Plot: What’s it about?
“A man don’t go his own way, he’s nothin’.”
The words of one Robert E. Lee Prewett (Montgomery Clift) as he is trying to resist the offers of his superiors as they want to force him to box in the Army. From Here to Eternity isn’t just the story of a lone boxer, though. What most of us remember about the film is the immortal love scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr as they frolic on the beach, kissing, as the ocean waves crash against their bodies. From Here to Eternity was directed by Fred Zinneman, coming off of his success of High Noon, he was granted a lot of authority to do what he wanted with the movie. Some controversy surrounded the film, however, most notably how Frank Sinatra (who plays Angelo Maggio in the film) got his part. Word had it that the studio chief of Columbia Pictures found a horse’s head in his bed (a scene that was played out in The Godfather) and low and behold, Sinatra got the part. Sinatra also won an Academy Award for his role and again, word abounded that maybe someone made the Academy an “offer they couldn’t refuse”. Nevertheless, the part revitalized Sinatra’s career.
From Here to Eternity is based on the book by James Jones, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. It’s the story of a company bugler (Clift) who has just transferred to a new company. He’s taken a demotion to get the assignment he wants and, as luck would have it, he’s a boxer. Captain Holmes (Phillip Ober) has pulled a few strings to get Prewett in his command, essentially to get him to box for the company. When Prewett refuses on the basis that he has injured another man (he once blinded a fellow boxer in the ring); he is subject to something known as “œThe Treatment”. Prewett is an antihero, someone who fights the odds of convention no matter what the cost. He begins to see Lorene (Donna Reed), someone who loves him and wants him to quit the insanity of the army. However his love for the life has him in constant struggle for what is wrong and what it right. On the other side, we have Sgt. Warden (Burt Lancaster), the assistant to the Captain who loves the Army as much as life itself. His aim is to keep the Captain happy even though he has risked it all by having an illicit affair with the Captain’s wife (Deborah Kerr).
What most viewers don’t realize is that From Here to Eternity is a war movie, set just before the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The film was shot on location in Hawaii (most of it, anyway) and a rather big-budget movie at the time when it was released. The supporting characters of Ernest Borgnine and Frank Sinatra turn this from an epic love story into a drama for the ages. From Here to Eternity covers a lot of bases with its two plus hour running time and though its hard to label it as any particular kind of movie, it has stood the test of time as both a great war movie, love story and drama. Montgomery Clift would make a career out of his characters flouting convention, much like his character of George Eastman in A Place in the Sun. Lancaster, who really wasn’t cast as the lead here, gave the performance of his career (the role he’s most associated with) and even though controversy surrounded Sinatra’s Oscar, it was one of his better roles. While the film is now fifty years old, it has been honored with countless awards, including Best Picture of 1953 and even a spot on the American Film Institute’s list of Top 100 movies of all time (#52). If you’ve never seen the film, this is the way to see it and if, for nothing else, the scene on the beach. Highly recommended.
Video: How does it look?
This is now the second incarnation of this beloved classic on DVD and, being part of the Superbit line, we should probably expect that the transfer would benefit from the space on the disc. I’m happy to say that this does look better than the previous version of From Here to Eternity, but not that much. The main draw here is the inclusion of the DTS track, but the original mono track is included as well. From Here to Eternity was shot just before the era of widescreen movies and I can’t think of how this would look in a wider frame. Still, it’s a pipe dream and let me assure you that the transfer is nice. The full-frame format of the disc does tend to be a bit more defined and sharper than its predecessor. Black and white movies, in general, tend to look better on the screen (television or movie) and this is the testament that the movie lives up to. Though some scenes do have a lot of grain associated with them, we have to take into account that the film is now 50 years old. Edge enhancement is at a very minimum and for those of you who have never seen Burt Lancaster kiss Deborah Kerr on the beach: this is the way to see it first! While there may be a lot of speculation about the Superbit line of discs, the added benefit of video and audio quality is certainly something that only adds to the disc. This movie in particular is certainly deserving of the high standards of the Superbit discs.
Audio: How does it sound?
The inclusion of the DTS track is, of course, an added bonus. However, the question must be asked: “œWill a movie 50 years old sound that good on my home theater system”? The answer is yes”¦and no. While we can certainly expect that a movie of this age won’t sound like Twister or Saving Private Ryan, the DTS mix does bring out a lot that I wasn’t expecting in the track. During the attack of Pearl Harbor, the surrounds kick in with just enough “œoomph” to make you turn your head and wonder if the Japanese are attacking you! Granted, there are times when the soundtrack sounds a bit shrill (that is to say, dry and brittle); but again that’s to be expected. There are really only a few key sequences that make the DTS and the Dolby Digital tracks come alive, but when they do; it’s worth it. The DTS, due to its higher bit rate, is the better of the two; but no matter which way you go; you’ll be happy. For you purists out there, the original mono track included with the original release is also on the disc (so no one has a reason to complain). All in all, you don’t watch this movie for sound, but credit Columbia and their Superbit line, they are living up to their promises and that’s a great thing!
Supplements: What are the extras?
As is consistent with the Superbit line of discs, this DVD has no supplements. However, there is a previous (and still available) version of the movie with a commentary track by Tim Zinneman and Alvin Sargent. There are also a few featurettes and a trailer. This is for the previous version of the title, not the Superbit!
