Rating: 
Summary: "I never knew it would be like that"
Review: "I never knew it would be like that." is what Deborah Kerr says of her torrid affair with muscular Burt Lancaster. Who can forget that unforgettable scene on the beach in Hawaii where Burt and Deborah are locked in a passionate embrace. No nudity or foul language but so much more erotic and the meaning is unmistakable. A classic. They don't make 'em like that anymore!
Rating: 
Summary: No widescreen???
Review: In response to those complaining of the full-screen format, it should be understood that the film was not shot in that format!!! Studios later adopted the widescreen in response to t.v., reasoning that, if movies offered something extra, like the widescreen, television owners would go to the theaters and not sit at home in front of the full-screen format television!
Rating:
Summary: AFI top 100- Winner of 8 Oscars-Including Best Movie 1953!!
Review: "From Here to Eternity" made from Best Seller book of 1951 written by James Jones. Now digitally re-mastered both in video and sound provides us with this classic on DVD with background extras. The cast (Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Cliff, Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra)was perfectly chosen and proved by the 13 Oscar nominations and winner of 8 including "Best Picture and Director - Fred Zinneman". Frank Sinatras "Best Supporting Actor" come back role is just the beginning.
In Summary: a few days prior to Pearl Harbor we find ourselves involved with these military characters and women struggling to find better lives in the volatile world of 1941. Knowing war is coming they try desparately to make their lives more meanigfully. The main focus is around the Army life style and how their lives were effected by events they had no real control over. Lancaster played a top sergeant having an affair with his Company Commanders wife (Kerr), Cliff and Sinatra were 2 soldiers in the same company who befriend each other and end up both being killed by circumstances in this troubled time of December 7, 1941.
This Black & White classic film broke all kinds of barriers for subject matter and character/star representation. Reed as a saloon gal. Kerr as a steamy temptress (infamous Beach Love scene with Lancaster).
Sit back and take a ride "FROM HERE TO ETERNITY".
Rating:
Summary: Still Powerful, Poignant and Memorable.
Review: From Here to Eternity is the highly regarded and awarded film from 1953, that explores the lives of hard drinking Army men stationed at Pearl Harbor, who don't always play by the rules. It's a film that is much more frank than most films of its era in its depictions of male camaraderie as well as romantic entanglements. It's the film that features that passionate embrace of Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr on the beach as the waves roll in. It's the film that featured the Oscar winning dramatic performance of Frank Sinatra and it's the film that concluded with a dramatic recreation of the bombing of Peal Harbor, December 7th. When viewed today the film is dated in several ways. Sinatra's performance seems somewhat forced (he was better in Man with A Golden Arm and Suddenly, for instance). Some of the dialogue and situations drip with too much melodrama. Over-all however the film works beautifully and remains a powerful and memorable film very much worth seeing. It's also a very mature and adult film that features some still quite torrid romances involving an Army officer and a married woman. From Here to Eternity however is far less corny and a much better film than 2001's over-produced Pearl Harbor. The special effects may not be nearly as impressive but the screenplay, acting and impact of the 1953 film is far greater than the recent one.
Montgomery Clift plays Private Pruitt, a bugle player and boxer who has been transferred to the base because Captain Holmes expects Pruitt to be the star of his base boxing team. Pruitt however doesn't want to box anymore because he blinded a friend during a sparring match and is wrestling with his guilt over it. His refusal to box means he is given the worst details and is subject to cruel treatment from many of the enlisted men. The Army however is Pruitt's home and he loves it. Pruitt eventually falls for a club hostess played by Donna Reed (she won a Supporting Actress Oscar). Frank Sinatra plays Pruitt's best friend in the platoon and has several border-line comic run ins with Ernest Borgnine. Burt Lancaster delivers an almost understated performance as Sergeant Warden. He almost runs Captain Holmes' platoon. He is also involved in a passionate and very dangerous affair with Captain Holmes' wife, Karen who is well played by Deborah Kerr. This remains the most interesting story and one can imagine how controversial and shockingly adult it played to audiences in 1953, because it still holds up even today. You won't confuse From Here to Eternity with a film that was made in the last 20 years, but it's a powerful and surprisingly adult film very much worth seeing. It's also an Oscar winning film that won't make you scratch your head trying to figure out why it won its Oscars. The DVD's image and sound is above average but not pristine. From Here To Eternity is presented in the original 1.37:1 full frame aspect ratio. It's a black and white film and the overall quality is very good, but the outdoor scenes look darker and lack the kind of crispness that some black and white films on DVD have. I don't know if the fault is with how the black levels are set or with how the film was originally shot. I do know there is quite a bit of film grain visible but it is not distracting unless you've recently watched something utterly pristine like say the Citizen Kane on DVD. The audio is present in the Dolby 2.0 mono mix format. The Dolby mix adds a little bit of depth to the sound effects but the dialogue sounds a bit disembodied. It's over-all a decent but not spectacular audio for a film nearly 50 years old. Extra Features on the DVD Often when a classic film is released you're lucky if you you get some decent production notes, filmographies and an original trailer as part of the DVD. Thankfully, Columbia Tri-Star has added several extras to the DVD. There aren't an over-abundance of extras as the hype might lead you to expect, but there are several worthwhile extras and they are greatly appreciated and will be enjoyed by film buffs. There are three theatrical trailers included on the disc from : From Here to Eternity, The Guns of Navarone, And Bridge on the River Kwai. The Making of From Here to Eternity is an interesting two minute puff piece that was produced to further publicize the film in 1953. It's way too short of course, but of interest. There is a brief ten minute featurette: Fred Zinnemann: As I See It which gives us interview footage with the film's director. You'll wish there was more here than there is. Filmographies are provided for the writer, director, and most of the cast. I could not find the production notes that are listed on the cover as one of the DVD extras. COMMENT ON THE COMMENTARY TRACK: The feature length audio commentary is done by the director's son, Tim Zinnemann and one of the film's co-stars Alvin Sargent. It's a pretty laid-back dry commentary mixing tales from behind the scenes with some details on the film's production. Some interesting stories are remembered and repeated.
Christopher Jarmick, is the author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder a critically acclaimed, steamy suspense thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: Aspect Ratio, anyone?
Review: Finally, another classic is released on DVD. But not in it's original format - this is a fullscreen edition. Where is the widescreen version of the film? Why are movie fans continuously short-changed when it comes to classic movies? Five stars for the film itself, one star for the DVD. Pathetic.
Rating:
Summary: Original Theatrical Release Format is 1.33:1
Review: Now pay attention, widescreen DVD fans (I am among them)...! Do not go looking for widescreen format before 1954, because with a couple of exceptions (see "sir-critic" below), they don't exist. One must be a student of history to some extent as a classic movie fan: when collecting a video library, know your format history; the key year is 1954. (Interestingly, it is the same key year for stereo music recordings, at least in the Classical world.) Also remember that a post-1954 movie is not necessarily a widescreen film, either, especially in the first few years. (See my review of "Moonstruck" for more aspect ratio commentary that you'll find very interesting, if this one is interesting to you. I ranted about its full-frame release and found out that I didn't know what I was talking about, more or less.) "From Here to Eternity" is a great classic film that was shot and originally released in 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Like many, many other pre-1954 movies, this film was probably re-released several times in theaters with a "widescreen" format, but they just lopped off the top and bottom of the picture for the release. This was a grotesque practice, butchering many fine films and ruining the painstaking framing of shots by the cinematographer. You don't want a widescreen version of "From Here to Eternity", because it's butchered, I mean, ALTERED. The important thing for DVD collectors / film buffs is ORIGINAL Theatrical Release Format, i.e., what the director and cinematographer intended you to see. The video release companies should be heavily encouraged by us to provide this information on the DVD and VHS boxes, so that we know a film's true original aspect ratio, and whether the particular edition is or is not altered, I mean, BUTCHERED. Why is the television screen a 1.33:1 aspect ratio? Because movies' ratios were 1.33:1. TV programs and movies were filmed with the same cameras and film. By the early '50s, TV was becoming so important that film studios needed a new hook to keep people coming to the theaters, so Cinemascope and others were born to amaze audiences. Try to imagine seeing a 2.55:1 Cinemascope picture in the theater when all you've ever seen up to then was 1.33:1 films and TV. WOW!! THAT would keep you coming back to the cinema! Later cinematic hooks would be in sound, still more or less unachievable at home -- remember Surround Sound's forerunner, "Sensurround" (used for "Midway" and "Earthquake")? Remember film fans, you might have to do a little research on a given movie before assuming that a video release is not the true format.
Rating:
Summary: This DVD is Okay
Review: The first widescreen film was "The Robe," released in
September 1953. Every film prior to that, including
"From Here to Eternity," was shot in Academy Ratio, i.e.
fullscreen. So quit yer complainin'!
Rating:
Summary: The DVD is in the proper aspect ratio
Review: Contrary to what jholden says, the DVD displays the film in its proper aspect ratio. The film was not originally released in widescreen, but in fullscreen. A widescreen version of this film would have to chop off the top of the fullscreen image. From Here to Eternity is a wonderful film, as is getting a proper release on dvd with a good amount of extras, and good presentation on top of that. And who can complain about that?
Rating:
Summary: Classic Film - Poor Release
Review: Why go to all the trouble of releasing a great classic filim, without providing it in Widescreen format????? There is no reason anyone should purchase this DVD, if you already own a good quality VHS edition. The "extra materials" are not worth the price, if you don't get the complete movie!!!!! I refuse to purchase any film on DVD that is not provided in Widescreen format.
Rating:
Summary: Montgomery Clift and Sinatra make for a awesome combination!
Review: Many people remember the beach scene as the scene to recall from this classic movie, i.e., From Here to Eternity VHS ~ Burt Lancaster, and to a certain extent this is true. At the time of the release of the movie it was a scene that was considred quite risque and one can imagine that many people thought that it was quite steamy. However, the combination of Clift and Sinatra is what truly steals the show. Montgomery Clift is awesome as the soldier whom refuses to fight since he criticall injured another boxer in a fight. Sinatra is also very good as the boozer Maggio whom gets himself into trouble. Highly Recommended.
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