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Synopsis
THE VICTORS follows American G.I.'s in their march through Europe during World War II. Its anti-war theme made the battles frightening rather than heroic, and much focus was given to the war-ravaged villages through which the soldiers pass, and the women and girls who inhabit the towns.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2.4 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: An epic and unusual anti-war drama about WWII, writer-director Carl Foreman's heavily ironic saga is loosely based on the novel The Human Kind by Alexander Baron. It follows the adventures of an American infantry platoon based in Sicily that participates in the invasion of France, marches into Germany, and remains there for the Allied post-war occupation. Interspersed during the nearly three-hour film are vignettes of silly newsreel scenes from the home front. These are contrasted with disturbing incidents from the war. George Peppard plays Corporal Chase, who has an affair with a woman who wants him to desert to help her run a black market business. He visits the wounded Sergeant Craig (Eli Wallach) in the hospital and finds that most of his face has been blown away. Sgt. Trower (George Hamilton) takes up with a woman who turns out to be a prostitute The plot is highly episodic, with characters coming and going. Originally released at 175 minutes, the picture was withdrawn from distribution and edited down to 156 minutes to place greater emphasis on onscreen action. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, Golden Globes, ...The Victors
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Victors is truly one of the great anti-war movies - and yet sadly overlooked in many quarters. There are no heroes in this film, just ordinary, scruffy, tired and dirty soldiers trying to come to terms with finding themselves in a series of unenviable and frightening situations; or perhaps they are heroes in the sense that many of the characters try to retain some dignity and morality in the insanity of war.
There are some genuinely shocking scenarios, such as the sequence where an American soldier, found guilty of desertion, is led to his death by firing squad in the snow-covered landscape of Christmas 1944 (based on a true event), with soundtrack accompaniment of Frank Sinatra singing 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. This is just one more element in the gradual breaking down of the film's protagonists.
I'll knock one star off for the missing half-hour that another reviewer so rightly points out and I do understand his frustration. It's just that I don't think potential viewers should be put off watching the film because of missing footage - it's no fault of the director, actors or writer. I understand the studio cut the film within weeks of its original release and I'm wondering if no salvageable full-length versions exist. Given the choice, I'd rather see 146 minutes of the original 175 minutes than no film at all.
Great art work on the box cover incidentally.
There are some genuinely shocking scenarios, such as the sequence where an American soldier, found guilty of desertion, is led to his death by firing squad in the snow-covered landscape of Christmas 1944 (based on a true event), with soundtrack accompaniment of Frank Sinatra singing 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. This is just one more element in the gradual breaking down of the film's protagonists.
I'll knock one star off for the missing half-hour that another reviewer so rightly points out and I do understand his frustration. It's just that I don't think potential viewers should be put off watching the film because of missing footage - it's no fault of the director, actors or writer. I understand the studio cut the film within weeks of its original release and I'm wondering if no salvageable full-length versions exist. Given the choice, I'd rather see 146 minutes of the original 175 minutes than no film at all.
Great art work on the box cover incidentally.
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Victors was cut from 175 minutes to 154 minutes during the first weeks of it's release. The shortened running time of the DVD is a consequence of the transfer to the PAL broadcast system adopted in Europe, Australia, and elsewhere, which results in the movie being displayed at 25 frames Per Second, rather than the original Cinema rate of 24 Frames Per Second. This standard applies to all movies transferred to VHS or DVD, or broadcast on television, in those regions. The result is an apparent loss of approximately two and a half minutes per hour.
North America and Japan use a system called NTSC, which broadcasts at 29.976 Frames Per Second. In these regions, instead of 'speeding up' the movie, broadcasters use a technique of duplicating frames to achieve the necessary frame rate during transmission. Because this is done using half frames the 'padding' is barely noticeable, and the movie retains it's original running time. DVD players from these regions do the 'padding' during playback, so the disk is capable of being played at the enhanced frame rate or the original frame rate.
The historical reason for these discrepancies lies in the need for broadcasters and manufacturers to tune their equipment to the mains frequencies of the different regions (50Hz in Europe, 60 Hz in North America). The microprocessor age has seen the widespread introduction of consumer equipment adaptable to multiple standards, so Blu-Ray transfers automatically preserve the original frame rates.
North America and Japan use a system called NTSC, which broadcasts at 29.976 Frames Per Second. In these regions, instead of 'speeding up' the movie, broadcasters use a technique of duplicating frames to achieve the necessary frame rate during transmission. Because this is done using half frames the 'padding' is barely noticeable, and the movie retains it's original running time. DVD players from these regions do the 'padding' during playback, so the disk is capable of being played at the enhanced frame rate or the original frame rate.
The historical reason for these discrepancies lies in the need for broadcasters and manufacturers to tune their equipment to the mains frequencies of the different regions (50Hz in Europe, 60 Hz in North America). The microprocessor age has seen the widespread introduction of consumer equipment adaptable to multiple standards, so Blu-Ray transfers automatically preserve the original frame rates.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I remember the Victors when it was first shown in the cinema in 1963 and I recently purchased the DVD to see how I would react to it now and after watching the film it still has considerable impact if not quite the same as when I watched it the first time around. At its heart the Victors is a deeply anti-war film showing what war does to human beings and in particular to a group of young American GIs and the people they come into contact with in the second world war between 1942 and 1945. It shows that there is no glory in war only killing, brutality, futility, degredation, exploitation and waste. It starts in London in 1942 with two increasingly terrified newly arrived GIs played by George Peppard and George Hamilton standing guard during the blitz as bombers come nearer and nearer and unload their bombs close to where they are standing and how after that how they gradually become hardened to war because of what they see and experience in Sicily and western Europe after D-Day.
Some of the techniques used like an army deserter being executed against a soundtrack of cheerful Christmas carols and two of the victorious soldiers, an American GI and a Russian soldier killing each other simultaneously after they had won the war symbolising the cold war that was to come are a bit obvious but nevertheless the film is a fine, memorable and powerful work by Carl Foremen and there is much to commend in it.
Some of the techniques used like an army deserter being executed against a soundtrack of cheerful Christmas carols and two of the victorious soldiers, an American GI and a Russian soldier killing each other simultaneously after they had won the war symbolising the cold war that was to come are a bit obvious but nevertheless the film is a fine, memorable and powerful work by Carl Foremen and there is much to commend in it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Could have been better
I saw this picture many years ago, and must say that I didn't remember it quite well. In my country it has been unobtainable, so i ordered a copy abroad at the first occasion. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Robbie the Fisherman
Shortened Victors
Although Carl Foremans one and only effort as director this short version 150 minutes (Original version 170 minutes)
still is one of the best war movies. Read more
still is one of the best war movies. Read more
Published 3 months ago by lindsay devereux
The Victors dvd
The most disappointing dvd that it has ever been my misfortune to purchase. The wide screen cinemascope type picture makes viewing whilst not impossible certainly difficult and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by ken
dvd of ww 2
Bought as Christmas gift,a particular favourite of new owner
has been viewed a couple of times already and probably many more to come.
has been viewed a couple of times already and probably many more to come.
Published 4 months ago by ISABAIQ
Excellent
A great movie finally on DVD. Have looked for this movie for a long time because it does not seem to be shown on TV. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Dubliner
good viewing
The Victors was a little slow to start with,but as the film went on it showed the courage of the men who went behind enemy lines to help secure the success of D-day. Read more
Published 11 months ago by jimmy
Uneven anti-war epic
The film follows a small platoon of American soldiers during WWII and its aftermath from 1942 to 1946 as they work their way through England, France, Italy and Germany. Read more
Published 14 months ago by The CinemaScope Cat
Excellent but heavily cut
Have wanted this movie for years, great to have it now but there is so much cut out that it is disappointing, especially as it isn't exactly cheap 40 years after release.
Published 16 months ago by A. Brooks
Where's the rest of the movie?
146 minutes? The original running time is almost 3 hours, and it seems that political correctness has chopped off even more of this version (it was even in cinemas hard to see the... Read more
Published on 30 April 2010 by Mother Teresa
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