The Old Man &
The Sea
Picture: C-
Sound: C- Extras: D Film: B
Most people are confused by Ernest Hemingway and what they
fail to realize is that he captures people being people within his novels,
short stories, etc. The Old Man and the Sea is a
classic example of a story that is not always exciting or thrilling, then
again, the reality of life is that there are often boring moments. Likewise, the film adaptations that I have
seen from this novel such as the Spencer Tracy version from 1958 as well as
this made-for-TV version starring Anthony Quinn also capture that ‘real life’
quality. People these days misinterpret
what reality is and when you have so many reality-based shows corrupting
television it is no wonder! These
so-called reality shows are becoming a joke!
This version is very similar and authentic to the source
material. I am guessing that most
people are familiar with the novel since it’s usually required reading at some
point in general education courses.
Some hated it, while others probably looked past the pacing of the text
and began looking deeper into the story.
They may have told their friends they hated it, but deep down
didn’t. While the production value here
is not spectacular, it is still a solid experience with Anthony Quinn
performing brilliantly even this late in his career.
A story like this reminds me of what Stanley Kubrick was
doing with many of his films during the middle of his career. The best two examples are found in 2001: A Space Odyssey and especially Barry Lyndon. In those two films Kubrick wanted to take you to a new place and
at a new pace. He wasn’t worried or
concerned with telling a rushed story, but rather wanted to bring the viewer
into the story by just telling it in an unhurried, yet complete way. By doing so, the payoff is more
rewarding. You need buildup in order to
garner excitement. In today’s age of
cinema there are nearly no conventions left after so many have been exploited
for keeping the audience actively involved with the characters and the
story. Since there is little
development given to these two fundamental areas, the cinema is on the
decline.
The quality on this disc is sadly not all that great. In fact, it’s more inconsistent than
anything else. The full-frame image
appears washed out and constantly soft or overly grainy. Some scenes standout a bit and look better,
but for the most part it looks like a very poorly recycled analog transfer that
has not been taken care of too well.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio is also nothing impressive and sometimes a
bit harsh. In short, this disc is not a
winner when it comes to its presentation.
There are no extras to be found, but oddly enough I found a trailer for
this film on another release from Koch and here is the real kicker. The trailer looked better than the print
used here!!! Go figure.
Recommended only if you are A. the biggest Anthony Quinn
fan and also happen to be a Ernest Hemingway advocate or B. you are writing a
report for school and desperately need to see this film because you don’t’ feel
like reading the book. If you happen to
be both A and B, well, then you are in great hands. Others will obviously want to wait for either a better edition or
find someone who is A and B and borrow it.
- Nate Goss
