- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,409
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
"I don't think it matters what his motives were. It was a brilliant bit of soldiering."The Great Escape has always been a sort of "event" film. Overflowing with the faces of some of the greatest British cinematic talent. Faces for which one may not be able to attach a name, but faces that you will see again and again through decades of British productions.Add to that a few recognizable faces from The Colonies -- Steve McQueen, James Garner, James Coburn -- and you're in for a treat.With top drawer production values as wrangled by Walter Mirisch, an amazingly intelligent screenplay, great direction from John Sturges, Daniel Fapp's cinematography, and that score by the incomparable Elmer Bernstein, and the end result is not only an extraordinary piece of entertainment, but one of the finest films about WWII.I've just spent some quality time with MGM's new Blu-ray. For the record, I have no inside information as to what was done. I can only relate what my eyes are telling me.There is no doubt that this is a digital presentation, but so are many other catalog titles as they're prepped for Blu-ray and DCPs. It's a safe bet that The Great Escape was photographed on Eastman 5250, the first color negative stock to have a decent lifespan, as if kept well, it doesn't have horrible fade characteristics. Some of the most important films ever created have been shot on 5250.Dupes, for both opticals as well as built-in printer functions are a problem, but they are what they are. I would love to have seen this film built for A / B roll printing, but apparently that wasn't the case printing to Eastman color direct positive in 1963.The Great Escape is 172 minutes long, and I was troubled by a single shot that I might have tried to massage just a bit.Other than that, understanding the age of the elements, wear and tear, and obvious digital work performed, I'm thrilled with MGM's presentation. "Grain" levels are acceptable, color looks correct, contrast and black levels, inclusive of those for dupes, are within a comfortable range for a 5250-based production.Audio, provided in DTS-HD MA 5.1 beautifully, and fully, reproduces the rich tones of the original.I'll make the point again. I have no idea what digital tools were used to create this new version of The Great Escape, but I'm seeing nothing untoward, nothing distressful, and nothing with an obvious overzealous digital bent.As an aside, I cannot see James Donald in anything without thinking of this quote which came just before the intermission of a film with similar story lines:"By the way, sir, I meant to tell you, there are trees in this forest very similar to elm. And the elm piles of London Bridge lasted six hundred years."This is a terrific presentation of a classic film that beautifully stands the test of time, as presented by MGM on a beautifully crafted Blu-ray disc.Note: I was contacted after this posting by Mr. Koster, who feels that another appropriate quote would be "Madness! Madness!" I concur, although his quote may tie in toward the use of that wonderful marketing term, "restoration."After digesting everything that I've seen, I come away with the overall thoughts, "pretty," and to use a golfing term, MGM-"handicap." But whatever it is that's on screen, enlarged in projection, works in the overall, and no doubt represents a fine achievement for the studio, and the best that we are apt to ever see.There are multiple ways of considering this Blu-ray. None are incorrect.Image - 4.5Audio - 5Highly Recommended.RAH