Plot: What’s it about?
Roland Bozz (Colin Farrell) has just joined a platoon of soldiers with a stark future, as the men within it are to be sent to Vietnam soon. This means potential injury, death, loss of friends, and more, but these men have no choice and soon enough, they’ll be shipped off to serve their country on the battlefield. But that time is still a ways off, as the soldiers need to be trained and such beforehand, so they aren’t clueless when they’re stalking through the jungles. Bozz is not pleased with his place in this scheme, as he dislikes war and has no intentions of leaving for Vietnam, at least not without one hell of a fight first. His outlook and attitude causes him a lot of trouble, as it clashes with his superiors and to a lesser degree, the other soldiers within his platoon. As time passes and the training continues, Bozz is not broken down and increases his resolve, which causes the others to come down on him even harder and in more brutal fashion. Now this platoon finds itself in the middle of the most grueling training sessions known to soldiers, but can they survive as a unit and hold fast, or will they simply fall apart in the field?
I like movies that deal with the conflict Vietnam, but after so many films have been released, I had my doubts about how original Tigerland would be. The cast was loaded with lesser known talents and at the helm was Joel Schumacher, who is often heavily criticized for his direction. But there was a certain element present that drew me in and I am very pleased I was able to see this one, as it is a terrific and very memorable motion picture. It is a shame that Tigerland was released on a small scale, as I think it could have found a larger audience and picked up some additional box office in the process of a wider release. The unknown cast added so much reality to the film, while Schumacher’s turn behind the camera was his best to date, hands down. The real star of Tigerland is Colin Farrell, who turns in a breakthrough performance and it is his work that stays with you the most, once the ending credits have rolled. This is not a big budget war flick however, although Schumacher and his crew do fantastic work in terms of making sure it looks like it was. This is a war movie in the end, but the war takes place off the battlefield, which makes for a refreshing look into the process of being a soldier. I give this movie a high recommendation and since Fox has delivered such a superb disc, this one is well worth a purchase, but skeptics should rent first.
His name is not that well known, but after Tigerland, I have a feeling Colin Farrell will soon have a much higher profile. Although his experience is limited to a little over a handful of pictures, Farrell seems to have a lock on his roles, very impressive indeed. He never seems to struggle with lines or character traits, he nails them all and then looks to improve upon himself in the next scene. Farrell is given a very complex role in Tigerland, but he seems in control at all times and never becomes confused, we’re shown just what we need to see. So his character is developed with the right blend of conflict and certainty, but Farrell is always steadfast with the role. You can also see Farrell in such films as The War Zone, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Drinking Crude, and American Outlaws. The cast of Tigerland also includes Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez (The Replacement Killers, The Stoned Age), Matthew Davis (Urban Legends: Final Cut, Pearl Harbor), Nick Searcy (Paradise Falls, The Prince of Tides), Shea Whigham, Arian Waring Ash (The Babysitter’s Seduction), and Cole Hauser (Pitch Black, Higher Learning).
Video: How does it look?
Tigerland is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As this was a low budget movie shot on 16MM film, this image is not as refined as more traditional feature films, but Fox has delivered a more than solid visual presentation. This image shows a lot of grain, but this is intentional and adds to the realism of the motion picture. Although the grain alters the impact of the colors and contrast, this transfer looks just as the film was supposed to, so I am giving this one high marks. If you haven’t seen this before, you might be taken back at first, but rest assured, this is how Tigerland is supposed to look.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is a good one, but don’t expect the usual slam bang experience found in most war movies. Of course, Tigerland has a lot of gunshots and other effects to spark the surrounds, but this is a dialogue driven piece most of the time. But the surrounds see enough action to keep the audio atmosphere interesting, so no real complaints on this end. The vocals sound very good also, with crisp dialogue and no signs of volume errors in the least. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I was impressed with Colin Farrell’s work in Tigerland, so I was pleased to find a selection of his audition tapes included here. The video & audio is a little rough on these, but I was still glad to see them and I wish more discs featured this kind of supplement, especially for the lesser known performers. You can also find an audio commentary track with director Joel Schumacher, which is an excellent track and well worth a listen. Schumacher talks about the experience of making a low budget picture, his take on the story & characters, and his general thoughts on the issues that Tigerland tackles. A very interesting and informative track, anyone who liked the film will not want to pass this option up, very cool indeed. This disc also includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, two television spots, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
