The Fighting Sullivans
– Commemorative Edition Set (VCI)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: B Film: B-
The Fighting Sullivans (1942 aka The
Sullivans) has been issued by several companies and it has been hard to
pick which version to get, though we looked at a decent version from Ivy a
while ago. There have been many copies
that have gone in and out of print to boot.
Now, VCI has decided to issue a set with a better picture than we have
seen before and sound that is not bad.
We will recap the previous review with updated modifications, then look
at the new extras in this set.
This is a uniquely dark film, even for Hollywood (and
especially Hollywood of its time) that traces the origins of five brothers who
grew up and would all fight in World War II.
This includes the acting style of the time for children, which was not
always the most convincing. However, it
does work enough for the film to feel more like an authentic product of its
time. No wonder every company who can
put a version out does.
What could have been outright melodramatic and sometimes
still is becomes something even darker than intended, as the children are
always the target of an abusive father, which was considered more normal at the
time and has become disturbingly acceptable again now in the ugly new political
climate, which extends to the exploitation of children worldwide. Though the box reminds us that it was part
of the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998), I
was more strongly reminded of Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter (1978,
reviewed elsewhere on this site in its own restored set) where the most
non-blood brothers in a steel town are sent to even larger doom in Vietnam, the
war that never goes away, no matter how much recent Hollywood tries to forget
about it with endless WWII films that are mostly forgettable. This reflects a media that tried to say
those who gave from WWII were “the greatest generation” before the events of
9/11/01 occurred, showing such people learned nothing from the fall of the
enlightenment.
Director Lloyd Bacon takes the material seriously, though
there is an odd obliviousness in the screenplay and directing to the true
implications of what is going on here.
The known names include Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Ward Bond, Bobby
Driscoll and Edward Ryan (no relation) as one of the kids. That they live in Waterloo, Iowa is pushing
it a bit, but it is a unique War Genre film that is worthy of note.
The full frame 1.33 X 1 image is a little sharper, clearer
and fuller than the Ivy version, and now that we’ve seen the Roan Group version
that went out of print, can say it is better than that one too. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono here fares a
little better than previous versions, but still showing the age of the
material. Extras on DVD 1 include
stills, the original trailer, and text on the actors. DVD 2 is loaded with more goodies, including a six-part tribute
section to The Sullivans, as look at The Grout Museum, a three-part look at The
U.S.S. Juneau and three-part section on survivors, which we will not explain as
not to ruin the film for you. Needless
to say VCI has gone out of their way to do an ace job of enhancing the film and
creating a truly thorough look at the lives and history behind it with stills,
interviews, historical footage and more at the level of the best
documentaries. I doubt we will see a
better version of this on DVD and is already a hot title for collectors.
- Nicholas Sheffo
