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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"The Best Years of Our Lives" is a sobering depiction of lives forever changed by WWII. When returning soldiers, Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), Al Stephenson (Frederic March) and Homer Parrish (real life amputee, Harold Russell) return from the battlefield, they find a society that has moved on without them. Fred's high stepping girlfriend (Virginia Mayo) is on the cusp of liberating herself in the arms of another man, Al's children are all grown up and Homer's fiancée (Cathy O'Donnell) must readjust to the fact that her one time lover no longer has the use of his hands. The re-assimilation of these men into their former lives is genuinely poignant, heartbreaking, yet ultimately, life affirming.
But the DVD transfer is an absolute travesty. Not only is the gray scale poorly rendered, with insufficient black levels and low contrast, but there is also so much film grain and age related artifacts present that the film is virtually un-viewable. Worse, digital anomalies, aliasing, shimmering, edge enhancement, abound and are thoroughly distracting. The audio -- remixed by CHACE sound is amply presented. A previously available version of this film distributed by HBO had a documentary on the making of the film (though there too the transfer of the film was pure junk).
The re-released transfer from MGM does not include the documentary. This film will get a better transfer somewhere down the road. On this journey however, the wise DVD consumer would do best to steer clear! |
