Review of Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, The (Special Edition)

Introduction

This is the second DVD of this film to be released in region 2. The original version was released in January 2001, and it`s quite unusual for films of this age to get 2 releases in such a short time span. There are also rumours of a possible Criterion release (they`ve already got a Laserdisc version with a commentary track featuring Martin Scorsese - why won`t he commentate on his own films?)

The film was made in 1942 by Powell & Pressburger, who you may know from such films as The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus. And it stirred up quite a fuss, with Churchill wanting to ban the film, due to its portrayal of British forces. It didn`t get banned in the end, as it seems that to do so would have been illegal, although there is still much debate about this as there may have been some obscure, vaguely-worded law that the film might have fallen foul of.

Colonel Blimp was a newspaper cartoon character created in the 1930s, who was often seen satirising military and political issues of the age. He isn`t a character in the film, but is represented by the character of Clive Candy, portrayed by Roger Livesey. The story is told mostly in flashback and follows the Army career of Candy.

Video

A full frame 1.33:1 transfer, which is how the film was shot some 60 years ago. One of the earliest British films to use Technicolor stock, you might find it hard to believe that this film was shot during World War II. The picture is reasonably good when you bear that in mind, as there`s not too much grain, dirt or dust. Colours are rather muted, but this is not unexpected.

Some of the sets do look laughable today, with plaster models used in crowd scenes, and one or two very unconvincing backdrops. But given that this film was shot when rationing was in full swing (how do you get an army vehicle with a ration book?), even with J. Arthur Rank`s massive £200,000 budget, it can be seen as quite an achievement.

Audio

A DD2.0 stereo soundtrack, which is the original mono soundtrack replayed over both channels. It`s all reasonably good considering the film was made 60 years ago and it will certainly be good enough for any fans of the film.

The two things that I noticed were the rather Carry On style pieces of music that often cropped up, and also a piece of music that was rather reminiscent of the theme from Blackadder Goes Forth.

Features

The only real extra of note is a documentary which doesn`t really offer much insight into the film, but features interviews with Stephen Fry (a huge fan), as well as Jack Cardiff (who was an assistant cameraman on the film, but went on to become a very successful cinematographer). You`ll also find some stills and some biographies.

Conclusion

This film is revered by many as a classic, but I`m afraid I have to disagree very strongly with that. It really wasn`t my cup of tea and didn`t hold my interest throughout its rather bloated running time of over two and a half hours. How did that go down in cinemas during the war I wonder? It seems like the film is missing bits, with lots of jumps in narrative and holes in the story. I`m not suggesting it`s been cut for the DVD, just that someone forgot to tell us bits of the story.

If you are a fan of this film then this DVD is a fairly good representation of it. My only concern would be the rumours of the Criterion version - you might want to wait for that given their reputation for quality discs. A reasonable disc for fans, probably won`t appeal to may others.