything That Rises.

Lexi Randall, as Lydia, also does well, although is almost overshadowed by the performance of by her best friend Elvadine, played by the brilliant Latoya Chisholm. Elvadine's scene in the classroom (you will know what scene i mean when you see it) is one of the best parts of the movie.

This movie does has some violent scenes where children are seen punching and kicking each other, so it would probably be best seen by those 12 years and up. Director Jon Avnet creates a fantastic visual experience, very similar in feel to that of his Fried Green Tomatoes. I really love the tree in which the children built their treehouse - so old yet so stable and strong..... This is a movie that really lets you escape from reality, if only for two hours.

I have viewed this movie many times, and because of this have picked up a few little flaws. Continuity is a little bit of a problem in some scenes. For example, in one scene, Stu and his friends are soaking wet from driving what looks like a home-mate billy cart into a pond. Straight after this occurs the Lipnickis appear, and as they push Stu and co. away from the billy cart, we see that Stu and co. are practically dry. But this is being picky, I must admit. The accents are a bit off in some parts too - maybe the actors were trying a little too hard.

The sound of this movie i must comment on. If you run a surround sound system with Dolby Digital, the movie will give it a work-out in parts. Two scenes in particular:

1. where Stu goes to wake up his Dad. As Stu shoves his dad to rouse him, the thump of helicopter blades are heard in the background and become progressively louder and louder. The sounds stops abruptly when Steve, who is startled by Stu and presumably woken from a nightmare, grabs Stu and flings him onto the ground (as he might have done in Vietnam when defending himself against an enemy soldier). This is a surprisingly intense scene.

2. At the marble quarry - I can't give anymore information than this without spoiling things.

So, if you have a surround sound setup, your subwoofer will definitely get a workout in some parts of the movie. The dialogue is presented quite clearly, and the constant buzz of cicadas and crickets really give a sense of a typically hot and humid summer in the South.

All in all I would highly recommend this movie. I have read reviews where people have said that this movie is not very interesting and is maybe a bit too "preachy". But I watched this movie once with a classroom full of my 17 year old mates and they were glued to the screen for the duration of the movie. The War definitely has a strong message to give about war - those wars we battle inside ourselves and also the wars that are fought by millions. This is also a sad movie, but has a very uplifting conclusion. The War may take some finding in your local video store, but it is highly recommended. 8/10.