From Here to Eternity (Superbit(TM))

 

 

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"From Here to Eternity" is a Hollywood classic. It may be the finest film ever about the military in peacetime. The background is Schofield Barracks, Hawaii in the Fall of 1941. That was the old "brown boot" Army! This reviewer is a Vietnam era vet, so I can't address the realism of the setting. Judging by the crisp dialog and snappy khaki uniforms, I'm giving the director the benefit of any doubt. I always thought it fascinating that an Austrian born Director could be at the helm of such classics as "High Noon" and FHTE -in consecutive years no less. What did Mr. Zinnemann know of the Old West or the American Army? The male lead is Burt Lancaster as First Sergeant Warden, a tough but fair NCO that any enlisted man would want for his "top". The second male lead is Private Prewitt, played by Montgomery Clift. Prewitt is a top bugler who isn't allowed to bugle and a top boxer who reuses to box for the company team! How that automatic conflict plays out is the heart of the movie. Another conflict is between Frank Sinatra, a happy go lucky but harmless enlisted man who trouble seems to follow and an evil Ernest Borgnine, the top MP at the Schofield stockade. Their "dispute" plays out too, with Clift a surprise key figure in its' "resolution". This reviewer believes that far too much attention has been lavished on the affair between Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, the wife of the Company Commander. I found it hard to swallow that any serious career man would run around openly with an officer's wife. Lancaster was one step away from a bust down to the lowest private and a trip to the stockade. The real female star here was Donna Reed, a bar "hostess' who would be a prostitute in real life. Her sensitivity toward Clift produces some of the best scenes in FHTE. Someone must have agreed because Donna walked off with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar- and promptly fainted after receiving it. The interplay between Lancaster/Kerr and Clift/Reed caused some huge challenges for the Director in making the bawdy best selling novel "clean" for the silver screen in the still conservative, prudish America of 1953. FHTE also contains some of the sharpest dialog and one liners this reviewer can remember. Two favorites: "Never disturb a man when he's drinking" (Lancaster) and "No one lies about being lonely"(Clift). In addition to Reed, Oscars were awarded for Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Film Editing, Cinematography and Supporting Actor, (Sinatra). The last two are important: FHTE revived Frank's career. Many believe that "pressure" was applied to Harry Cohn and Columbia Pictures to hire Sinatra. Do we remember the "horses head in the bed" scene from Godfather I? Others claim that his then wife, Ava Gardner, supplied the "influence". Finally FHTE is yet another example of why black and white classics should not be colorized. If there is such a thing as "beautiful black and white", it is this one. ....

This is a case of an outstanding movie being adapted from a great book.

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY presents a realistic portrait of army life in Hawaii immediately before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The film features strong performances by Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine and Montgomery Clift. An extremely competent supporting cast includes Jack Warden, Philip Ober and Mickey Shaughnessy.

Burt Lancaster makes a convincing first sergeant. One who is running the show and is full of knowledge about how the army really works. He also has good instincts when it comes time to act as he demonstrates in the showdown with the sadistic "Fatso" played by Ernest Borgnine. Borgnine himself is exceptional in his most famous impersonation of a villain.

Frank Sinatra definitely deserves his Oscar in the role of the defiant Maggio. However, after seeing Lee Marvin play a drunk it is hard to appreciate any other actor's attempt compared with Marvin's portrayal in PAINT YOUR WAGON.

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY was a relatively low-budget production but it still managed to receive five Academy Awards and eight nominations.

While the digital transfer is good and I enjoyed the movie for the first time without all the white noise and sound pops, all the special features that it boasts are disappointing.
For people who enjoy classic movies, you really can't do better than this. The movie is able to stand well enough on it's own without really needing these "features" to back it up and I recommend this DVD version only for that reason.
However those who love collectors edition DVD's, especially ones on Oscar flicks may feel slighted. There are two lackluster featurettes. One being a "Making Of" that is more or less a rehash of the production notes found inside of the case. The other focusing on Fred Zinneman, the movie's director, is slighlty more interesting. But both have more footage of the film itself than behind the scenes and both run under ten minutes. What they should have done was combine the two. The Commentary by the son of the director also leaves much to be desired. The only reason why I harp on these is that I know what Columbia is capable of doing better. Take a look at "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai"

However, I'm glad I got this and recommend it despite my gripes. Just be aware of the its shortcomings. It's a great film that speaks for itself and after having the DVD for a few years now, I still find myself taking this off the shelf from time to time.

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2.0 out of 5 stars 1950's Hollywood Mess
The Godfather got Sinatra the part of Maggio, but I think the producer was right; Sinatra stinks in that part. Talk about over acting; Sinatra has no subtlety at all. Read more

Published on Jun 16 2004 by R. A Rubin

3.0 out of 5 stars A Superbit waste
Yes, it's a good film but why release it in a Superbit version? It is filmed in full sceen (4x3), in black & white, and with a mono (DTS yet) soundtrack. Read more

Published on Nov 1 2003 by w.brown

5.0 out of 5 stars So Many Oscars in a Single Film
This movie is mostly about soldiers stationed at an army base in Honolulu before World War II. Above all the film features superb acting performances and an absorbing... Read more

Published on Aug 12 2003 by Rosemary Brunschwyler

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic!
First of all let me say that Montgomery Clift was phenominal in the role of Robert Prewitt, he was so good that it earned him an academy award nomination. Read more

Published on July 10 2003 by G. Crofford

4.0 out of 5 stars Great acting in a story for its time--not TOP but near
It is so tiring to keep hearing about a movie, not on its merits, but on how it fits the "political correctness," of today, and worse yet that the sexual portrayal isn't explicit... Read more

Published on Mar 21 2003 by The Professor Dave

3.0 out of 5 stars Daddy, how many Oscars did you say?
OK, this is a fine film and by 1953 standards probably deserving of all the honors. But unfortunately this Peyton Place version of Pearl Harbor doesn't quite make it these... Read more

Published on Mar 19 2003 by Ghenghis

2.0 out of 5 stars "A man don't go his own way, he's nothing."
Fred Zinnemann's "From Here to Eternity" simply has not aged well. It's place in cinematic history remains secure: Frank Sinatra's Oscar, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr... Read more

Published on Mar 9 2003 by Steven Y.

3.0 out of 5 stars A classic, yes, but with holes and a bit slow
Undoubtedly considered a classic, this movie won 8 Oscars in 1953, including best film. I enjoyed it, but it isn't a movie that I think I would want to own. Read more

Published on Jan 25 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars The real love story - a man and the army
My favorite scene in this movie isn't the famous Burt Lancaster (Sgt. Warden) - Deborah Kerr (Karen Holmes) beach romp, but that of Montgomery Clift's Private Robert E. Read more

Published on Dec 14 2002 by Desiree Koh

2.0 out of 5 stars Test of time...
The trouble here is the test of time.... Of course this movie is great, otherwise it would not have won 8 Oscars.

But to watch it nowadays is.... strange. Read more

Published on Dec 10 2002 by M. Fonseca

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