Plot: What’s it about?
Heaven and Earth is the story of Le Ly (Hiep Thi Le), who suffers through all sorts of conflicts as a result of the turmoil in her homeland. Her home was once a serene place, but when the Viet Cong began to storm through, she decided to flee and seek solace elsewhere. She and her mother (Joan Chen) take up residence in Saigon soon after, but even there, it seems Le Ly has problems to face, though some are by her own hand. After disgracing herself by getting pregnant, she fled once again and this time, she took shelter with her sister. Soon she finds herself longing for true freedom, but instead she hustles the American soliders and in this period, she meet Steve Butler (Tommy Lee Jones). This is a man that will change her life forever, but even she in unsure how at the start. But after a life of running, hustling, freedom fighting, and sometimes even being a prostitute, Le Ly is always looking for the chance to move on to a better lifestyle.
The third installment of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam series has arrived on DVD, complete with a wealth of bonus materials. I am pleased to see Heaven and Earth given such a deluxe treatment, as some consider this film to among Stone’s weakest work. I happen to like this picture a lot and while it doesn’t measure up to Platoon and Born On The Fourth Of July, it does provide a solid close to Stone’s Vietnam trilogy of films. This film takes us to the land of Vietnam, where we can see the aftereffects of the conflict, both short and long term. I think the performances here are amazing and Tommy Lee Jones in specific is excellent. As usual, Stone’s direction is on the mark and with some beautiful landscapes, the eyes are well treated here also. I can see why some people dislike Heaven and Earth, but I guess as an Oliver Stone fan and being interested in the Vietnam conflict, I ended up liking it a lot. I recommend this film as a rental, but if you’re thinking about adding this disc to your collection, it is well worth the cash.
As frequent readers already know, Oliver Stone is my personal favorite director, so I am always glad when I can review his work here. While this movie isn’t what I consider to be his strongest work, I still think Stone delivers in the end and produces a touching and beautiful effort. This film shows that Stone can use controlled methods to effective ends, even if his more recent works have pushed into the opposite directions. After writing a very good screenplay from two book based sources, Stone then culled some terrific performances and worked his crew to create a visually dynamic atmosphere, which Stone then ties together very well in the end. This is not his best overall film nor the flashiest, but it is a nice addition to his resume, at least in my opinion. If you want to see more films directed by Stone, I recommend Natural Born Killers, JFK, Any Given Sunday, The Hand, Wall Street, Platoon, and The Doors. The cast here includes Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, Batman Forever), Hiep Thi Le (Green Dragon, Cruel Intentions), Dustin Nguyen (3 Ninjas Kick Back, The Doom Generation), and Joan Chen (The Hunted, Twin Peaks).
Video: How does it look?
Heaven and Earth is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is an excellent visual presentation in all respects, so there’s minimal discussion needed. The print used is clean and sharp, which allows the other elements the best chance to look good, which they take advantage of to the fullest. The colors seem bright and very natural, with no flaws and even flesh tones look normal here. I am also impressed with the contrast here, as black levels are razor sharp and detail is very high at all times. I found little to complain about here and that’s fine by me, I love great transfers just like everyone else.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but don’t expect an overwhelming audio experience here. The musical score does make good use of the surrounds, as do a few more intense sequences, but in the end, this material doesn’t call for much dynamic audio presence. So when the surrounds do show up, they sound very good, but even when they’re less of a focus, this mix comes off well. The balance is dead on here, as the elements sound distinct and clear, but also never run each other over, which is very important. This mix won’t blow out the speakers by any means, but it more than covers the needs of this material, which is what counts. This disc also includes a French stereo surround track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Oliver Stone provides an audio commentary track here and as usual, he provides a lot of insight into the film. Stone talks about why he chose the subject matter, his own thoughts on the film and source material, his experiences in Vietnam, and of course, offers some information on the production itself. If you’ve heard a Stone commentary before, then you know what to expect from this one, which is a solid and informative track. You can also browse a selection of deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Stone), including a much different opening sequence, which is very beautiful and worth a look. This disc also includes some talent files and the film’s theatrical trailer.
