Backdraft Anniversary Edition DVD Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 10.10.2006
The roof is on fire, but this DVD set barely ignites.
Kurt Russell: Stephen “Bull” McCaffrey/ Dennis McCaffrey
William Baldwin: Brian McCaffrey
Robert Deniro: Donald “Shadow” Rimgale
Donald Sutherland: Ronald Bartel
Jennifer Jason Leigh: Jennifer Vaitkus
Scott Glenn: John “Axe” Adcox
Rebecca De Mornay: Helen McCaffrey
Jason Gedrick: Tim Krizminski
J.T. Walsh: Alderman Marty Swayzak
Jack McGee: Schmidt
Directed By: Ron Howard
Theatrical Release Date: May 24, 1991
DVD Release Date: September 19, 2006
Running Time: 132 minutes
Rated R for language and a scene of sensuality.
The Film
A Ron Howard film can either drive you crazy with frustration, or keep you riveted until the final credits roll. Backdraft is the type of Ron Howard film that viewers have grown accustomed to. He attempts to mix multiple genres in order to generate a movie experience that fulfills everyone. This is basically an impossible task, but Howard has strived for that very goal in many of his directorial offerings. With this tale of two firefighting brothers, he was mildly successful. The faults of Backdraft do no rest on his shoulders, but with the screenplay. Nevertheless, this is probably the best and most convincing drama about Fire Fighters to date.
After their father was killed in the line of duty during a fire fighting accident, brothers Brian (William Baldwin) and Stephen McCaffrey (Kurt Russell) grew apart, and never really saw eye to eye. Stephen, the oldest, was the first to become a fire fighter, and Brian seemed to want the same thing, but has always struggled with the decision. Ultimately, he graduates the Academy, and joins his brother at Engine Company Number 17, which is based in Chicago’s Chinatown. As a Lieutenant, Stephen makes it difficult for Brian as a rookie. His first days on the job are not easygoing. Meanwhile, suspicious fires are being set at specific locations, which are targeting specific individuals.
It should be noted that Stephen is separated from his wife Helen, who cannot adjust to the firefighter’s lifestyle. He lives like a bachelor on his father’s old boat. In addition, Brian has come across an old girlfriend named Jennifer, and the two could be trying to reignite their love. Jennifer works for an alderman that is running for Mayor. That alderman, Marty Swayzak, is also behind a committee that seems to be cutting the budget for the fire departments. Alderman Swayzak is also persistently putting pressure on Fire Investigator Donald Rimgale (Robert Deniro) to uncover some answers about the fires. It is known that the fires are backdrafts, which are freak occurrences, but can be designed to kill the victims forcefully, and without much warning. As the constant conflict between Stephen and Brian escalates, Brian quits as a fire fighter, and receives a position working under Investigator Rimgale. Together, they proceed to track the mysterious arsonist, and unearth his motive before too many people are killed.
No, this is not a complex Shakespearian plot that requires thought and discussion. Any person with a brain can predict what will occur, but luckily for Ron Howard, his direction combined with the excellent performances are enough to carry this paper thin premise. The thought of a film about fire fighting must have blinded the Producers and Ron Howard from the prosaic and homespun script. All that being said, Backdraft remains entertaining and even gripping at times.
Kurt Russell helps propel the film into an absorbing and valuable action drama. He acts as the firefighting veteran, and hard nosed older brother, who was forced to raise Brian because of the father’s sudden death. Despite the character being one dimensional on paper, Russell does his best to look relaxed and still evoke emotion. His macho manly magnetism is just barely believable, but he’s Kurt Russell, and he’s awesome. William Baldwin is generally a poor actor, but in this role he implements some truly convincing scenes with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Robert Deniro. Unfortunately, the chemistry between he and Russell is the key to holding this movie together, and that necessary chemistry lacks in certain spots. Brian is difficult to figure out, but appealing and mostly genuine.
Robert Deniro does not get much of a chance to exhibit his talent, but he is still fantastic in those few scenes. The appeal to Deniro’s character lies more with his mannerisms, instead of his dialogue. One must applaud how Deniro approaches a role. The acclaimed actor is incredibly diligent in becoming immersed in a character. That is evident here. As Investigator Rimgale, he has no friends, and would most likely prefer to work alone. Deniro was the ideal choice for that type of person. Even though he only worked for about a day, Donald Sutherland still put forth 110% in his supporting role as the pyromaniac prisoner. The subplot involving him and Deniro could have been a film all by itself. He proves that he can play just about any character, at any time.
Jennifer Jason Leigh was not nearly as convincing, or as distinctive as she wanted to be. She never showed that she was the correct woman for the part. Sufficient is word that best describes her. On the other hand, Rebecca De Mornay was wonderful as Stephen McCaffrey’s wife Helen. She brought more feeling to the role than I am sure anyone expected.
In fact the most mesmerizing role is attributed to the fire. Never before has fire moved, looked, and acted like an actual living and breathing entity. The fire sequences in Backdraft are remarkable, and Ron Howard has done an outstanding job at presenting its threat and beauty in a most astonishing fashion. While CGI was on the rise, and became the norm in terms of special effects and pyrotechnics, Howard made the choice be authentic and extremely detailed, which resulted in a gritty, disturbing, and frightening first row seat into the heart of the fire.
Despite that, and the effort by the actors, one primary flaw lies with Backdraft, and that is the screenplay of Gregory Widen. He is not the best writer, and if you don’t believe me, take a glance at his resume filled with Highlander and Prophecy films. It is quite simply transparent and contrived. With a more elaborate script, this film could have been spectacular. However, Hans Zimmer offered his usual effective score, which sounded appropriately heroic and suitable for the storyline.
The release of this “Anniversary” DVD is not coincidental. Having just passed the 5 year anniversary of September 11th, the disc was obviously forced into stores regardless of how finalized it really was. Before 9/11, this was Howard’s own offering to pay tribute to firefighters and the great courage of the profession. He should be commended for that, if nothing else from Backdraft. Now that Ladder 49 is under our belts, the two can be compared. In all honesty, they are amazingly close in terms of final rating, but Backdraft has the slight edge because I felt Ladder 49 unraveled more like a funeral, and was too depressing to watch for multiple viewings. Taking into account that Backdraft was shunned by critics, and displayed disappointing box office numbers during its theatrical release, it remains an admirable fire fighting film that induces exhilaration and inspiration.
The Audio
Aggravatingly, the score and dialogue aspects of the sound editing are so unbelievably out of balance that it becomes such a pain to endure. I found myself putting the subtitles on for certain segments, and constantly playing with the volume. The explosions and action sound properly terrific though. The fire makes swooshes and crashes that can easily be felt in the room if you have an adequate stereo system. The creators include a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, two alternate Dolby 2.0 tracks in French and Spanish, and three versions of subtitles available in Spanish, French, and English.
The Video
One thing for sure, a great deal of attention was given to the picture because it has been digitally remastered in fabulous condition for this release. The blacks are superbly deep, the oranges of the fire are delightfully fine, and the red on the fire trucks are accurately vibrant. All the coloring is saturated with profound specificity. The complaints in this department are few and fart between. I observed utterly no grain areas or soft spots. This edition is shown with an anamorphic widescreen image ratio of 2.35:1.
The Extras
Disc One
Ron Howard Introduction (2:52) - Mr. Howard greets viewers for a little chat before the feature begins. He informs us all of the fact that no special effects were used, and states how proud he is of this project. It is nice to watch, but if you have not seen the movie before, I would recommend looking at this afterwards.
Deleted Scenes (43:07) - This is the most agonizing portion of the disc. With almost 45 minutes of deleted scenes, they are not organized, given titles, optional commentary, or any explanation whatsoever as to why they were cut. I did not care for most of these, and I would love to explain them all, but that would take too much of your time. It is very clear why these scenes were left out. They add a whole new dimension to the film that would have drastically changed the direction of the plot.
Disc Two
Igniting the Story (14:59) - This is a short extra that is basically a “making of” feature, which covers the whole filmmaking process in a short amount of time. It has some enjoyable interviews with Executive Producer Brian Grazer, Director Ron Howard, Writer Gregory Widen, Producer Richard Lewis, Composer Hans Zimmer, and so on. They touch on a broad range of areas such as giving the fire a personality, costumes, and more.
Bringing Together the Team (19:08) – This minor documentary focuses on all of the characters, and provides interviews with the crew once again in addition to the Casting Director. Some of the cast also have interviews, in which they discuss the brotherly relationship of Baldwin and Russell, the extreme detail of Robert Deniro, and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s schedule. It reveals their training to be firemen, and the whole nine yards.
The Explosive Stunts (14:41) – This was the most entertaining extra as it involves the development of the stunts and fire sequences. It has some great interviews with Walter Scott and Special effects creator Allen Haal. They converse about Baldwin, Russell, and Glenn doing their own stunts, and catching on fire.
Creating the Villain: The Fire (12:50) – This goes much deeper into how the crew crafted the fire shots. It exposes the materials used, and has conversations with Special Effects Foreman Clay Pinney. Howard says he wanted combat footage in a way. The also talk about some machine called the ashamatic, and how the cast and crew dangerously adjusted to the hot temperature. This was also neat to watch.
Real Life Firemen: Real Life Stories (8:57) – It would be wrong of me to spoil too much of this. It exposes a unique perspective on how actual firemen viewed the film, and subsequently includes more detail about their job. It is a roundtable discussion with Station 73 based in Santa Clara, CA.
The Film: 8.0/10.0
The Audio: 6.0/10.0
The Video: 9.0/10.0
The Extras: 7.5/10.0
The 411: This anniversary edition will run you about $15 if you purchase it at Wal-Mart. For that amount it is definitely worth it. I would like to have seen a commentary track from Howard, or at least some members of the cast and crew. It would have improved the special features section. It seems as if they gave a precise amount of time to this edition, but then quit, and just released quickly for the 9/11 anniversary. Backdraft is a highly engaging thrill ride filled with phenomenal special effects, satisfying performances, and an amusing plot. This will not stand as Howard finest achievement, but a passable accomplishment nonetheless.
