Heaven
& Earth (1993/Warner Bros/Twilight Time Limited Edition
Blu-ray)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: C Film: B-
PLEASE
NOTE: This
Blu-ray disc is now only available from our friends at Twilight Time,
is limited to only 3,000 copies and can be ordered while supplies
last at the link below.
Now
on Blu-ray and based on the memoirs of a true story, Le Ly (Hiep Thi
Li) is a young Vietnamese woman born into a country that has always
been occupied by foreign powers in Oliver Stone's epic-length film
Heaven & Earth (1993). Surrounded by war, the people
constantly lived in fear and poverty, fear of whichever government
would take away their property or lives, poverty because of what the
soldiers did. The boys go off to die in wars, and the girls are
brutalized and raped by the soldiers, but even so, life goes on and
the farmers were able to find peace and joy in their simple lives. A
girl's only chance to better her life is by marrying an American
soldier (Tommy Lee Jones), but when Le Ly comes to America she
discovers even though she had left her home country, she did not
leave her troubles behind.
Le
Ly thought by marrying an American soldier she would be able to move
to America, the land of opportunity and the greatest country in the
world, where people's rights and happiness would be respected and
protected by the law. But after arriving in America, she discovers
she is treated like a second class citizen, seen as a traitor to her
countrymen by marrying their enemy and an evil seductress by
Americans for marrying an American soldier. She also discovers her
husband is a violent drunk and suffers from PTSD, but not that he is
traumatized by the war, but for the fact he loves it and loves
killing people. He both threatens to kill her (with a gun to her
head) or commit suicide if she doesn't obey him. Le Ly ends up being
used, having an affair and finally becoming a divorced single mother
afterwards, but her life comes full circle when she returns to her
home country and is able to makes peace with herself and her past.
Oliver
Stone is one of the few American directors who aren't afraid to look
at the darker side of American history and culture. While it doesn't
not represent all Americans, it is still a true story and reminds
people of the nature of being on the 'winning side', that someone
else must lose. This film was made back in the days when people
still believed the greatest happiness a woman can get was marriage
and in being faithful and obeying her husband. People can blame
misfortune and unhappiness on their circumstances or past karma, and
think they can prevent it by understanding or accepting it but the
real truth is learning how to live with themselves afterwards. Joan
Chen, Dustin Nguyen, Robert John Burke and an uncredited Jeffrey
Jones are among the supporting cast.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot by the great
Robert Richardson, A.S.C, but the print can look a little strained at
times, but is good otherwise, while the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1
track is as good as it is going to sound with consistent surrounds
and a smart-enough sound mix typical of Stone's films at the time.
Extras include and illustrated booklet with another solid essay by
Julie Kirgo in the Blu-ray case, while the disc adds classic
feature-length audio commentary with Oliver Stone, deleted scenes,
alternate opening and trailer.
To
order
the Heaven
& Earth
limited edition Blu-ray, buy it among many other great gems while
supplies last at this link:
www.screenarchives.com
-
Nicholas Sheffo
