Born On The Fourth of July: Special Edition
Review by Peter
Production Year: 1989
Academy Award Winner Oliver Stone first reached critical acclaim with his 1986 Vietnam War epic Platoon. Based upon the first-hand experiences of Stone, Platoon detailed, like no other movie had, the real experiences of many young soldiers serving as grunts in the Vietnam jungle. There's no question that Oliver Stone holds a special place in his heart for Vietnam veterans and that is once again emphasized in the second movie of his Vietnam trilogy, Born On The Fourth of July. Following the success of Platoon, Stone was intent on keeping a promise he had made to a fellow Vietnam veteran, Ron Kovic, a promise that would ultimately turn Kovic's heart-wrenching book into a motion picture. Born On The Fourth of July focuses heavily on the impact the war had on the soldiers once they arrived back home, and the struggles they faced when they were thrown back into society. With Tom Cruise in the lead role as Ron Kovic, there were certainly some who might have rolled their eyes with suspicion. But Cruise's Oscar-nominated performance is without a doubt one of his best. He fully embodies this character and melts into the Kovic persona in a way that almost makes the audience forget it's just acting. Ron Kovic is the All-American boy growing up in Massapequa, New York in a working class family. Idealistic and naive, and spurred on by President Kennedy's inaugural address, Kovic responds to his nation's call for sacrifice and enlists in the US Marines right out of high school. Soon enough he's slogging through Vietnam where circumstances beyond his control will eventually force him to change from an idealistic boy into a realistic, tempered adult. It was during one of his tours of duty in Vietnam that he would witness an atrocity committed by American G.I.'s and become a casualty of the war himself. Paralyzed from the chest down, Kovic returns home only to discover that American society has rapidly changed and patriotism has taken on a whole new meaning. The film then documents Kovic's often harrowing attempts to come to grips with his past and his subsequent journey of discovery as he deals with who he wants to be. A trivia note: In keeping with Stone's all-star casting tendencies, that's an unrepentant Abbie Hoffman leading the film's anti-war protest at Syracuse University and defiantly giving the finger from the bottom of the pile of bodies after the cops move in to break things up with tear gas. Hoffman would die shortly after he filmed this role. Picture Quality Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) the transfer is respectable with an overall good picture quality containing good skin tones and saturation levels. There are a few instances where picture grain was evident along with a few digital artifacts. None of these issues interfered with the viewing or enjoyability of this picture and will probably go unnoticed by most viewers. Audio Quality We are blessed with three different audio tracks on the disc: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English 5.1 DTS and French 2.0. The audio is quite adequate throughout the film with very good use of the front channels and the surround sound atmosphere. Because this film is primarily dialogue driven it is important to mention that the center channels voice levels are excellent. For those who are hearing impaired this DVD is also equipped with English Captions plus Spanish and French Subtitles. Special Features The main special feature is an outstanding commentary from Director Oliver Stone. Stone is one of a few people who can do a commentary and hold the audience's attention throughout. Not only does he provide insight into the film but he is not afraid to inject humor when appropriate. The other special features is entitled "NBC News Archives: Back Story - Born On The Fourth of July." This short documentary of the film explains the process of how Kovic's book became a film and the huge role Oliver Stone played in making Kovic's dream become a reality. It includes interviews with Kovic, Stone and Tom Cruise, who discuss their experiences with the film among other things. Also included in this documentary is actual TV footage of Ron Kovic protesting the war. (20 minutes) Summary With a strong script, great direction by Oliver Stone and an outstanding acting performance from Tom Cruise, it's easy to see why many consider Born On The Fourth of July to be a classic. The movie documents a troubled time and place in American history through the eyes of a single man who courageously overcame major obstacles to find his rightful place in a society that had virtually abandoned him. Stone's searing movie and the DVD honor that man in unique fashion. |
