WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Hill, The
Genre:Classic

Reviewed In Issue 26 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Alfred Lynch, Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear, Jack Watson, Ian Hendry & Sir Michael Redgrave

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 2.5
Sound Rating: 1.5
Download WSR Review
Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): MGM
(Catalog Number): ML100275
(MPAA Rating): Not Rated
(Retail Price): $49.99
(Running Time In Minutes): 123
(Color Type): Black & White
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): No
(Theatrical Release): 1965
(LD Release Date): 2/9/97
(THX® Digitally Mastered):

Credits Information
(Director): Sidney Lumet
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.75:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.75:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Mono Sound
(Theatrical Sound): Optical Mono
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital): No
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Based on the original play by Ray Rigby and R.S. Allen, The Hill is an astounding portrayal of a British military prison camp and its sadistic guards. Sean Connery stars as trooper Joe Roberts, imprisoned for refusing to obey a suicidal order. Refusing to confine his remarks, Roberts exposes himself and his cellmates (Alfred Lynch, Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear and Jack Watson) to a hellfire of physical punishment on and off The Hill—a 60 foot tall, 210 foot long man-made purgatory of rock and sand in the center of the blistering African desert stockade. Ian Hendry is their relentless Staff Sergeant who inevitably brings disorder among his prisoners. The Hill is a shocking human drama about authority gone mad—a powerful classic you won’t want to miss.

LaserDisc Picture:
The black and white picture, matted at 1.75:1, is problematic, exhibiting a mediocre grayscale that is overly dark and wanting in sharpness and detail. Shadow detail is undefined throughout. Images, often enhanced with large black halos, are marred by slight noise and artifacts throughout.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is undistinguished monaural that sounds veiled or compressed and is distorted throughout.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
(Aggressive System Surround): No
(Intense 25Hz Bass): No
(Deep Bass Challenging): No
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield): No
(Aggressive Split Surround): No
(Center Back Surround Imaging): No
(Directionalized Dialogue): No
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: