Plot: What’s it about?
This old man (Spencer Tracy) has always been a fisherman, but since he hasn’t landed a fish in months, he is none too pleased with himself. The life on the sea has his been his life all these years, which he has spend alone for the most part, aside from the time he spend with a young boy (Felipe Pazos), talking and fishing. Now that he lost that only human companion, he is left with but one choice, to return to the waters and somewhere out there, he hopes to rediscover himself. So after three months of having no luck with the fish, the old man heads back out to see what he can catch, even though the other fisherman laugh and balk at his venture back to the seas. As the old man casts his line in the waters, he manages to reel in a massive marlin, but is now faced with the task of bringing the prize catch back to the shore. But with his own strength fading with each passing moment, a sea filled with vicious sharks in search of a meal, and the sea’s own disposition, this will be the hardest return trek the old man has ever made.
Whenever a team seeks to bring a classic novel to the screen, there is always pressure to maintain the essence of the book, while also adjusting the material for the sake of the screen. So when Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea was turned into a motion picture, I suppose that pressure was even greater, as the book involves an old man alone in his boat, with only his thoughts to keep him company. It would have been easier to downplay that side of the material and focus on changes, but instead, the production secured Hemingway’s hand picked lead, who they knew could handle this type of picture and keep the audience involved. So with Spencer Tracy on deck to bear the bulk of the film, the production was then clear to keep the film closer to the novel, which is always a positive element. Of course, some things are lost in the transition, but in the end, I feel this is a competent port of the book, which is a real compliment to those involved. I love the book and still prefer it, but it is also nice to be able to watch this terrific film, which handles the material so well. If you’re a fan of the book or just want to see a good movie, this one comes highly recommended from this reviewer.
This is pretty much a one man show, so it’s a good thing that one man is Spencer Tracy, who carries this entire film on his shoulders. He was hand picked by author Ernest Hemingway to play this role and as you view the picture, it is clear that Tracy was the perfect choice. The concept of an old man alone in his boat for an extended period of time might not sound like cinematic bliss, but Tracy uses his character’s traits so well, the movie never becomes dull or too slow. His character is so rich and complex, but Tracy is able to bring those qualities to the screen here, which is very impressive indeed. But then again, we’ve seen him turn in terrific performances on so many occasions, it almost seems to be a lock every time. Other films with Tracy include Adam’s Rib, Father of the Bride, Bad Day At Black Rock, Pat and Mike, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Northwest Passage, and Captains Courageous. The cast here also includes Harry Bellaver (The Stuff, Blue Collar), Don Diamond (The Story of Ruth, Herbie Goes Bananas), Don Blackman (Serpent Island, Scream Blacula Scream), and Felipe Pazos.
Video: How does it look?
The Old Man and The Sea is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version included on the disc’s flip side. This film deserves a beautiful transfer, but this is a very weak one, which is a real shame. This image looks decent at times, but at other times it looks like a VHS transfer, which is just unacceptable. Some scenes look very fuzzy and bland, while the print shows heavy debris and damage as well. Like I said, a few places look ok, but on the whole, this is one of the weakest transfers I’ve seen from Warner Bros. This is a classic film and as such, should be treated much better than this.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is better than the video, but still manages to peak at average on the scale. The mono form allows for a solid presentation, but little more and this track seems limited at times. The dialogue is crisp and rich though, with no real problems, same is the case with the sound effects. The musical score here is so fantastic though, which makes the mono track come up short, as this one begs for a full surround track to shine. This disc also includes a French mono option, as well as English and French subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer, some talent files, production notes, and a three minute featurette that includes some rare footage of Ernest Hemingway. Why Warner calls a three minute piece a “documentary” on the package, I will never understand.
