hell is for heroes
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Paramount Home Entertainment / 1962 / N/A / 89 Minutes / Not Rated
Street Date: December 31, 1969  With the release of Pearl Harbor literally days away as I write this review, it's no coincidence that Paramount has decided to capitalize on all the buzz and release a spate of WWI-themed movies including Hell Is For Heroes, Catch-22 and Uncommon Valor. (It also helps that next week is our national observance of Memorial Day.) In the past month, I've gotten the chance to watch many a past war movie on DVD, and have come to learn a great deal about the way Hollywood used to handle the subject. Compared to the cynicism of today's movies, these older films set during WWII tend to have more optimistic and patriotic messages, and are not quite as dark as the typical post-Vietnam antiwar film. This is partially a function of the changes in the Hollywood ratings system, but it definitely reflects a major ideological shift in how Americans view war and the attitudes of a new generation of filmmakers, such as Oliver Stone, Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg. Hell Is For Heroes was made in 1962 and is more from the old school of war movies, and was directed by Don Siegel, best know for his collaborations with Clint Eastwood on Dirty Harry, Escape From Alcatraz and Two Mules for Sister Sara. This film, set in 1944 France stars Steve McQueen as Private Reese, a born leader with a checkered military record. When he first joins up with his new platoon, led by his friend Sergeant Pike (Fess Parker), there is a sense of immediate tension yet respect between the men. When Pike's platoon is sent to the Siegfried Line, a crucial holding point against the Nazis, it is apparent that something is not right. The men were under the impression they were finally going home, but after the platoon arrives at the front line, they are immediately abandoned by Pike and most of the other Platoons which have been called to lead an assault farther down the battle lines. This leaves only eight men to hold the fort. Sergeant Larkin (Harry Guardino) is left in command of the men, which include Corby (Bobby Darin), the platoon's pack rat and business man; Corporal Henshaw (James Coburn); Homer (Nick Adams), a German defector anxious to help fight off the Nazi's and Dirscoll, a military typist (who reminded me of M*A*S*H's Radar O'Reilly.) And Bob Newhart, in his feature film debut, plays Dirscoll. Hell Is For Heroes is intentionally light on action, but the final assault on the German pillbox is quite impressive. Yet the film does not really work as a character study of how men react under pressure and in the heat of battle, but remains entertaining nonetheless. It also seems apparent to me that this film probably influenced the casting of Steve McQueen in Robert Wise's subsequent filming of The Sand Pebbles, a similar if better film. Though not a classic, Hell Is For Heroes has its moments and is worth checking out if you're a WWII movie buff. The Video: How Does The Disc Look? Hell Is For Heroes is simply one of the most outstanding black and white transfers I have yet seen on DVD. The 1.85 anamorphic transfer is so pristine I wonder where Paramount has been storing this print! According to the dates on the back of the packaging, it looks like this film was restored back in 1989. Paramount's restoration department, or whoever restored this film, should be congratulated. Outside of the archival war footage that was integrated into the film, the print is flawless. There was no sign of grain, plus the contrast and blacks are first rate. I didn't see any digital pixel breakup, and if there was any edge enhancement, I didn't notice. A truly outstanding transfer. The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound? While not as strong as the image, Hell Is For Heroes does have a a rather full sounding mono track. While there hasn't been any multichannel remix attempted, it seems that Paramount has keep the audio stems in pretty good shape. The majority of this film consists of a second platoon hiding out in the trenches near the Siegfried Line, so the dialog has been recorded at low levels and is music and effects are minimal. There is a limited amount of analog noise on the track, but the vocals are intelligible, and the quality of the track surprised me as this film is nearly 40 years old. The use of low frequencies is limited to the score and the climatic assault on the German pillbox. The bass isn't tremendous, but has its moments. Overall dynamic range is fair. An additional French mono track is included, along with English subtitles and English Closed Captions. The Supplements: What Goodies Are There? All that is included is a full frame and mono theatrical trailer. Apparently, hell is not for supplements, either. Parting Thoughts Hell Is For Heroes isn't a particularly original WWII movie; it falls back on typical cliches of the genre, but it is interesting if only to see the early work of stars like Bob Newhart, Steve McQueen and James Coburn. Selling this title to the average DVD consumer is going to be difficult, since the film is black and white, mono, is over forty years old and isn't a very good deal at a steep $29.99 retail price tag. Too bad Paramount didn't go with a more $24.98, especially considering what you get. |
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