The Great Raid - DVD (1 Viewer)

[Neil J]

I just watched the film (rental) in the pan & scan version. I didn't even notice that until I seen this thread...anyways I have to say that the quality of the picture seemed pretty bad on my tv. For example there is a scene with Benjamin Bratt and the sun is behind him and I could barely see his face...it was very dark. I do have a widescreen television...I wonder if it looked so bad because it wasn't the anamorphic version?

 

[RyanAn]

Unless it's at night, the film is fairly brightly lit, yet gritty. At least least that is what I remember from it's theatrical release. I have never heard of a movie being released in pan and scan exclusively for a single disc and widescreen only for twice as much. It just makes people not want to see the originaly intended film, thus bringing the OAR struggle done yet another notch.

Ryan

 

[Harold Wazzu]

Ryan, your point is why I have decided to not buy this movie and settle on renting it for now, in hopes that they will release a different version in the future. It's too bad, I really was looking forward to owning it.

 

[JoshB]

Based on box office performace and the lack of any widescreen versions available anywhere, we will not be seeing a reissue of this film in another DVD version, unless it comes out on hd-dvd, and I feel this will not be a priority title for Miramax.

 

[Don Solosan]

JoshB,

There is a widescreen version available in R1. It's the 2-disc director's cut.

 

[JoshB]

I know, because I own it.

I meant lack of WS versions available anywhere to mean that no stores are carrying the WS version, just the PS version. I had to go elsewhere to get my copy.

I meant we will not see a reissue to mean that I doubt Miramax will re-release the film on DVD in another version with extras, etc or the cut of the film certain people want to see.

 

[Andy_MT]

cd-wow have the region 3 (NTSC) 2 disc set out at a more resonable price. but sigh, region 3 distributor ... probably another non-progressive job i wouldn't be surprised. not sure if it's worth the risk ...

 

[Stephen Orr]

Full screen? Rental.

 

[CraigF]

Very bizarre marketing for this DVD. I'm sure if they continue in this vein they'll have similar success.

FWIW, I still haven't seen a single copy of this here. Thanks for info re lack of dts. No big deal, but I like it for this type of movie.

I don't see how removing a total of 2 minutes from the whole film will greatly change its pace overall. Maybe of a short portion it will. Usually, directors add this kind of stuff in so that *interested* parties have more character background. I'm no director, but this strikes me as foolishness, never mind charging extra for it. IMO, bad decision. I can't buy an OAR theatrical cut. Yet.

 

[TravisR]

Yeah but as discussed above, it could be an entirely different edit of the movie that adds the type of stuff you refer to and removes stuff that he doesn't think works.

And more importantly, it's the version that the director wants people to see.

 

[CraigF]

Well, I'm not necessarily speaking of this film, but there are a lot of wacky (to be polite) directors out there. Being a "director's cut" is no guarantee of goodness. Or betterness. We've all seen that, no? I like to have somebody look over my work too, and comment/crticise it; like to think it makes it better overall...helps prevent getting into the "project ownership rut". OTOH, too many cooks spoil... I guess what I'm beating around the bush to say is: I see screwup and bad decision all over this. JMO of course. There'll be another WS release not very far off, I'll bet.

And being a Miramax release, I really want to read a critical review of the PQ. Let's just say on some of their recent releases that some people rate as good PQ, it is pretty crappy IMO. Compared to what else is out there. "Chicago" comes to immediate mind only because I watched it the other day.

 

[Harminder]

Region 3 DVD's are usually just as good as their Region 1 counterparts, sometimes even better. I put in my order, I'll post a short review once I receive it.

 

[JoshB]

I am all for some films to be re-released in the version we as fans of DVD and the film would like to see but knowing the studios it just doesn't seem likely.

The Great Raid was just a victim of being on the studio shelf for several years and them not being able to find a good way to put it in the line up of other film (recent events in Iraq may not have helped either) but I think when they decided to put a love interest in a war movie about a rescue mission for soldiers who were beaten and tortured over several years, you're priorities are clearly not with the actual story and source material. Had they gone for a more straight forward approach and made itmuch more history than hollywood, they might have had a classic on there hands.

I mean Enemy at the Gates, about possibly the greatest and most brutal battle in history, could have been a great film even without snipers, but the moment they decided to shift to the love interest iswhen things went south.

Love among some of the most brutal and violent battles or our time? Stick to what works in the appropriate genre (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Black Hawk Down for example).

 

[Neil J]

All the scenes mentioned above are in the pan & scan version that I rented.

 

[David_Blackwell]

I finally watched the film tonight. I believe sonme of the cut scenes with The Rangers should have been left in, but the last 10 minutes of the movie just go on too long

 

[Andy_MT]

depends entirely on the distributor. some releases are as good if not better. but some are not. alexander, the hours, blood and wine were non-progressive.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

What's that now? Is there another version on the way? I just picked up a copy.

 

[Tino]

FWIW, All my local stores {Best Buy, Circuit City, Tower Video) had copies of the 2 disc widescreen version.

 

[TravisR]

Very true but the difference is that they almost always come out somewhere down the line to cash-in. And even when the unrated director/marketing gimmick cuts come out the same day as the rated version, they're horror movies or comedies. Not too many dramatic war pictures have the "Sexy, Out Of Control Unrated Version". Especially ones that were not exactly box office winners. If the director's cut was just a marketing gimmick, I don't think they'd be charging more money for it. They'd be pushing it everywhere to try to make some money off the movie.

Call me crazy but since it's labeled as a director's cut AND shortens the running time, I think that can only mean the director re-edited the movie to what he wanted it to be. Just because it's shorter doesn't mean that it isn't what the director wanted.

 

[Harold Wazzu]

There is going to be some kind of extended cut in the future, maybe a 3-disc set ala Black Hawk Down & Gladiator EE.