The Crossing (1 Viewer)

[The General]

Many years ago I rented The Crossing with Jeff Daniels from the local video store. I loved it.

At the time The Patriot (with Mel Gibson & Heath Ledger) had not yet been realeased and so it was the only American War of Independance film I could get my hands on.

You can't get it here in Oz on DVD so I ordered it from Amazon.com.

The quality was very poor and the picture was jumping a fair bit. I hasten to add that my DVD player has been encoded to play all international DVDs. Does anyone have a copy of it on DVD? If so, is their copy okay?

Was I just unlucky to cop a dodgey copy?

I just thought I'd save myself the trouble of ordering a second copy and finding out that that one was crap too.

 

[OzDigger]

I guess you have made the necessary adjustments to your tv menu to ensure it can auto adjust to the American NTSC format.

 

[theBaron]

I have a factory copy and it plays without problem, I agree with OzDigger, it may be the settings on your TV itself.

The Crossing is a great movie. I think Jeff Daniels does a fine job as Washington. Remember when you watch it, though, the movie is actually based on a historical novel about the crossing, so while it is relatively close to a historical account of those events, it has some dramatization.

I was able to enjoy The Patriot more when I made that same realization about that movie. The first time I saw it, I thought to myself that it was inaccurate-I was especially irrated by the scene in which Gibson melts down German toy soldiers from the 1880s to make musket balls. But later, I watched Northwest Passage, which, I think, makes no pretense of being a documentary or a historical drama. It's an action-adventure, set against the backdrop of the French and Indian War. The light went off for me then about The Patriot, and I was able to enjoy it, instead of changing channels whenever it comes on.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Dickbuttons]

If you have read Kenneth Robert's book, "Northwest Passage", I suggest you will see that the movie was based entirely upon the first half of the book, and follows the book pretty closely.

 

[theBaron]

Right, the movie is based on Robert's historical novel, not strictly on historical reconds of the war.

To illustrate my point about looking at a movie as a drama in a historical setting as opposed to a documentary, look at how the Rangers' uniform were portrayed. They are shown in the movie with a higher degree of standardization than probably obtained back then, and was there ever a time when they mustered in regimental strength and marched off in a column of ranks and files? The movie is meant to be enjoyed as a story, in my opinion, rather than as a reference.

Same thing with "The Patriot." Once I stopped noting the details that were relatively unhistoric, I was able to enjoy the story more.

Prost!
Brad

 

[L Flowers]

The Crossing was a good movie. I also enjoyed The Patriot. It actually made me want to read more about the American Revolution. Being that I grew up in Massachusetts I had already been exposed to Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, etc on many a school field trip. The Patriot made me want to learn more about Francis Marion "The Swamp Fox", another guerilla fighter called "The Game Cock" and a few others that Gibson's character was a composite of.

I was looking for a movie starring either Kirk or Michael Douglas that was put out in 1976-1977 where he played a continental officer. I have looked in every movie directory but can't find it mentioned. It might have been shown to us in school or maybe made for tv but I remember a Douglas being in it and it being about the American Revolution. Anyone remember this?

 

[UKReb]

The Crossing was a good movie. I also enjoyed The Patriot. It actually made me want to read more about the American Revolution. Being that I grew up in Massachusetts I had already been exposed to Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, etc on many a school field trip. The Patriot made me want to learn more about Francis Marion "The Swamp Fox", another guerilla fighter called "The Game Cock" and a few others that Gibson's character was a composite of.

I was looking for a movie starring either Kirk or Michael Douglas that was put out in 1976-1977 where he played a continental officer. I have looked in every movie directory but can't find it mentioned. It might have been shown to us in school or maybe made for tv but I remember a Douglas being in it and it being about the American Revolution. Anyone remember this?

I think your circa maybe a bit out as the film you describe is possibly The Devil's Disciple adapted from a George Bernard Shaw play. The film was mid 60's and starred Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster as some kind of preacher.
Sir Larry Olivier did a pretty good job as Gentleman Johnny-Gen. John Burgoyne.
Reb

 

[L Flowers]

That is probably it. I was thinking that it was mid 70s because in 1976 (US Bicentennial) I remember seeing it at school or on this bicentennial train that we took a field trip to.

 

[Scott]

The Crossing was shown on A&E cable here in the US. Daniels was great as Washington.


You might be able to find Revolution (1985)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089913/

I know it's on VHS and some DVD formats..

"This big and sometimes messy movie achieves the seemingly impossible: it demythologizes the American Revolution and lets us see it in a completely new light. Hugh Hudson (Chariots of Fire) has directed a starkly beautiful, powerfully visceral portrait of war from the point of view of the little people who are swept along in its wake. Al Pacino is Tom Dobb, a
poor, illiterate trapper bringing up a young son when rebellion breaks out in New York. Dobb's small boat is requisitioned for the war effort, and he and his son become reluctant conscripts. It takes six months and some truly vile treatment by the British before the conflict becomes personal for Dobb and he makes the American cause his own. The Dobb family's tale intersects that of British Sergeant Major Peasy (a formidable Donald Sutherland) and his own son. As the tide of the war turns, the enemies' fortunes are reversed. Tom's love interest, Daisy McConnahay (Nastassja Kinski), is a fiery beauty who breaks from her family of wealthy Tories (British sympathizers) to fight for freedom. Kinski is wonderful as a living Lady Liberty, and Pacino has some extraordinary moments of raw emotion as Dobb. The film's highlights include authentic, grisly re-creations of famous Revolutionary War battles, including Yorktown and Valley Forge. This movie will draw you in, gradually but inexorably, as it creates its convincing and compelling world."

Theres two versions of Devils Disciple out there...

The Devil's Disciple (1959)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052735/


The Devil's Disciple (1987) (TV)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133712/

I've enjoyed both of them for the writing and acting. Some authenticity too to both.



Another one...

Benedict Arnold - A Question of Honor (2003)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0321416/

Kind of over blown but Kelsey Grammer made a pretty good P!$$ed Off Washington.


Yet another one..

April Morning (1988) (TV)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094673/

 

[The General]

I guess you have made the necessary adjustments to your tv menu to ensure it can auto adjust to the American NTSC format.

Yeah OzDigger, I don't know if it has anything to do with my television set as I have a few U.S. edition DVDs that aren't available here in Australia such as Buffalo Soldiers (with Danny Glover) and Rough Riders (with Tom Berenger) which both play okay on my DVD player and television.

I used a free "DVD player hacker" website to access a code which unlocked my player allowing me to view all regions.

I think most new DVD players are multi-region anyway.

 

[The General]

My second copy of The Crossing arrived today.

This time I ordered it through an eBay shop known as Little Big Wars.

This one is a better copy than the last but is still poor quality.

 

[theBaron]

Is it a factory copy, or one that the seller or someone else made himself?

You might want to order via amazon.com or another commercial outlet, rather than via eBay and the secondary market. The material is more likely to be warranted for quality and replacement.

Prost!
Bradley

 

[The General]

You might want to order via amazon.com

Unfortunately that was where my first copy came from.

 

[theBaron]

Hmm...was there any info in the sleeve about a replacement warranty?

 

[The General]

Hmm...was there any info in the sleeve about a replacement warranty?

I couldn't be bothered Baron. Most DVD's are very well made and but a small number leave a lot to be desired. I think this is simply one of the latter.

Someday I'll grab another copy when they re-release it in a different format when DVD's are upgraded (a la HD/Blu-ray) or indeed obsolete.

 

[Cornwallis]

I enjoyed The Crossing and it was nice to see some Hessians on screen!

Also just finished watching John Adams a few weeks back and thought that was well done to. (I liked the big scene of all the Redcoats disembarking from the ships and marching through the streets)!

 

[cantinetozzo]

I'd like to see again this film !There's no way to find it here in Italy..i remember a great film..but i didn't know so much about the hitorical contest when i've seen it 7 years ago..

 

[theBaron]

Try amazon.com, though I'm afraid you might only find an undubbed English version. It is a very good movie.

Prost!
Brad

 

[cantinetozzo]

Thanks , i can follow movies in english but with subs (even english) is better ,i've searched on Emule but nothing..even in Uk there's no dvd version...i hope in some tv replica...