Exodus (1960)
Company: Twilight Time
Starring: Ralph Richardson, John Derek, Paul Newman, Peter
Lawford, Lee J. Cobb, Eva Marie Saint, Sal Mineo
My Review and Thoughts:
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Exodus is actually one of my favorite films. When I learned
Twilight Time was releasing it on Blu-ray I was super happy and giddy like a
kid on Christmas Morn. They did not let me down, once again a wonderful Blu-ray
product.
Exodus is a grand picture. A high scale picture. One they
call an epic setting. It’s a long film, but worth all the time you give it. The
cast is dynamic, flawless and believable in these parts. An action film with
the undercurrents of a thick drama, all the while placing the wonderful reality
of history in its ultimate completion. Clocking in at 3 hours and 28 minutes.
All one has to do is look at the cast and tell how great this film is. The pure
Hollywood handsome, golden boy Paul Newman. The beautiful, gorgeous and sexy Eva Marie Saint. The flawless mastery of Lee J. Cobb, Peter Lawford and
Ralph Richardson, should pull any lover of film into its mix of master talent. Also
starring the cute, handsome one of kind Sal Mineo. He was a golden ticket of
acting that died way to soon in horrible means. He captures the part of Dov
Landau with ultimate clarity in craftsmanship of performance. Also the
wonderful John Derek and Hugh Griffith. The beautiful Jill Haworth. The whole
cast bleeds perfection in my viewpoint.
The plot is about the founding of the state of Israel. Now
this movie is very intense, and very controversial. The first controversy is the
director hiring screen writer, the great, master word play thespian, Dalton
Trumbo. Trumbo had been blacklisted for many years because of the stupid,
asinine Communist, red scare McCarthy years. The second controversy is this
film is considered by many as the Zionist Epic. The film depicts the battle
between Israel becoming a state, and the ultimate battle of the Arabs against
the Jews. The novel itself is more critical against the British and Arab
nations during this ordeal, the movie itself softens the anti-reality toward
those countries during this battle. The main plot is about the ship Exodus,
hints the name of the film. The year is 1947. The movie then picks up in the
events, battle and ordeals of the state of Israel and Palestine in 1948. So
you have the internment camp is Cyprus which is holding thousands of Jews, which
mainly are Holocaust Survivors. These Jews are being held in these camps by the
British government, hints one of the controversy of the film, the Anti-British
setting. Simply put, the British won’t let them go to Palestine. After a break
out, a hunger strike and stand off the British fold. You then flash forward to
the ultimate struggle of the founding of the state of Israel. The battle and
the blue prints of what it took to become the state. You have many characters
and ultimate struggle, hardships and conclusion. No matter what your
beliefs are, pro or against, one cannot deny the brilliance of this film
through direction, acting, and story. Putting aside political beliefs and
looking at this as just a movie, it’s one of the great films.
Directed by one of the greats, Otto Preminger. Preminger was
and in my viewpoint a director that should be remembered, honored and spoken
about when mentioning all the great directors in film. I feel Otto has been
lost in time. When I mention him, most have no earthly idea who he is, and that
is a true shame. Otto had away with his films that dug deep into the subject,
held onto that darkened suspense, or that intense dramatic reality that was his
films. He was a director that stepped over the boundaries of subject matters
that was taboo for their time. From drugs to homosexuality. He pushed the
boundaries, and showcased a brilliance in capturing a story that always seemed
to linger in the mind of viewer long after the film was over. He mastered the
reality of creating a thick book form of storytelling through his direction. He
was a man that enjoyed pushing the limits of his time, by adding eye opening
and taboo realities. He seemed to almost laugh in the face of censorship, but
that is what makes him a shining artist of film making. From the movies, Laura, Where the
Sidewalk Ends (which might I add Twilight Time released on a special edition
Blu-ray which you can read my review for it HERE), The Man with the Golden Arm,
Anatomy of Murder, Bunny Lake is Missing, (which might I add Twilight Time
released on a special edition Blu-ray which you can read my review for it HERE)
and so many others including this personal favorite of mine, 1960’s Exodus. I
could go on and on about his films. He mastered so many.
Audio/Video:
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Again no flaw, or anything worth mentioning. A beautiful
transfer. High definition. Vibrant colors and perfection in sound. Beauty that Twilight Time has released again.
High quality in all the senses of Blu-ray perfection. Simply put, a must own.
LANGUAGE: English
VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 2.35:1
AUDIO: English 5.1, 4.0 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA
SUBTITLES: English SDH
1960 / Color
Extras:
My Rating: 2 out of 5
I would have loved to see more special features on this
grand film but that’s all right, just having this film on Blu-ray is great
enough.
Isolated Music & Effects Track. Something I absolutely love about most of the
Twilight Time Blu-ray’s is the special feature of the isolated score. The
mastery of the films music score is always a plus. I loved being able to
experience the music score in an isolated format on this Special Edition 3,000-unit
production. A true plus for any movie buff and most of all music buff.
Hearing Composer and songwriter Ernest Gold’s music mastery
on this disc is ear numbing perfection. He had away with capturing ear candy.
An excellent means to cause reaction through his musical mastery.
Original Theatrical Trailer
Overall:
This has never looked or sounded any better. Twilight Time
has done it again and mastered another wonderful Blu-ray to own, and watch over
and over again. Twilight Time puts such great effort into their products, and
Exodus showcases that ultimate beauty. Highly Recommended.
INFO:
Make sure you head over to www.screenarchives.com to buy all
the wonderful Twilight Time Blu-rays. The main page that gives you these
beautiful releases on top quality Special Editions.
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