DVD Corner

The Old Man And The Sea Blu-ray Review

“The Old Man And The Sea” hasn’t aged particularly well.  

Based on Ernest Hemingway’s classic novella, 1958’s “The Old Man And The Sea” is a simple on the surface story of an aging Cuban fisherman who is having a bad streak of 84 straight days without catch. The following day the old man sets out on his skiff alone and finds himself battling for a big catch (a marlin to be exact), but this mere fishing expedition proves to be quite the mental and physical journey for him. Elsewhere in the story is a subplot about the old man’s friend (a kid named Manolin) that he mentored.

Directed by John Sturges and adapted by screenwriter Peter Viertel, “The Old Man And The Sea” is a faithful and often poetic tale of man vs. nature, mortality, solitude, and perseverance. It’s the type of story that has much more going on under the surface. As a film adaptation, however, this version leaves a lot to be desired. 

From a visual standpoint, the combination of stock footage, bluescreen work, and studio tanks are a distraction. Not only does it take you out of the picture, but it limits the scope. Another issue is that the movie is faithful to a fault. It often feels like Spencer Tracy is narrating a visual audiobook version of Hemingway’s tale. Even though the film itself may be compelling and hold your interest, there’s a little too much dialogue and not enough emphasis on the visual storytelling.

As for Spencer Tracy, there’s no denying he’s one of cinema’s great actors and, indeed, he delivers a fine performance in what is mostly a one man show. With that said, he’s definitely miscast as a “Cuban fisherman.” Felipe Pazos Jr., on the other hand, is fantastic as the compassionate Manolin and is in many ways the heart of the movie. 

“The Old Man And The Sea” is available on Movie Zyng and through other online retailers.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? A quality hi-def transfer with crisp colors.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? ‘Sea’ is not an audio intensive movie, but this nice clean track handles the narration, dialogue and music well.

Extras:
* Theatrical trailer
* “Hemingway: The Legend And The Sea”- A 3 minute narrated piece with filmmaker Allen H. Miner and Ernest Hemingway on a fishing trip capturing footage.  

July 1, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Ernest Hemingway, Fishing, Spencer Tracy, The Old Man And The Sea Blu-ray Review, Warner Archive