The Diary of Anne Frank Blu-ray delivers great video and solid audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
In 1942, a family of Dutch Jews hides in an attic from the Nazis, but just before the war ends
they're found out and sent to concentration camps--an experience recorded in the famous diary
of a little girl.
The Diary of Anne Frank is the cinematic retelling of one of the greatest yet also most
tragic
stories to come out
of
World War II, chronicling the lives of two Jewish families in hiding from Nazi occupiers in
Amsterdam. The wondrous true story of survival, hardship, coming-of-age, romance, and fear
through the most crucial years of the War is conveyed splendidly in this motion picture classic,
the
film the recipient of three Oscars and nominated for five more, including Best Picture and Best
Director, George Stevens. The Diary of Anne Frank stirs the soul and engages the mind,
the film certainly not a typical War film, its approach instead one meant to place audiences in the
hideout with the Franks and Van Daans, to convey the raw emotion, terror, and daily routine of a
limited lifestyle that only through the strength of the human spirit could they endure, and in that
regard the film is a complete success. The Diary of Anne Frank represents a remarkable
technical achievement, too, the film able to completely overwhelm audiences with its confined
shooting locations and limited camera movements; it often feels like a stage production with only
the occasional injection of cinematic flair and dramatic license to differentiate it from the book
and play, but the film's faithfulness to the material and respect for the characters and situations,
above all else, make The Diary of Anne Frank a wondrous cinematic achievement,
even some 50 years after its initial release.
Anne Frank
In the midst of World War II, two Jewish Families -- the Franks: father Otto (Joseph Schildkraut),
mother Edith (Gusti Huber), and sisters Anne (Millie Perkins) and Margot (Diane Baker), and the
Van Daans: father Hans (Lou Jacobi), mother Petronella (Shelley Winters in an Oscar-winning
role), and son Peter (Richard Beymer) -- go into hiding together in a small upstairs loft in the
middle of Amsterdam in hopes of evading the Nazis who would see all Jews placed into
concentration camps and, ultimately, murdered for their heritage. The film recounts their
two-year evasion of the Nazi occupiers, chronicling the hardships of living by a strict set of rules
that severely limit their everyday activities, prevent them from leaving the confines of the loft,
and turn every step and whisper into a dangerous and potentially deadly proposition. The
families follow the news of the War via a small, hidden radio; through word-of-mouth reports
from
sympathizers aware of their location; and sometimes watch it develop outside their window. As
they struggle to survive in a world that has stripped them of all but their unbending spirits, the
families manage to experience the ups and downs of life despite their perilous circumstances,
though the threat of detection and the seemingly unending War always seem at the forefront of
both the best and worst of times.
The Diary of Anne Frank's success stems from its ability to, in every frame, effortlessly
capture the entire spectrum of life in the hideaway; the monotony of the daily routine is often
punctuated by moments of great joy and terrible tension, all the while retaining the dark cloud of
palpable fear that hangs over every bite to eat, every second of sleep, or every strange sound
that seems magnified a hundred fold, whether emanating from the hideout or somewhere
outside it. The world of the Franks and Van Daans is one that is hard to imagine, then or now,
where a wrong step could mean death and a small cake seems like a brick of gold, its equal
division just as important as the taste and satisfaction of every bite. The film begins with several
minutes of
establishing footage that recreates the dull routine of daily life in the hideout. Anne reads Charles
Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities cover-to-cover in one sitting; some simply stare at the
ceiling while lying in bed; others still sit quietly in a chair, almost as if in a trance, the
world, it seems, having all but forgotten of their existence. Even in these scenes, dull as though
they may
seem, The Diary of Anne Frank manages to enthrall its audience while capturing to
chilling effect both the monotony of life and the almost overbearing fear that
marked every moment of these two, and no doubt many others, family's lives in Amsterdam and
across Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War.
Indeed, it is in the film's recreation of the unbearable pressure and seemingly imminent danger
that accompanies
every whisper, every step, or every glance out the window that could result in either another
night tucked safely away in the hideout or capture at the hands of the Nazis. Populated by quiet,
contemplative, and dangerous scenes, The Diary of Anne Frank conveys with chilling
realism the danger wrought by a misstep at the wrong time, a tea kettle left on the stove for
seconds too long, or the untimely pounce of a cat.
Such scenes prove far more intense and frightening than most any picture produced and sold
under the "Horror" label, for The Diary of Anne Frank captures real horror with startling
and often unforgiving realism, where even the most joyous of occasions -- the celebration of a
new
year or a first kiss -- bring with them reminders of the War and the around-the-clock imminent
danger that the slightest everyday-occurrence-turned-potentially-deadly-blunder could bring. For
the Franks and Van Daans, survival itself seems almost akin to a death sentence. Food becomes
scarce, and everyday activities such as trash disposal become a stealthy undertaking. The
families live in
conditions that seem almost inhumane, not necessarily because of the close quarters, lack of true
privacy, or what belongings they may or may not possess, but because of the terrible restrictions
placed on their everyday activities for the sake of making it through one more day undetected.
The Diary of Anne Frank defies convention and represents compelling and
often completely engrossing cinema despite but a single primary shooting
location, a story that is almost completely dialogue-driven, and a three-hour runtime. The
picture
encapsulates superb filmmaking and serves as one of the quintessential pieces that prove true
the "less is more" approach. Driven by the power of its story and the performances of its actors,
particularly Joseph Schildkraut as Anne's father, Otto,
The Diary of Anne Frank excels from the first frame to its last, with the film's post-war
bookends proving the most difficult scenes in the film for their representation of the terrible
results
of War, results that see not only cities destroyed but hearts broken, where a diary transforms
from a personal remembrance of events to a symbol of eternal optimism and the unbeatable
human
spirit that cannot be broken no matter the news of the day, the amount food in the stomach,
the dropping of bombs in the distance, or the imminent fear of discovery. Indeed, The Diary
of Anne Frank succeeds on all levels thanks to its insistence on placing story first and
allowing
its grandeur and importance to remain paramount to the experience, its technical successes
stemming from the
unobtrusive conveyance of the story that serve only to support, rather than define, the tale.
The Diary of Anne Frank debuts on Blu-ray with a faithful 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer.
The film begins with several scenes that serve up a plethora of pops and white speckles jumping all
over the screen, accompanied by plenty of grain. The pops and speckles appear intermittently
throughout the film, but the transfer generally appears blemish-free in most scenes. Detail,
generally speaking, never
stands out as above-average, and the image doesn't offer all that much in the way of depth.
Nevertheless, some details stand out nicely, for instance rainwater glistening off a hat or the fine
details in the decorative curtains seen in the hideout. Many shots take on a soft and occasionally
borderline blurry appearance, while others take on a slight glow. Most of the blurry imagery appears
in backgrounds and on the sides of the frame, but center-frame objects generally take on a fairly
sharp, clear, detailed appearance. Nevertheless, the Blu-ray seems to replicate the film nicely
enough. The transfer features a consistent but slight grain field that adds a film-like feel to the
experience.
Though certainly not the most visually impressive catalogue transfer Fox has produced, this one is a
definite winner in context and easily bests any previous home video versions of the film.
The Diary of Anne Frank arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack.
Despite the 5.1 master, the track features virtually no rear-channel presence. Nevertheless, and
most importantly, the lossless treatment allows for a clear and concise delivery of the film's limited
but all-important sound design where silence is often just as important as dialogue, music, or sound
effects. Music, particularly that heard during the prelude, plays clearly and strongly, focused in the
center but with adequate support from the front left and right channels. Sound effects, too, play
nicely enough in context; whether the heavy clanking of soldiers' boots on the streets below the
loft, the screaming siren attached to a vehicle rolling by, or explosions heard both near and far
during allied bombing raids, the track delivers all that is required of it with an appropriate level of
gusto and clarity. Most importantly, dialogue reproduction remains rock-solid throughout, though
on several rare occasions it can seem the slightest bit muffled under music or select sound effects.
Generally, this track satisfies and, like the entirety of the technical presentation, serves only to
reinforce rather than define The Diary of Anne Frank.
The Diary of Anne Frank makes its Blu-ray debut with plenty of bonus materials. First
among them is a commentary track with George Stevens, Jr., son of the film's director, and
Actress
Millie Perkins. The track is rather informative, the participants speaking on the real-life events,
shooting locations that varied between real historical locations and the sets on the 20th Century
Fox sound stage, the authentic feel of the props seen throughout the film and the realism they
lent
to the story, filming techniques, and plenty more. A fine mix of historical recreation and technical
information, the commentary track serves the film well and should satisfy those yearning to learn
more about the background of both the story and the construction of the film. Next up are
several features that cover a broad spectrum of the filmmaking process and the history of the
true-life
story. George Stevens in WWII (480p, 7:40) recounts the story of the film's director
eschewing part of his Hollywood career for service as a combat photographer in the War and
shows some of his color footage from both combat and the Dachau concentration camp. The
Making of 'The Diary of Anne Frank': A Son's Memories (480p, 25:05) features George
Stevens, Jr. recalling his father's career and their work on The Diary of Anne Frank,
covering a spectrum of topics on how the film was assembled.
Next is 'The Diary of Anne Frank': Memories from Millie Perkins and Diane Baker (480p,
25:54), a piece containing the actresses recounting how they landed the roles, recalling their
careers, speaking of their rehearsals, experiences on the set, working with their fellow actors, and
more. Shelley Winters and 'The Diary of Anne Frank' (480p, 7:00) features highlights of
a 1983 interview between Winters and Stevens, Jr. The Sound and Music of 'The Diary of
Anne Frank' (480p, 7:54) is next, a piece that examines the film's sound effects and
Oscar-nominated score. 'The Diary of Anne Frank': Correspondence (480p, 13:12)
features Stevens, Jr. reading aloud letters that speak on the film and the actual events depicted
therein. Fox Movie Channel Presents: Fox Legacy with Tom Rothman (480p, 14:08), a
studio piece that looks back on the film and the historical events that define it.
'The Diary of Anne Frank': Echoes from the Past (480p, 1:30:07) is another of the
excellent documentaries that accompany many of the classic Fox releases, this one recalling both
the film and the actual events that inspired it in great detail, with plenty of historical footage,
clips from the film, and interviews. 'The Diary of Anne Frank' Excerpt from 'Geroge Stevens:
A Filmmaker's Journey' (480p, 7:59) is a selection from the 1984 film directed by Stevens,
Jr. that focuses on the importance of The Diary of Anne Frank on George Stevens'
career. George Stevens Press Conference (480p, 5:01) features the director answering
questions about the film. Millie Perkins Screen Test (480p, 2:20) shows the
then-model and yet-untested actress speaking on several subjects. Also available are six clips
from
Fox Movietonews -- Millie Perkins, 18, to be Anne
Frank in Film of Diary (480p, 1:01), Nobel Peace Prize to Belgian Priest (480p,
0:24), Anne Frank Diary Star Readies for Film's 1st Nights (480p, 1:01), Academy
Award Highlights (480p, 2:06), Millie Perkins Visits the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art (480p, 0:51), and Brilliant Turnout for L.A. Premiere Anne Frank Diary (480p,
1:17). Concluding this extensive
supplemental section is The Diary of Anne Frank theatrical trailer (480p, 3:11), the
international trailer (480p, 4:32), an interactive Press Book gallery, and a Behind-the-Scenes
gallery.
The Diary of Anne Frank is truly one of classic cinema's great treasures, not necessarily for
any technical or acting achievement but instead for the power and unforgettable nature of the story
it tells. A film that cannot be watched but only experienced, The Diary of Anne Frank
stands apart from its peers as one of the most powerful and moving pictures in memory, its story
one of the greats that reflect on the human condition and the unwavering power of the spirit to
overcome all obstacles. 20th Century Fox has done it again, releasing a classic film from their
impressive library of titles with fantastic results on Blu-ray. Sporting picture and sound qualities
that may not immediately "wow" audiences but certainly impress in context, the film has received
just treatment for this 50th anniversary release. Supported by a lengthy selection of fine bonus
features, The Diary of Anne Frank is a Blu-ray disc that belongs in every collection. Highly
recommended.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has announced the technical specs and special features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'The Diary of Anne Frank: 50th Anniversary Edition', which is due to hit store shelves on June 16th, day-and-date with the DVD re-release. ...
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