How The West Was Won (Blu-ray)
Inspired by the majesty of a vast and unsettled land, this exhilarating film follows the adventures of one determined family in their relentless drive westward. For three generations, the Prescotts take on treacherous rapids, ruthless gunfighters, barbarous pirates and even runaway locomotives in their ardent pursuit of land, gold and glory in the American west.
Member Reviews
Worth a look - Hawk639
The movie was filmed in cenerama, it required 3 cameras with 3 films on a large curved screen. You can kinda see the lines where the films crossed. It looks a little wierd and cometimes it appears the world is curved, but all in all it is a good view. You will see the infamous black bars even on a widescreen tv though, so be prepared.
Now the movie itself is a typical 50's western. It bosts an amazing group of stars and all of them are at their best. I read the book written by Louis L'Amour based off the film first, and I must admit was a little dissapointed. But still really enjoyed it.Impressive achievement - Cine_Fan
The Blu-ray version of this classic film will reward film lovers with several evenings of unique entertainment. This marked the last feature made in Cinerama, a revolutionary system that employed 3 synchronized cameras and a curved screen. The technique provided a highly realistic viewing experience that inspired the modern widescreen format. It also employed a discrete multichannel soundtrack in the days when stereo was a novelty.
This movie was designed as an extravaganza to take full advantage of the format. There are many big stars, numerous stunning panoramas and some action sequences that are especially well done, including a train robbery and bison stampede. There is also a wonderful score that is used to great effect.
The digital high definition transfer is quite good. While home theatre can never recreate the massive curved screen experience, it can do something theatres never could: through digital blending the obvious lines separating the three films have been largely removed in the DVD version. The colours are highly saturated and pleasing.
The 5.1 Dolby Digital audio is a disappointment. Fortunately this Blu-ray has a Dolby True HD uncompressed option. If you have the gear to decode it you’ll hear a big improvement.
The only weak point is the screenplay itself. Based on a series of short stories, it follows several members of a family as they settle the West. It’s mostly corny clichés and pretentious grandiosity. If you look past the hokiness and just enjoy the spectacle you’ll have a good time.
Extras on disk 1 include commentary and a 90 minute documentary on the diehards and visionaries who created Cinerama.
Only about a dozen features were released in this format before it was replaced by the 70 mm panoramic print. Some reviewers who saw movies in Cinerama in the 50’s and 60’s claim the vivid reality has not been equaled, even by IMAX. This Blu-ray DVD allows you to appreciate some of that experience.
Member Reviews
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Worth a look - Hawk639
The movie was filmed in cenerama, it required 3 cameras with 3 films on a large curved screen. You can kinda see the lines where the films crossed. It looks a little wierd and cometimes it appears the world is curved, but all in all it is a good view. You ...Impressive achievement - Cine_Fan
The Blu-ray version of this classic film will reward film lovers with several evenings of unique entertainment. This marked the last feature made in Cinerama, a revolutionary system that employed 3 synchronized cameras and a curved screen. The technique provided ...