Somewhere in Italy circa 1944, a squad of American soldiers is waiting for other squads to show when they’re ambushed by Nazi soldiers. Despite being outnumbered, Sergeant Stone (Thomerson) and his men manage to kill them all leaving only the no-nonsense Stone, eager beaver Joey Verona (Van Patten), the burly Mittens (La Fleur), and war correspondent Charlie Dolan (Manard). They escape into the woods behind enemy lines only to find out that both their radio and compass don’t work. While out hunting for food, Dolan and Mittens stumble across a Nazi camp. Stone and Verona go looking for them and discover a crashed alien spacecraft. From this point on, Zone Troopers is an engaging mash-up of war movie and science fiction tale.

The casting of Tim Thomerson and Art La Fleur is spot on as they both look like they literally stepped out of a vintage World War II film. Thomerson in particular is excellent as the two-fisted sergeant with a reputation for being unkillable. The way he acts and carries himself would’ve made ideal casting for an adaptation of Nick Fury and the Howling Commandoes back in the 1980’s when this film was made.

The screenplay by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo does a good job of replicating the classic World War II movie, right down to the authentic-sounding period dialogue while seamlessly mixing in elements of the 1950’s space alien film. It makes sense that they would go on to adapt The Rocketeer, Dave Stevens’ comic book homage to 1930’s serial adventures, into a film.

The opening gun battle sets the right tone of a vintage World War II B-movie by way of Sam Fuller complete with pulpy period dialogue and a gruff squad leader that almost makes one forget about the cheap production values that, rather than detract from the enjoyment of the film, give it plenty of scrappy charm. As the film progresses, the production values improve in spots, like when Stone and Verona search inside the giant spacecraft.

For a low-budget B-movie, Zone Troopers is refreshingly ambitious with its intentions to blend science fiction with the war movie. What makes it work so well is that the filmmakers are obviously taking it seriously as opposed to poking fun at both genres. They make sure that the actors play it straight as well. That’s not to say the film isn’t without its humorous moments but they are used sparingly. Zone Troopers is an entertaining film that celebrates its pulpy roots.

Special Features:

Theatrical trailer.

In 1885, the British garrison in Khartoum is overrun by African followers of Islam with General Gordon being killed as a result. The film opens with a conversation about cowardice as several retired British army veterans swap war stories about the punishment for cowardice during wartime. A young, impressionable boy named Harry Faversham listens to these stories with wide-eyed fear and amazement. Ten years later, he (Clements) is a soldier in the British army and about to be deployed to the Sudan. His father has recently died and he’s engaged to marry the beautiful Ethne Burroughs (Duprez), much to the chagrin of Captain John Durrance (Richardson).

However, Harry never wanted to be a soldier and only enlisted to please his father. So, he resigns his post before shipping out. He has a change of heart when his friends each send him a feather to remind him of their bond and sense of duty to their country. So, he goes incognito to Khartoum and seeks out his regiment in an effort to redeem himself.

Korda does an incredible job of capturing the impressive expansive vistas of the Sudan and its harsh, unforgiving conditions. He does an astounding job with the film’s epic battle scenes whose sheer scale and scope rival only that of Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Korda also manages to simultaneously celebrate British sense of duty and the famous stiff upper lip while also depicting the arrogance of their imperialistic ways. The Four Feathers and its story feel rather dated by contemporary standards with views and attitudes that seem quite antiquated now. It’s a reminder of a time when England was one of the world’s dominant super powers in addition to being a rousing epic adventure of one man’s journey to redemption.

Special Features:

There is an audio commentary by British film historian by Charles Drazin. He starts things off by giving a run down of the prior adaptations and proceeds to make a case for Korda’s being the definitive version. Drazin provides a brief historical backstory to the events depicted in the film. He also gives us a biographical sketch of the prolific Korda family who were deeply immersed in cinema. He does a good job of analyzing the film’s impressive style and its themes while also examining how it diverges from the novel.

Also includes is an interview with David Korda, son of director Zoltan. He talks about his father’s upbringing and about his relationship with his filmmaking brothers as well as how they got into the business.

“A Day at Denham” is a 1939 promotional film that takes us on a tour of London Film Productions’ studios at Denham. Included is rare, behind-the-scenes footage of Zoltan Korda working on The Four Feathers.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.

Platoon focuses on the 25th Infantry, Bravo Company in September 1967 with new recruit Chris Taylor (Sheen) as the audience surrogate and our introduction to this world. We see the war through his eyes, from that first blast of bright light as he walks off the plane with other newbies and they see a collection of body bags. They are then taunted by a group of battle-hardened veterans heading home. That will be them some day…if they live long enough.

Stone quickly cuts to the jungle and immerses us in it – dense foliage that makes it hard to see more than a few feet in front of you, the sounds of birds and other exotic animals and the oppressive heat that you can see on the sweaty, tired faces of the soldiers. This is not easy terrain to navigate and Stone makes sure we know it. He shows just how hard it is to fight in the jungle with a night time ambush that goes bad. Everything happens so fast and so chaotic that it is hard to follow what is going on until it’s all over.

The film sets up a platoon divided into two factions: the dope smoking guys who just want to survive the war and go home and the beer-drinking lifers who actually like it there or, at the very least, believe that what they are doing is right. The leaders of these two groups, Sergeant Elias (Dafoe) and Sergeant Barnes (Berenger), are polar opposites that Chris gravitates towards and must ultimately choose between.

At that point in his career, Willem Dafoe was known for playing bad guy roles in films like Streets of Fire (1984) and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) and so casting him as a good guy in Platoon must’ve seemed like a gamble. Dafoe is excellent as a dedicated soldier who takes the time to teach Chris a few things in order for him to survive. It’s a very soulful performance as he acts as the platoon’s conscience. Elias cares about his men and wants to see them all go home alive.

In contrast, Tom Berenger had been known for playing lightweight, good guy roles but caught Stone’s eye with his layered performance in The Big Chill (1983). He gives an absolutely ferocious performance as an intense, imposing figure who rules his men with an iron fist. He’s a tough man who leads by example, strict and unwavering in his beliefs. Berenger hadn’t really done anything before this to suggest such intensity and his performance was a revelation and is still his best to date.

Platoon packs in a lot of stuff: botched ambushes, the destruction of a village, discovery of an underground bunker and a climactic, large scale battle that probably wouldn’t have all gone down in such a limited time frame but Stone isn’t interested in making a documentary. His is a dramatization of a composite of several events that gives the audience some idea of what it was like there and what these guys went through.

The film’s centerpiece features the frustrated and edgy platoon taking out their anger on a village by raping their women, killing their livestock and even some the inhabitants. It is at this point when the conflict between the two sides of the platoon boils over. It is a gut-wrenching sequence, even after all these years, full of anger and madness. Stone underscores what an impossible situation the war was and one, now in retrospect, that the United States had no chance of winning because they were so out of their depth. Platoon is even more poignant now that we are embroiled in another Vietnam of sorts over in Afghanistan with U.S. soldiers dying almost every day for what many argue are for all the wrong reasons. It makes Stone’s film even more relevant today than it was 25 years ago.

Special Features:

The 20th Anniversary edition of Platoon DVD had some impressive extras, most of which are included on this new edition with a couple of additions. The transfer is excellent, exposing some of the film stock’s limitations but nothing can be done about that. Any dirt and artifacts from the DVD version appear to be gone from the Blu-ray edition. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track is very good and for purists there is also the Dolby Surround 4.0 soundtrack.

There is an audio commentary by director Oliver Stone. He gives his personal reflections of his experiences in Vietnam and points out the autobiographical elements in the film, like how early on in his tour he was put on point just like Chris was. Stone also talks about the challenges of making Platoon on a low budget and working in a harsh, unforgiving environment. This track is filled with fascinating personal insights and is essential listening for any fan of the film.

Also included is a commentary track by the film’s military advisor Dale Dye, a retired Marine of 22 years with 30 months in Vietnam. He points out that the actors had been training hard for 14 days when the opening credits sequence was shot and were very tired making their reactions very real. Dye made sure that every actor had their own distinctive look and points out the authenticity of the uniforms. Best of all, he points out all the little details that made Platoon so true to what it must’ve been like there, things that veterans of the war would recognize instantly. This is a great track that is technical but also accessible and really makes you appreciate the amount of work that went into this film.

There are “Deleted and Extended Scenes” with optional commentary by Stone. Included is the first time Chris smokes pot; a speech about love and hate that pays homage to Night of the Hunter (1955) and that also gives Johnny Depp’s character more screen time; and some good exchanges between characters. Most interestingly, is an alternate ending for Barnes which Stone says he now wishes had been used.

“Snapshot in Time: 1967-1968” gives a historical perspective to the time period the film takes place in and puts things into perspective by exploring the origins of the conflict and how the U.S. got involved.

“Creating the ‘Nam” takes a look at how the filmmakers created the condition of Vietnam in the Philippines on a limited budget. It also examines the grueling shoot that drove Stone to exhaustion. Some highlights include a bit about how they created the village in the movie from scratch and did such a good job that locals moved in with no prompting!

“Raw Wounds: The Legacy of Platoon” examines the film’s legacy and how it gave veterans the dignity they deserved and allowed the U.S. to come to terms with the war. However, some veterans were upset at how they were portrayed in the film and were worried that people would come away from it thinking that they just smoked dope and tried to kill each other or innocent civilians.

“One War, Many Stories” features a group of vets talking about the movie after a screening and how it relates to their own experiences. These guys tell some fascinating stories that are in turn juxtaposed with Stone talking about his own experiences. Some of these men’s stories are quite moving as they are still quite affected by what they went through.

“Preparing for the ‘Nam” examines what basic training was like with vets talking about their experiences. It was tough but also taught them valuable lessons that helped them survive and bonded them with their fellow recruits.

“Caputo and the 7th Fleet” is a much-too brief interview with Philip Caputo, author of the celebrated Vietnam War novel, A Rumor of War. He talks about his experiences in Saigon towards the end of the war.

“Dye Training Method” is a brief featurette on military advisor Dale Dye with a focus on his boot camp experience at his company, Warriors, Inc.

“Gordon Gekko” is a superficial time waster where editor Claire Simpson reveals the origins of Gordon Gekko’s (from Stone’s Wall Street) name.

Perhaps the most glaring omission from the previous edition is “Tour of the Inferno,” an excellent, in-depth retrospective documentary that brought back a lot of the film’s cast who talk about their experiences making the film. This is a fantastic doc and if you own the 20th Anniversary edition, you might want to hold on to it. On a lesser note, also gone from the previous edition are photo galleries.

Finally, there are three T.V. spots and a theatrical trailer.

In the camp, Janusz (Sturgess) befriends Khabarov (Strong) and they bond over the trumped up charges that sent them to the Gulag. The prison conditions are truly awful and Weir shows what these men do at night to help pass the time and keep their sanity. It is no wonder that Janusz yearns to escape. He and Khabarov plot a way to get out and survive. To aid in their ambitious endeavor, Janusz enlists the help of a brave American named Smith (Harris) and Valka (Farrell), a notorious Russian criminal as well as four other men.

Early on, one of the Gulag prison guards tells his charges, “Nature is your jailer, and she is without mercy.” Weir’s camera pans over the harsh, snowy wilderness that is Siberia. The message is clear. Even if you escape from the camp, the foreboding environment will surely kill you. Moreso than any other film of his, Weir emphasizes the effect of the environment on the characters, from the bitterly cold blizzards to the dirty, claustrophobic hell of the mines, to the vast, sun-baked desert. The seven men endure all kinds of hardships – the weather, wild animals and starvation and dehydration. However, the alternative – certain death in the Gulag – is a worse option.

There is a humanistic streak that runs through much of Weir’s films and The Way Back is no exception. Janusz is the heart and soul of the group, looking out for everyone and leading them through the wilderness. These men are dependent on each other to survive and Weir shows how they relate to one another under such extreme conditions. They are pushed to the very limits of human endurance and this is depicted in unflinching detail by Weir. Despite being very different people, they exhibit compassion towards one another that is inspiring but not in a cheesy way thanks to Weir’s understated direction.

The Way Back is another strong effort from the Australian filmmaker with solid performances from a uniformly excellent cast that includes well-known veteran actors like Ed Harris and Colin Farrell and relative unknowns like Dragos Bucur and Alexandru Potocean. They breathe vivid life into these fascinating characters. This film is a potent reminder of how poorer cinema has been in Weir’s absence. It is refreshing to see a film about something, populated with compelling characters instead of relying on clichéd dialogue and an overabundance of CGI. The Way Back is about compassion and humanity – things that we are in short supply of – and how it helped these men on this incredible journey.

Special Features:

“The Journey of the Journey” is a 30-minute making of featurette. Weir and the cast talk about what drew them to the project – the lack of knowledge about the Russian gulags because it was not as well documented as the Nazi concentration camps. There is plenty of behind-the-scenes footage as key crew members talk about their contributions to The Way Back.

Also included is a theatrical trailer.

It is France, 1916 and the country is mired in World War I against Germany. It is literally a series of battles for inches with each side trying to get every bit of real estate that it can. Two French generals (Menjou and Macready) debate about taking a piece of land known as the Anthill. The one wants the other’s soldiers to take it in an unrealistic amount of time but is convinced to do so anyway. Kubrick soon immerses us in the trenches and we see the appalling living conditions – mud, cramped quarters and the sounds of gunfire and bombs all around. We see the wounded and even one soldier suffering from shellshock.

The soldiers, led by Colonel Dax (Douglas), are given a suicide mission: take the Anthill with no support and with severely depleted numbers with conservative losses estimated at half their forces in the ensuing battle. Kubrick’s depiction of the battleground itself is that of a desolate area of dirt decorated with large craters created by bombing. Wreckage and dead bodies litter the landscape. The battle sequence where Dax and his men attempt to take the Anthill is as harrowing and realistic as the D-Day sequence in Saving Private Ryan (1998) only with less money and many years before. Three soldiers (Meeker, Carey and Turkel) are selected from the battalion that failed to take the hill, put on trial for cowardice and sentenced to be executed by a firing squad. In the hearing, Dax defends the men against the pompous General Mireau (Macready).

Kubrick does a fantastic job showing the vast disconnect between the generals and the soldiers in the trenches. It becomes readily apparent that the military leaders have no idea what is going on in the battlefield and expect the impossible from their soldiers. The director has crafted a fascinating anti-war film with a trademark intense performance from Kirk Douglas. This is an angry film that rails against the hubris and arrogance of military leadership and how disposable the average foot soldier is in their eyes. It is a theme that is sadly relevant today. Paths of Glory juxtaposes the brutality of war with the farce that is the subsequent court case with Dax as the lone voice of reason in an unfair world. Kubrick is often described as a cold and calculating filmmaker but what stands out in this film is the humanity of the three soldiers doomed to be executed for completely arbitrary reasons. Kubrick ends the film on an emotional and poignant moment that is incredibly moving and lingers long after the end credits.

Special Features:

There is an audio commentary by film critic Gary Giddins, author of Warning Shadows: Home Alone with Classic Cinema. He points out that Kirk Douglas was at the peak of his popularity and he was responsible for getting Paths of Glory made. Giddins balances analysis with production information while also pointing out brief biographical details on key cast and crew members. He touches upon the differences between the source novel and the film. Giddins delivers an eloquent and informative track.

There is a brief audio interview conducted with Stanley Kubrick from 1966 about the origins of the film.

Also included is a television interview with Kirk Douglas on the popular British talk show Parkinson in February 1979. The actor speaks with his usual candor and enthusiasm, proving to be quite a lively subject. He talks about his career and, of course, Paths of Glory.

There is an interview with producer James B. Harris and he talks about the film and working with Kubrick. He also speaks about how the film came together, done independently and then presented to a studio to back financially. Harris provides fascinating detail on the genesis of the film as well as various other aspects of production.

Also included is an interview with Kubrick’s wife, Christiane. She talks about how meeting Kubrick for the first time and being cast in the film. She actually picked the song she sung in the film. Christiane offers her impressions on her husband’s directing style.

There is an interview with Kubrick’s long-time executive producer Jan Harlan. He talks about the themes in Paths of Glory and in Kubrick’s films in general.

Also included is an excerpt from a French news program about World War I French soldier Theophile Maupas whose tragic story partly inspired Kubrick’s film.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.

Colonel Lawrence (Conti) is a British military officer imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp in Java. Because he can speak and understand Japanese, he is called upon by the sadistic Sergeant Hara (Kitano) to witness acts of “justice” performed on disobedient prisoners but he also tries to argue clemency on their behalf when he can. Lawrence represents a voice of compassion and reason in contrast to Hara’s acts of brutality. The latter’s superior, Captain Yonoi (Sakamoto), is an up-and-coming officer assigned to the trial of Major Jack Celliers (Bowie), a British officer charged with ambushing a Japanese transport unit in the jungle, killing two soldiers. He is sentenced to death and despite the charges; Celliers is defiant and eloquent under Yonoi’s cross-examination. After miraculously surviving a firing squad execution, Celliers is brought to the camp and put under the care of Lawrence. Yonoi puts Celliers in command of the POWs but his unorthodox style confounds and infuriates his captors.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence doesn’t follow the usual narrative beats of a typical POW camp film and this includes an experimental electronic score by Sakamoto. This is further enhanced by the eclectic cast that includes veteran British actor Tom Conti, rock stars Bowie and Sakamoto and venerable Australian actor Jack Thompson. They all bring their own distinctive styles to the film and Oshima finds a way to make them complement each other. Bowie, in particular, delivers an astonishing performance playing a man who, under his defiant façade, harbors guilt and deep regrets about his relationship with his younger brother. For an untrained actor, he uses his lack of formal training to make unusual choices and isn’t marred by the usual acting tics and this results in a rather more unpolished performance that is ideal for this role.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence was Oshima’s first film since winning the best director prize at the Cannes Film Festival for Empire of Passion (1978). He brings a unique perspective to the material as he takes the memoirs of a British POW and filters it through a Japanese perspective. The result is a visually arresting film that transcends genre conventions.

Special Features:

The first disc includes a theatrical trailer.

“The Oshima Gang” is a behind-the-scenes featurette made the year Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence came out and chronicles the production. Bowie and Conti had no idea what they were getting into but wanted to do the film because of Oshima’s involvement. There’s some good footage of Oshima and Bowie at a press conference at Cannes. This extra gives an impression of how the film was perceived at the time of its release.

“On the Screenplay” features screenwriter Paul Mayersberg talking about the development and writing of the screenplay. He also touches upon working with Oshima and how it influenced his writing the script. Mayersberg talks about how he adapted the novel and its portrayal of the Japanese.

“On Location” features new interviews with actors Tom Conti and Ryuichi Sakamoto and producer Jeremy Thomas reflecting on their experiences making the film. Thomas was intrigued by the idea of making a POW camp film from the Japanese perspective. Robert Redford was originally approached for the role of Celliers. Sakamoto talks about how he was cast and his only condition was that he could also compose the film’s score.

“On the Music” features Sakamoto talking about the film’s distinctive score. After watching a rough cut of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, he began working on the music and was able to have three months to do it – a long time in Japanese cinema. He says that Oshima gave him the freedom to do the score his own way without interference.

Finally, there is “Hasten Slowly,” a 1996 documentary about author Laurens van der Post that runs 55 minutes. It presents a fascinating portrait of a man who led an extraordinary life as a journalist, philosopher and conservationist. He even advised various powerful movers and shakers within the British government and royalty.

The first shot of the film is of a crocodile sinking rather ominously into the water, followed by a stunning shot of sunlight streaming through the leaves of a tree as a voiceover narration says, “what’s this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself?” These ruminations about the nature of war and the environment play over a montage of absolutely beautiful scenery and we meet Private Witt (Caviezel) living among the natives in an Eden-esque paradise but this is soon shattered when he spots a Navy patrol boat nearby. The AWOL soldier is brought back and made a stretcher bearer in C Company by First Sergeant Welsh (Penn) who sees the war in a very different way than Witt. He is more of a realist to Witt’s philosopher. They’re all shipped off to Guadalcanal where they’re ordered to invade and take the island from the Japanese forces because of its strategic importance.

Malick spends the rest of the film dwelling on the aspirations and fears of a handful of soldiers. There’s Lieutenant Colonel Tall (Nolte), a career officer desperate to take the island so that he can be promoted to general. Private Bell (Chaplin) is dealing with the news that his wife is leaving him and tries to find a reason to still care about this war. However, it is the relationship between Witt and Welsh that lies at the heart of The Thin Red Line as their two opposing ideologies clash – Welsh is the jaded cynic and Witt the idealistic dreamer. The scenes they share are some of the strongest in the film. That being said, the combat scenes are well-choreographed kinetic set pieces where men are arbitrarily killed. We see the fear and confusion on their faces and how some of them mask it with bravado or grim determination. These sequences are noisy and jarring and contrast nicely with the calmer, more contemplative moments.

The Thin Red Line is filled with all kinds of breathtaking imagery that stays with you long after it ends, like a line of soldiers that walk through tall grass and casually pass by a short, old aboriginal man who doesn’t even acknowledge their presence as if he’s out for an afternoon stroll. There’s the numerous shots of the lush rainforest and the animals that inhabit it as if Malick seems to be saying war means nothing to them or to nature – they will be here long after we’re gone. Another sublime moment occurs when C Company is climbing a grassy hill and the light changes before our eyes and the sun goes in behind a cloud and out again.

The film is anchored by strong performances from the likes of Sean Penn, Jim Caviezel, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas with others like Woody Harrelson and John Cusack in minor but notable roles, and then there’s the blink-and-you’ll-miss-them bit parts by then up-and-comers like Adrien Brody, Nick Stahl and Thomas Jane. One gets the feeling that they are all in the service of one man’s vision and that would be Malick.

He immerses us in this world so that at times it seems like we are right there with these soldiers and at other times he pulls back and reflects on the nature of war and its effect on man and the environment. The Thin Red Line is one of the most beautifully shot, poetic war films ever made. It wrestles with some pretty weighty themes and is unafraid to take the time and ponder them. Malick assumes that his audience is intelligent and not just interested in the visceral kicks of soldiers shooting each other and getting blown up. He is aiming for something more profound and using James Jones’ book as a jumping off point. Whether Malick is successful or not is up to the viewer to decide but it is readily apparent that he has created something special with this film.

Special Features:

The Thin Red Line was previously released twice by 20th Century Fox in fairly bare bones versions that included several of the Melanesian songs featured in the film and an impressive DTS soundtrack. The Criterion Collection has worked with Malick to give his film a very impressive facelift both visually and aurally while also including an impressive collection of supplemental material.

The first disc features an audio commentary with long-time Malick collaborator, production designer Jack Fisk, producer Grant Hill and cinematographer John Toll. They talk about how the opening scenes with the natives were shot very documentary-like with a small crew at the end of principal photography. They also point out the various locations they shot in and how it affected them and the film. Hill touches upon the casting process and how they got some of the marquee names to appear in the film. Naturally, they talk about working with Malick but not as much as I’d like. With these crew members, this is a more technically-oriented track short on anecdotal material.

Also included is the theatrical trailer.

The second disc starts off with a more than 30-minute featurette that showcases cast members Kirk Acevedo, Jim Caviezel, Thomas Jane, Elias Koteas, Dash Mihok, and Sean Penn talking about how they were cast and their experiences making the film. They all give fascinating impressions of what Malick is like and what it was like to work with him. The actors did a lot of research and preparation, living and training like soldiers and, as a result, they really bonded with one another. Penn describes how a typical day of shooting might involve Malick shooting a scene with dialogue for a half day and then spending the second doing it again but without any dialogue. This is fantastic extra loaded with tons of anecdotes.

Dianne Crittenden is interviewed about the casting process and she explains what Malick was looking for in the actors that ultimately appeared in the film. We see audition footage of actors that were cast (Nick Stahl’s is quite impressive) and, more interestingly, glimpses of the ones who didn’t – Josh Hartnett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Crispin Glover. Malick wanted actors that did not look contemporary and Crittenden saw people from theatrical acting groups all over the United States.

The film’s three editors, Leslie Jones, Saar Klein and Billy Weber are interviewed. Weber says that his favorite part of the film is a section that Jones worked on because it was so representative of Malick and his worldview. Klein says that Malick wasn’t too crazy about directing the battle sequences and just wanted to work with the actors. Weber and Jones talk about the initial five hour cut of the film and how they cut it down and how it changed with the addition of music and narration.

There is an interview with the film’s composer Hans Zimmer. He talks about meeting Malick and how they simply hung out together for a year before filming started. They never talked about the script but instead had more philosophical discussions. The director encouraged Zimmer to experiment and compose music that enhanced John Toll’s cinematography.

For fans of the film that know about all the footage that was shot and the actors that were cut completely out of the film, the addition of outtakes is particularly exciting. Included are eight scenes that run a total of 13 minutes. It’s nice to see more footage of actors like John C. Reilly and Adrien Brody who were marginalized in the final cut. Reilly gets to go off on a rant in a scene with Jim Caviezel. Brody, who just looks scared throughout the film, actually gets to speak here. Best of all, we see footage of Mickey Rourke, an actor cut out of the final version, in a stirring scene as a sniper who shares a scene with Caviezel.

Also included is an interview with Kaylie Jones, the daughter of novelist James Jones. She talks about the novel and her father’s intentions in writing it. Most interestingly, Jones talks about her father’s upbringing and his experiences in World War II and how it fostered his anti-war sentiments as well as informing the novel.

There are five vintage theatrical newsreels that reported the status of the Pacific conflict in Guadalcanal to those at home. These are fascinating examples of war-time propaganda and feature valuable historical footage.

Finally, there are samples of Melanesian chants and music recorded for the film that play over behind-the-scenes stills.

This DVD boxset (the UK version, not the really cool American version with the crate packaging and map) contains the original 14 episodes of Sharpe and was released one episode at a time, starting in 2002, before this packaged set gained a separate release some time later.

The series is set during the Napoleonic War at the start of the 19th Century, and centres around a British sergeant named Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean). Sharpe saves the life of General Sir Arthur Wellesley (soon to be Lord Wellington), single-handedly killing three Frenchmen in the process. This is more impressive than it perhaps sounds considering that the rifles used at the time could only fire one shot before needing reloading, and even the best soldiers at the time could only manage two rounds per minute.

As reward for his bravery, Sharpe is promoted by Wellesley to the rank of lieutenant, and given command over a group of men in the 95th Rifles, including a rather belligerent chap named Sergeant Patrick Harper (Daragh O’Malley). The problem Sharpe initially faces is that, being raised from the ranks, neither officers nor soldiers want anything to do with him. The officers think he is common and not gentleman (and they’d be right) and the soldiers think he’s not a proper officer and will get them all killed. It’s this initial conflict that drives the first episode, Sharpe’s Rifles, as Lieutenant Sharpe must contend with mutiny in the ranks, and a disliking from other officers, if he is to survive.

Naturally survive he does, and he endures many adventures (most of which being based on the books by Bernard Cornwell). Throughout the course of the 14 episodes (all filmed for a 2 hour timeslot on ITV, so are effectively feature films in their own right) Sharpe marries 3 times, gets promoted up as far as Lieutenant Colonel and performs a great many heroic deeds, much to the annoyance of the French (and many of the English officers).

Sharpe is very much a man’s man, and doesn’t care whether he offends anyone (including ladies) which accounts for much of his charm. If he’s not telling ‘fops’ to ‘get off their bloody horse’, he’s given ladies compliments on their cleavage (as he does to Liz Hurley, who plays a former flame and a prostitute in one episode and is forced to undress in front of him).

Other guest appearances of note include Daniel Craig as a no good British officer, Alexis Denisof (from Buffy and Angel) as a cowardly officer who steals Sharpe’s wife and Brian Cox as a devious Irish Major.

It’s Sean Bean’s performances in Sharpe that saw him tipped to play James Bond (before Brosnan finally got the nod) and then to appear as a 00 agent in Goldeneye. Sharpe is fantastic entertainment, whether you’re interested in the historical aspect of the Napoleonic Wars, or whether you just like to see a northern hero sticking it to the Frogs (as Sharpe himself calls them). The boxset is also great value for money in the UK, with 14 DVDs included.

Special Features

This is a little disappointing as the Sharpe’s Legend documentary that is included with another boxset release is absent from here, so you only really get photo galleries. There’s not even an episode guide booklet, so unless you have the outer box itself you can’t even tell which episode comes next in the sequence as the DVDs aren’t even marked with volume numbers.

Don’t let the absence of special features put you off though, this is British television at its absolute best – and better yet, there are another two episodes of Sharpe that were made after this release so you can get another fix once you’ve watched all of these.

It didn’t and received negative press over the portrayal of a Black Confederate guerrilla played by Jeffrey Wright. There were rumblings of problems between Lee and the studio suggesting that what he originally envisioned did not make it to the big screen. With this new version, created exclusively for the Criterion Collection, Lee takes another crack at Ride with the Devil in an attempt to restore the film to his original intentions.

Set during the Kansas-Missouri border wars, an informal outfit of southern sympathizers known as the Bushwhackers engaged in vicious guerrilla warfare with the occupying Union army and their northern equivalent, the Jayhawkers. Caught up in this chaos are two best friends, Jack Bull Chiles (Ulrich) and Jake Roedel (Maguire). Jake’s father wants him to leave the state for a safer place as war is imminent, but he wants to stay and fight with his friends. Jack’s father is killed by marauding Jayhawkers which makes it pretty easy for him to pick a side to fight on. A year later and Jack and Jake have joined the Bushwhackers and are killing Union soldiers and sympathizers. We learn that, for some, like Black John Ambrose (Caviezel), they fight for the cause, while for others, like Pitt Mackeson (Meyers), they enjoy killing. The film follows Jack and Jake, and those around them, over the course of the war showing how it affects them and alters their lives forever.

The cast acquits themselves just fine but I didn’t quite buy Tobey Maguire as a hardened southern guerrilla fighter. He looks and sounds like he’s still rooted in a contemporary setting despite the period garb and dialogue. The real surprise is Skeet Ulrich who has been sometimes referred to as the poor man’s Johnny Depp. Here, he does a good job of immersing himself in his role. He has gone on to show an impressive range on television with a lead role in the short-lived Jericho. The always reliable Jeffrey Wright has perhaps the most fascinating arc over the course of the film as his character goes from a subservient African American fighting for the South to a self-emancipated man in charge of his own destiny.

Ang Lee displays a knack for action in the shoot-outs that occur sporadically throughout the film between the Bushwhackers and the Union army. He infuses a sense of tension and danger through editing as people are killed our wounded without a moment’s hesitation. Like the Civil War epic that came after it, Cold Mountain (2003), Lee’s Ride with the Devil doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the violence or its after-effects, culminating in the Lawrence, Kansas massacre where almost 200 men died at the hands of the Bushwhackers. The film also shows the harsh living conditions that these people endured as they tried to evade the Union army. While Ride with the Devil is not Lee’s best film, it certainly isn’t his Heaven’s Gate (1980) either. Perhaps this new version will acquire its share of admirers where the previous one did not.

Special Features:

There is an audio commentary by director Ang Lee and producer/screenwriter James Schamus. They start things off by talking about the source material and the origins of the film’s title. Schamus explains that at the time they made Ride with the Devil, the studio was in turmoil and the film was given a brief theatrical release, never finding its audience. They point out the footage that was put back in and the reasons why. Both Lee and Schamus praise the young cast and talk briefly about what some of them brought to their respective roles. This is an engaging and informative track.

Also included is a commentary by cinematographer Frederick Elmes, sound designer Drew Kunin and production designer Mark Friedberg. Surprisingly, these guys put what we are watching in some kind of historical context. In fact, they talk at length about the historical aspects. Naturally, they also cover some technical aspects of the film but in a way that isn’t dry or boring.

Finally, Jeffrey Wright is interviewed exclusively for this DVD. He talks about working on the film and how he felt that it took a sophisticated look at race relations in America. He talks about his initial impressions of Lee and how he got the role. Naturally, the ever-eloquent Wright speaks at length about his character and journey he takes over the course of the film.

Amazingly, Soderbergh raised the $58 million budget entirely outside of North America which allowed him much more creative freedom. The result was a four and half hour epic that refused to champion or demonize Che and instead opted to objectively depict his rise in Cuba and his fall in Bolivia. This approach ultimately doomed Che’s chances in North America where, despite breaking the film up into two more digestible parts, it received limited distribution. Predictably, it divided critics and was criminally ignored by all of the major award ceremonies – rather fitting for a film about someone who refused to rest on his laurels, always hungry to get back to the jungle and get back to work.

I think that the key to understanding Del Toro and Soderbergh’s take on Che comes from an interview with director where he said, “clearly this is a guy whose priority is going into the jungle and starting a revolution. That is the most important thing in his life … If you take away all the words and just look at what he did, the guy kept going back into the jungle.” Del Toro and Soderbergh were faced with the daunting task of making a film about an iconic historic figure, someone whose image has graced countless t-shirts and posters. Che is an extremely polarizing figure and so it makes sense that they would step back and take a more objective look at the man. Then, it would be up to the audience to decide how they felt about him.

Those looking for a crowd-pleasing underdog story a la Erin Brockovich (2000) will be disappointed by Che. The famous Argentinean is not as easy to like as the scrappy Brockovich. As depicted in Che, he’s a much more complex individual. He cares about the cause and those that fight with him but does not feel the need to show a lot of emotion. When he’s in the jungle it is all about the task at hand and living in the moment. Che never loses sight of what his objective is and his conviction never wavers, not even in the face of death. He’s like a Method actor that stays in character on and off-camera during a shoot.

Part One juxtaposes Che’s efforts to remove Batista from power in Cuba in 1958 with him addressing the United Nations in 1964 and in doing so we see Che in his element, putting into practice guerrilla warfare tactics, and we see Che the superstar espousing his beliefs to the media in New York City and the international community at large. At first, the Bolivia campaign as depicted in Part Two starts off well enough with Che sneaking into the country and meeting with his fellow revolutionaries. We see them get supplies and train in preparation for the task at hand. However, the country’s Communist party refuses to support an armed struggle, especially one led by a foreigner. The support of the peasants, so crucial in Cuba, is lacking in Bolivia, making food hard to come by. A feeling of dread creeps in as government troops gradually close in on Che, cutting off any avenue of escape.

Soderbergh maintains an objective stance by refusing to show any close-ups of Che. We always see him from a certain distance and often grouped with others. During the battle at El Uvero on May 28, 1957, Soderbergh conveys the noisy, chaotic nature of combat as men are seemingly wounded at random but there is never any confusion visually about what is going on. Twice during the battle, he takes us out of it by having a voiceover by Che where he espouses his philosophy of guerrilla warfare. With a widescreen aspect ratio, Soderbergh opens things up in Part One and this is particularly evident during the battle scenes. In Part Two, this all changes, as the smooth camerawork is replaced with hand-held cameras and a more standard aspect ratio which creates a claustrophobic feel and look. The long takes and deliberately slow pace may frustrate some expecting a more traditional biopic but I found it a welcome change from the cookie cutter mentality of most Hollywood depictions of history.

During the Cuban campaign it is evident that Che is very much a man of the people, whether it is making contact with and befriending peasants that he comes across in the jungle or treating a wounded comrade. However, Che eschews character development in favor of showing the nuts and bolts of a revolution. As Che says at one point, “A real revolutionary goes where he’s needed. It may not be directly in combat. Sometimes it’s about doing other tasks … finding food, dressing wounds, carrying comrades for miles … and then, taking care of them until they can take care of themselves.” The film takes this philosophy to heart by showing the day-to-day activities of Che and his fellow revolutionaries. We see him dressing wounds, the wounded being carried through the jungle and strategizing with his men and Fidel Castro (Bichir).

Benicio del Toro effortlessly becomes Che and tones down his tendency to sometimes resort to Brando-esque acting tics (see The Way of the Gun) and plays the iconic revolutionary as a man confident of his own convictions. He conveys Che’s sharp intellect with his eyes and also does an excellent job with the physical aspects like his recurring asthma that constantly plagued him. Del Toro provides us insight into the man’s character through attitude, behavior and the way he acts towards others.

Che is ultimately a study in contrasts. What worked in Cuba did not work in Bolivia. Soderbergh’s film illustrates the differences. In Cuba, the revolutionaries were able to get the trust and support of the peasants while in Bolivia they feared the rebels. It must also be said that Castro played a key role in the success of the Cuban revolution and his absence in Bolivia, the galvanizing effect he had, is sorely missed. With Che, Soderbergh has created an unusual biopic that does its best to not try and manipulate you into feeling one way or another about the revolutionary. Instead, it shows two very different examples of the man’s philosophies put into practice and how they played out – one a success and the other a failure. Che was a polarizing historical figure long before this film came along and will continue to be long afterwards.

Special Features:

The first disc includes an audio commentary for Part One by Jon Lee Anderson, chief consultant on Che and author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life. He starts off by calling Che a “hippie rebel,” and a product of the 1960s. He talks about the corruption and decadence of Cuba under Batista and how this provoked men like Che and Fidel Castro to start a revolution. Anderson provides extensive historical background to what we are watching which fills in a lot of gaps and often explains what is being shown, putting it into context.

Also included is a theatrical trailer.

The second disc sees Anderson return for an audio commentary for Part Two. He explains Che’s fascination with Bolivia at an early age and why he chose that country to start a revolution. He talks about the political conditions in Bolivia that made it ripe for a revolution. Like he did with Part One, Anderson provides the backstory and elaborates in detail on what we are watching.

The third and final disc starts off with “Making Che,” a 50-minute documentary that takes a look at how the film came together. It started with producer Laura Bickford and her interested in Jon Lee Anderson’s book. She got Benicio del Toro involved and they spent years doing research and deciding what part of his life to depict. The film’s screenwriters talk about the challenge of condensing so many events into one film and so Soderbergh decided to split it up into two films. The director explains his depiction of Che, including the omission of the man’s more questionable actions, and his approach to the film. This is an excellent, in-depth look.

There are ten deleted scenes from Part One with optional commentary by Soderbergh. He puts this footage in context and explains why it was cut. These scenes provide some insight into Che and it’s nice to be able to see them.

Also included are four deleted scenes from Part Two with optional commentary by Soderbergh. Much of this footage illustrates Che’s philosophy of guerrilla warfare.

“End of a Revolution” is a 1968 documentary about the aftermath of Che’s failed revolution in Bolivia, the origins of it and a look at the forces that prevented it. The featurette begins with stills of Che’s dead body and a journalist describing the scene, his voice full of emotion. The doc does a nice job of profiling Bolivia and its people; for example, we see the brutal living and working conditions of the tin miners.

“Interviews from Cuba” features interviews with participants and historians of the Cuban Revolution conducted by producer Laura Bickford and actor Benicio del Toro. The participants talk about how they met Che and their impressions of him. They also discuss their views on the revolution. The historians talk about the key influences on the revolution and take us through significant moments of it.

Finally, there is “Che and the Digital Cinema Revolution!” Soderbergh’s film was the first feature to use the Red digital camera because of its quality and versatility in the terrain he would be shooting in. He did not have a lot of time to shoot Che and needed a camera that would allow him to shoot fast and not require a lot of artificial light. The cameras almost weren’t ready for the start of principal photography but Soderbergh stuck to his guns was able to get them just in time. This doc does a nice job taking a look at the challenges of using the Red camera and how it was the ideal technology for this particular film.