Blu-ray Specs
Video: 1080i
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD
Master Audio or 4.0 Dolby Digital/ Latin Spanish Mono/Castillian
Spanish 2.0 DTS
From the mind of George Stevens comes his rendition of the horrifying events that took place during WWII in the Netherlands. The book of the same title has been translated into 67 different languages and has sold over 31 million copies over the years. The film has had quite the success as well winning 3 Oscars. This film runs for almost 3 hours and is also a testament to the times with a much needed old school intermission. After taking around four years to complete it was released originally in 1959 and now upon the 50th Anniversary comes to a new generation on Blu-ray.
In 1942, during Nazi Germany’s onslaught of Europe, two Jewish families seek refuge in the attic of a spice factory. These families live with the strictest of conditions, but do so with the knowledge of the atrocities the lie just outside their door. In the midst of the chaos, a young 13 year old girl, Anne Frank, chronicled the lives they lived in that cramped space. Along the two years that were spent in that attic, life seemed to be fearsome as different events scarred the Franks and the Van Daan’s with the thought of being dragged off to the concentration camps that Hitler had waiting for the fate of all Jews. Amidst this most tragic of circumstances, there is a love story developing between young Anne and Peter Van Daan.
There are many extras within this disc and are very worthwhile to give a look. The only part that I wish could have been possible was an interview with the Director George Stevens rather than his son. His son was very capable of telling some behind the scenes stories due to the fact he co produced the picture, but to hear some of the stories of George Sr. from when he was in the Army and saw some of the tragedies of WWII would have greatly enhanced some of the influence it brought to the film. One of the more amazing and gruesome segments of the extras were color film of the concentration camps and may be more than some audience members could bear to look at.
The picture quality was very amazing considering the technology available at the original time of filming. Mr. Stevens chose to film in black and white despite the studios strong request for color, but due to the pull he had he convinced them to let it be B&W to enhance the focus of the audience to be drawn to a particular detail of the film. Audio can only be as good as the time it was recorded and brings a certain feel for the times and pairs well with the film.
For those whom have never checked this out in any form, whether book, play or movie form should really give this a look. The shots of the streets of Amsterdam and seeing the German soldiers passing by surely give a sense of fear and hope at the same time. I was very impressed at the story and all of the extras as well. This was a truly brilliant display of cinema history that should be watched every so often to remind us all of what the recent past held so as not to ever repeat it.
Reviewed by Michael Albaugh
