The Americanization of Emily ( Emily ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Spain ]

As usual, I am not reviewing for plot and content, as most of you already know whether this is a film you would enjoy. This is just my standard comparison, for those considering a purchase.For the record, I have owned nearly all versions of this magnificent romance / war-comedy. I will not bore you with the details of the VHS and two DVDs owned previously, except to say that, if you are looking for the standard SD presentation, like my father who truly can't see well enough for HD to make any difference, then the best DVD version is ASIN B00OIKJHRA which is the Warner Archive release from 2014 or, if you want to view via streaming, the digital copy in SD is the same version, looking ever so slightly less good than that DVD. I do recommend for any SD consumer, in this case, that DVD, as it is the best SD source. Now, on to the HD....If you are like me and want the best presentation possible, for both picture and sound, then you are going HD on everything you can and have been for about a decade. I can't blame you. I've done the same thing. When it comes to this classic, you might think that, because it is in black & white, the high-definition issue wouldn't matter as much. Well, on some, that is true, not due to any problem with transferring absent complex color schemes but, sadly, due to the condition of the original celluloid film stock for so many of our beloved classics. However, when it comes to film storage, Warner actually took the time to store correctly, back in the day, and, as a result, had a wonderful master from which to source this restoration. They took the time to restore The Americanization of Emily, fully, back in 2014, from that master recording. They then took their newly sourced master and used it to produce a Blu-ray and Digital HD version, as well as the SD versions mentioned previously.The result, as to the Blu-ray, is a picture almost without equal, in the B & W world. Warner's restoration artists hand removed dirt and debris, rather than overusing a digital program that could accidentally remove fine detail and film grain in the process, and the result is a clean and crisp image with fine detail in faces and backgrounds, without the loss of grain that makes a film look like a film. They encoded the disc at around 30 mbps, which means they put more data on that disc than is typical for a B & W film, actually as much as you usually see with a high quality colorized film. As a result, the image is very clear and the gray-scale color scheme has far more variation in tone and shading, making it a stunning picture, even for a film in good old black & white.The audio is wonderful, with very clear dialogue, most particularly in the outdoor tea-time scene, where James Garner delivers his famous "I'm a coward" speech, which I had never fully heard before the new transfer premiered on TCM, before it was put out on disc for purchase. It sounded, in viewing it years ago, quite soft and a bit muddled. In the Blu-ray version, it is clear and the strength of his voice comes through in a way it previously had not.As to special features, the Blu-ray has a partial audio commentary from the aging Director, a short featurette filmed at the time, concerning the setting up for the big Normandy scene, and a trailer.When it comes to the Digital HD version, it is the same transfer from the Blu-ray, simply presented at a slightly lower bitrate, which, for anyone who doesn't know, translates into a slight loss of visual clarity. When dealing with HD, many people can't tell the difference. Having viewed both, I can, but, it is only a slight difference. So, if you opt for a Digital HD copy, you are losing a tiny bit of that fine detail but, really, nothing else in quality, however, the Digital version does not have those few special features. Honestly, I could have done without that commentary and been just fine.I hope this helps you in finding the best version to suit your particular needs and that you enjoy the film as much as you did the first time. If this will be your first time, I am jealous.

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This is the best of Paddy Chayefsky; this is the worst of Paddy Chayefsky. The good stuff is in the first 65 minutes, the bad stuff is the rest of the rocky way. Easy to spot what should have been edited and cut -yes, Keenan Wynn, I’m looking at you - but wasn't. Julie Andrews and James Garner survive until the plot does them in. But Annapolis grad James Coburn doesn’t miss a beat, making you wonder why Hollywood producers of the best movies rarely took advantage of this Stella Adler trained actor.NOTES: In 1943 Paddy was drafted and served in combat during WW2Fun time: search- Chayefsky/redgrave..

"The Americanization of Emily" is one of the most powerful anti-war films ever made, with only one minor battle scene. It is beautifully acted, written and directed. The insanity of war is personified through the character of a general who loses his marbles (brilliantly played by Melvyn Douglas). James Garner gives one of the best performances of his career as a cynical WWII Naval officer determined to sit out the war in peace and comfort. A self-confessed coward, "Charlie" (Garner), aide-de-camp to the general, has never seen a day of battle in his life--and he has every intention of keeping it that way. The film is set against the backdrop of a WWII military base in England as D-Day approaches; Charlie is assigned to film the assault on Omaha beach for the general, who wants the first American killed to be a Navy man. Ironies abound. Charlie ends up on the cover of Life magazine as that very first casualty; he is running away from the battle when he gets shot. Julie Andrews plays against type as Charlie's love interest; she is the promiscuous widow of an English officer who dies earlier in the war. Assigned as Charlie's driver, Andrews falls madly in love with him. The only problem? She is deeply comitted to the war effort. One of the most powerful scenes in the film is when Charlie meets the mother of Andrews' character, also a war widow; she loses her son in battle as well. Charlie challenges the woman's belief that "it is pleasing and decorous to die for one's country," the only thing which has allowed her to cope with the losses she has endured. He argues that her beliefs are a part of what keeps the machinery of war grinding. It's a stunning scene. The screenplay is written by Paddy Chayefsky, who is at the very top of his game. "The Americanization of Emily" will make you laugh out loud and cry your eyes out, but most of all, it will make you think. An intelligent, memorable, and hauntingly beautiful cinematic experience.

Great film of the struggles of War and what it did to people all actors played their parts very well

Returned from holiday to find DVD not what I expected as it had Spanish subtitles and I do not speak the language

Great flick by Arthur Hiller. Great cast for a subtle comedy about the war, courage and cowardness.

Excellent!

Yet another film I have been looking for for a very long time. A film I always have loved and to be able to get it now on blu-ray......what a treat. It looks and sounds like it was filmed yesterday. It just doesn't get any better than Julie Andrews and James Garner. And a Paddy Chayefsky script.What a lot of people don't I think realize is that this film was released the same year as Julie's debut in "Mary Poppins" for which she won the Oscar. But if you're old enough to remember like me...........as wonderful and memorable as "Mary Poppins" was and her performance, it's this performance that really won her the gold. A truly great satirical comedy/drama.