From Here to Eternity

Questions about Frank Sinatra's ability to trade in his declining singing career for one as a dramatic actor quickly ceased after his Oscar-winning portrayal of Angelo Maggio in this 1953 Best Picture winner that offers an intimate study of the seamy side of military life and is set in Hawaii at the end of 1941. Montgomery Clift stars as Robert E. Lee Prewitt, an ex-boxer being pressured by the tyrannical Captain Holmes (played by Philip Ober) to represent his unit in the ring. Burt Lancaster co-stars as Sergeant Warden, who is not only ordered by the Captain to make Prewitt's life hell until he agrees to fight, but is also in the midst of a torrid affair with Holmes' wife, Karen (Deborah Kerr)--an angle heavily exploited in advertising hype showing the pair entwined on the beach. Based on James Jones best-selling novel, 1950s Hollywood restraints kept the juicier aspects of the book off the screen, and today Fred Zinnemann's once-daring drama is only saved from soap opera by the standout performances of the uniformly solid cast. Sporting a so-so digital transfer from a so-so print, the DVD features less-than-stellar audio commentary by Zinnemann's son Tim and actor Alvin Sargent who had a bit part in the film, a laughably short and pointless "making of" that barely clocks in over two minutes, and a 10-minute excerpt from Fred Zinnemann: As I See It. Recommended, overall. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review--March 25, 2003--Columbia TriStar, 155 min., not rated, $26.95--One of the latest entries in Columbia TriStar's Superbit line, with video and audio recorded at a higher bit rate for the best image and sound, the new From Here to Eternity looks--to my naked eye on a 57" widescreen TV--virtually identical to the original DVD release of the film in late 2001. Bottom line: stick with the original release, even with its limited extras, over this more expensive but undistinguished Superbit release.][Blu-ray Review—Oct. 8, 2013—Sony, 118 min., not rated, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1953's From Here to Eternity boasts a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by director Fred Zinnemann's son Tim Zinnemann and screenwriter Alvin Sargent (who had an uncredited role), an “Eternal History: Graphics-in-Picture Track” viewing option with new interviews and rare photos, excerpts from “Fred Zinnemann: As I See It” (10 min.), a vintage “making-of” featurette (3 min.), and lobby cards. Bottom line: an Oscar-winning classic shines on Blu-ray.]