1941 [Collector's Edition]

The movie is loud, rambling, and rambunctious, with dozens of gags that fall flat. A riot in the streets, a crash landing in the La Brea Tar Pits, and a wild tank ride through a paint factory are but a few of the film´s noisy superfluities. Then, in what would appear to make an overlong movie even more drawn-out and disjointed, Universal´s Collector´s Edition restores about thirty minutes of footage not included in the original theatrical release. But the added scenes are mainly transitional and, surprise, help give a greater sense of continuity to the goings on, especially in establishing DiCicco´s part as a focal point for the story. The USO jitterbug contest and the ensuing brawl, a sequence that lasts a good twenty minutes, and later a giant Ferris wheel rolling into the sea are themselves worth the price of the disc. As usual, John Williams provides the film score, this time embracing a rousing march that accompanies most of the action. It´s unrelenting and after a while a little grating, but it adds to the sense of occasion. And there´s that Big Band sound of the era that´s great to listen to. Spielberg said he wanted to do the whole thing as a musical but couldn´t bring himself to follow through on his convictions.

Video:
The widescreen picture is very wide, indeed, at approximately 2.17:1 and delivers over forty per cent more image than the standard pan-and-scan version available on tape. The picture quality is soft and smooth, but because of the filmmakers´ extensive use of smoke to set the mood, it all seems slightly veiled; the smoke washes out the colors as it enshrouds most of the settings, both indoors and out. The effect makes sense--everyone´s in a fog throughout the story, a fact established from the opening scene--but the diffuse colors take a while to get used to. The print betrays some signs of wear as well, minor lines and scratches and such, and the non-anamorphic transfer shows a bit of fuzz around the edges, some grain, and a few moire effects.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sonics are extended in frequency range and dynamics, wide in stereo spread, and decently dispersed in the rear channels. But the sound is over bright in the midrange, and voices are oddly pinched, metallic, and nasal, negating much of the good we hear elsewhere.

Extras:
The bonus items include the aforementioned extra footage; a documentary almost two hours long on the making of the film, apparently produced for laser disc in 1995; a score of deleted scenes; storyboard photos; publicity materials; and an outstanding sixty chapter stops!

Parting Thoughts:
The picture and sound properties may be disappointing, and the film´s over indulgences continue unabated in the DVD presentation. Spielberg admits he wasn´t quite sure what his vision was in this production and purposely threw in everything but the kitchen sink. Yet, all in all, viewers will be in for a good time if they have the patience to endure some of the sillier elements. "Did I get ´em?" asks Ned Beatty after taking a shot at the enemy submarine. "Close, Ward, close," is the reply. It pretty well sums up the film.

---

---