Home Media Magazine - April 27 - May 3, 2008 - (Page 20) REVIEWS I THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN COLOR Street 4/29 Acorn, Documentary, $24.99 DVD, NR. Narrated by Art Malik. Edited by John Latchem I THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE Street 4/29 Genius/Weinstein, Drama, $24.95 two-DVD set, $39.92 threeDVD set, NR. Stars Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Christopher Plummer, Omar Sharif, James Mason, Mel Ferrer. T hough its title suggests a high-minded political farce, The British Empire in Color is actually a serious depiction of the final years of British imperialism. The story is told entirely through narration over color film culled from various archives, and accompanied by beautiful, haunting music by Chris Elliot. The program is the third installment in a series of British television specials that previously focused on Britain’s role in World War II. The remarkable footage dates back to 1926, as Britain recovers from World War I, and runs through the turnover of Hong Kong in 1997. The footage has been meticulously restored, as documented in a making-of featurette. amuel Bronston’s epic 1964 production of The Fall of the Roman Empire, like the nation it depicts, seemed to collapse under its own weight. Bronston and director Anthony Mann had scored a huge success with El Cid in 1961 and hoped to continue their momentum with Roman Empire. It turned out to be one of the most expensive films ever produced and was a box office flop. Bronston biographer Mel Martin attributes this rejection to unfortunate timing. The film debuted not long after the John F. Kennedy assassination, and its political themes did not mesh with a nation trying to recover. Many critics turned against the film’s downer ending, and audiences preferred lighter fare such as Mary Poppins. The timing of this DVD, on the other hand, S is much more fortuitous. The film’s depiction of an empire at a crossroads is a better fit with the current political climate. The plot covers much of the same ground as Gladiator, released in 2000, but is somehow a bit grander in scope. Both films trace the rise of the power-mad emperor Commodus following the death of the wise Marcus Aurelius. Where Gladiator delved into a revenge tale of a man scorned by the new emperor, Bronston’s film seizes upon this moment of transition as a focal point for the eventual collapse of Rome. It begins with the optimism of a world united in peace under the prosperity of the Roman flag, and ends with a government irreversibly plunged into the chaos of corruption. As the second release in The Weinstein Co.’s premium Miriam Collection, the Roman Empire DVD presentation is exquisite. The film was beautifully shot and its remastered cinematography looks great. The filmmakers ended up building a faithful reproduction of parts of Rome in fields outside Madrid, some of the largest sets ever created. These sets later were put to good use in a series of educational films by Encyclopedia Britannica, which are included on a third disc in the deluxe boxed set. Also included is a featurette about the historical accuracy of the film. The DVD’s biggest downside is the lack of deleted scenes — a note on the DVD states some footage was found too late to be included. About 40 minutes were removed from the original cut to bring the running time to about three hours, and the film suffers from some occasional choppy editing as a result, a fact lamented by a number of the commentators. – John Latchem While the British Empire brought progress and education to its territories, it also brought prejudice and a legacy of racial resentment. Indigenous populations have all but been supplanted by generations of white settlers. None of the lasting effects of the empire are as far-reaching as Britain’s botched attempts to regulate Jewish settlement in the Middle East. Britain’s greatest holding, India, earned independence in 1947, and colonies in Africa had become hugely expensive to maintain by the 1950s. A 1956 attempt to hold onto the Suez Canal against Egyptian claims resulted in embarrassment when Britain was forced to retreat after the United States refused to intervene. By then, Britain’s imperial might was all but gone, and by the end of the 1960s most of its African colonies, such as Kenya, had gained independence. On a fundamental level, many of these struggles are not unlike American efforts to shake British rule more than 200 years ago. Anyone interested in history should see this DVD. – John Latchem setting brings the added and constant threat of soldiers having to leave home and go to war. The characters are all hyper-aware of the Prebook 4/29; Street 6/10 sword that hangs over each of their heads. Disney, Drama, $39.99 three-DVD set, NR. The base is a cross section of America, Stars Kim Delaney, Catherine Bell, Sally Pressman, Brigid Brannagh, populated by a diverse array of characters. Brian McNamara, Sterling K. Brown, Wendy Davis, Drew Fuller. One woman, tired of struggling financially, rmy Wives” is a contemporary becomes a surrogate for a childless couple. take on the familiar television dra- Another, unwilling to obey the edict that army ma with interlocking storylines. wives don’t work outside the home, takes a In addition to all of the trials and challenges job as a bartender. And when his wife returns of modern family life, the show’s Army base home from Iraq suffering from post-traumat- I ARMY WIVES: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON “A ic stress disorder, an Army husband must help her to recognize that if they are to continue as a couple she can’t hold everything in. The last episode ends with a cliffhanger that leaves in question who will make it to season two. In addition to all 13 episodes of the Lifetime series’ first season, the set includes a number of extras that will interest fans of the series. There is the obligatory blooper reel, 20 Home Media Magazine April 27–May 3, 2008
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