Plot: What’s it about?
Movies tend to evoke some of our most basic emotions as we set aside reality for a few brief hours out of the day and watch them. Movies about sports, however, aren’t usually some of this genre. Sports movies are usually meant as comedies for some odd reason, as if something particularly moving couldn’t happen to someone involved in sports. Though a few stand out as being very good, Brian’s Song comes to mind, Bang The Drum Slowly stars a then “Pre” Godfather II Robert DeNiro (though he was “Post” Mean Streets. We’re used to seeing Mr. DeNiro play a cop or some type of psycho mobster or killer. Such isn’t the case here and it sounds odd, but his character is somewhat of a cross between his Awakenings and Cape Fear. Imagine that if you will! While not trying to be a tear-jerker in the most literal sense of the word, the film does evoke some emotion and will most likely from the male and female viewers who see it. But enough about that…
DeNiro plays Bruce Pearson, a somewhat sub par catcher trying to see if he can hang on in the majors for just one more year. Sporting a very Southern drawl, it’s natural to compare him to Max Katy, his alter ego from Cape Fear. His polar opposite is the fast-talking, typical New Yorker played by Michael Morarity. Moriarty’s Arthur Wiggen is what we all despise about baseball (and all other major sports) today. He’s sitting out playing until a dispute can be settled with his contract. Wiggen, a veteran player, doesn’t have any of the worries that Pearson has; and initially feels somewhat sorry for him. Feeling inclined to somehow help him, the two form an unlikely bond. This bond strengthens when it’s brought to the attention of Wiggen that Bruce is dying of Hodgkin’s disease. A crusade starts to help get Bruce to play at least one more year in the sun before the cancer gets the best of him.
While there is bound to be a lot more action in other sports movies, this does involve the right amount of humor, action and emotion to keep most any viewer occupied. Coming just a few years after the very sappy (but good) Love Story, it’s likely to be dismissed as yet another early 70’s cheesy movie. I assure you, it’s not. Paramount has dressed up the cover with DeNiro in full catcher’s garb and the DVD itself looks like a baseball. Though DeNiro was good in the film, it’s really Morarity who tends to carry the movie. There’s no doubt that Mr. DeNiro would blossom into a fine actor, but this certainly wasn’t his proving grounds. Though true fans of the movie will likely be disappointed with the lack of any such supplement, it’s a great movie and deserves to be seen at least once.
Video: How does it look?
The 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is a bit better than I expected. Most movies of the time really can’t compare to the newer DVD’s, with few exceptions. While grain tends to dominate some of the more poorly lit scenes, the outdoor (baseball) scenes do look fairly bright and vivid. Edge enhancement is present, though it’s kept to a minimum. The general color palette used is, again, consistent with that of the time period. Lots of blues and browns tend to dominate. Though I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, this did exceed my expectations, if only a little. Nice work here.
Audio: How does it sound?
A basic mono soundtrack is used here and it’s not really put through that much of a test. Though we can certainly understand the benefit of a roaring crowd through all 5.1 channels, the mono makes the most of what makes the movie work; the dialogue. As with most mono movies, there’s really not a whole lot that can be said. Mono only uses one channel and everything is crammed in there. While there is a bit of hiss to the track, it’s pretty good and will more than satisfy most any viewer.
Supplements: What are the extras?
No supplements are included. Consider this a no-hitter!
