Thorn Birds [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

My earliest memory, and maybe my happiest one, is of watching The Thorn Birds with my mother. I must have been only 3 or 4 years old at the time, but for years I carried this vague landmark of childhood with me. I couldn't remember the story clearly at all, I only remembered loving the theme music and loving the colourful settings and loving Richard Chamberlain. Twenty years later and I saw the series advertised here on Amazon, but I didn't buy it. I was just really reluctant to alter that sacred memory in any way. I finally caved in, though, and I watched the series this week. I know this probably sounds a bit over the top, but it was just such a wonderful experience, seeing it again, seeing it properly for the first time really, but getting sudden little flashes of memory from the happiest time in my life while I watched it. It gave me a great feeling of warmth, poignant but very comforting. I can see now why the series made such a lasting impression on me as a very young child, even if the particulars of the story had been forgotten. The atmosphere and vivid richness of the settings, the excellence of the acting, the wonderfully lush colours, the haunting music, the sense of timeless high romance... they all stayed with me. I've grown into a confirmed romantic, and I'm pretty sure that The Thorn Birds must have been the formative keystone in that aspect. The hauntingly lovely Rachel Ward gives an excellent performance as Meggie, and there is a sterling line-up of extremely high calibre actors in supporting roles (special mention has to go to Sydney Penny who plays Meggie as a child), but this series really belongs to Richard Chamberlain. I think he comes as close as anyone ever has to capturing the male romantic ideal. It's almost impossible to believe that he was nearly 50 years old when he starred here, he's so youthful. And Rachel Ward is simply his ideal screen counterpart - they make such a perfectly matched couple. Just from an aesthetic point of the view, the series is a joy to watch due to the brilliant casting of Meggie and Ralph. I could gush for hours here, but let me just say that if you're contemplating buying this series, please don't hesitate. It's a magical way to spend a few hours. There are no extras on this release, though, which is a terrible shame, but there are subtitles, and the picture and sound quality are first rate. The series comes on 2 double-sided discs, which do require a little fevered wrestling to dislodge from their cases, but even the artwork and designs of the cover and the dvd menus are beautiful. This really is televisual chocolate for anyone with even the tiniest streak of romance in their blood. You'll laugh, cry, grin like a moonstruck idiot, and thoroughly melt. Enjoy! :)

What I wanted

The quality is good of the 2 dvd’s included

I first watched The Thorn Birds as a young teenager and was awestruck - by the story, by the acting and most of all by the on screen partnership between the beautiful Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain. I watched the DVD in a week and was struck by how much I had forgotten, and of how much this series has stood the test of time. Even in the early 80s the story of a young girl falling in love with a priest, or the love story of Meggie and Ralph, was still considered quite scandalous. However, this is so much more than a love story, but a tale of family and friendship, of breaking the rules by being human, and most of all of forgiveness and acceptance. All of the cast put in stellar performances, with Jean Simmons and Barbara Stanwyck lighting up the screens with Hollywood magic, but it is the connection between Ward and Chmaberlain that fills the screen. I enjoyed this series from beginning to end and shall miss Drogheda now it is over. One things for sure - I won't leave it another 25 years before watching it again!

This is quite a marathon! I watched it over four evenings. I was impressed by how closely the film stuck to the book. Two things I found strange. In the book Frank is eventually released from prison and comes home, whereas in the film it is implied he dies in prison. In the book, Cardinal Ralph pre-decreases Cardinal Vittorio, whereas in the film it is the other way round. The love between Ralph and Meggie is magnificently portrayed, but so is the obvious love, with sexual overtones, between Vittorio and Ralph. I thought Mary Carson was very well portrayed - just as I had imagined her in the book.

DVD arrived on time and was of good quality and reasonably priced. The story was an interesting reflection on times past but was still engaging with some good performances by the key players.

Nice memories of watching this series again after seeing it when first on the TV in the UK in the 1980s. What I don't understand, hence the 2-star rating, is how editors of these DVDs think they have the right to cut out chunks of the original - disappointing.

Lovely story but cds not labelled by number and as they are double sided I wasted time trying to work out what came nect!!!!!

Diesen Film habe ich bis jetzt 2x im TV gesehen und jedesmal berührt er mich zutiefst. Es ist eine Familiengeschichte über 2 Generationen hinweg und handelt von deren Schicksal, Ehrgeiz, Stolz, Eifersucht, Liebe und Hingabe. Dazu die wunderschöne Musik von Henri Mancini. Die DVD enthält 2 CDs die vorne und hinten abgespielt werden, also 4 Teile mit einer Spielzeit von 465 Minuten das sind pro Teil fast 2 Stunden. Einziger Wehrmutstropfen ist, das die 4 Teile keine Bezeichnung haben und man durch probieren beim Abspielen die Reihenfolge Teil 1 - Teil 4 selbst darauf auf die Scheibe schreiben sollte. Für mich war das aber kein Problem, weil ich ja die Handlung bereits durch die TV Ausstrahlung kannte. Jeder Teil hat eine ca. knappe 3 minütige Vorschau immer nur in Englisch und erst dann beginnt der Hauptfilm. Also Teil 1 in den Player nach unten einlegen. Es erscheint ein Menü mit Play, SceneSelections und Language. Die Tonsprache ist Englisch, Deutsch und Spanisch. Nach den Language aussuchen werden dann die Untertitel angezeigt und zwar zuerst Englisch, Deutsch, Spanisch, Französisch, Italienisch, Portogisisch, Dänisch, Finnisch und Norwegisch. Dann kommt noch OFF Main Menu und NEXT. Wenn man dann mit seiner Fernbedienung NEXT anklickt, erscheinen dann die restlichen Untertitel und zwar Schwedisch Kroatisch, Slowenisch, Tschechisch und noch einige andere. Das es so viele Subtitles gibt finde ich super, denn ich habe diese DVD Dornenvögel für eine Serbische Ärztefamilie in Beograd gekauft und die können diesen Film mit Englischen Ton und mit Kroatischen Untertiteln sich jetzt anschauen. Die Schauspielerische Leistung aller gespielten Personen besonders die Farmerstochter Meggie (Rachel Ward) und des Katholischen Priesters Ralph de Bricassart (Richard Chamberlaim) sind einzigartig. Dazu die Australische Landschaft und der melancholische Soundtrack, einfach großartig, für mich 5 Sterne oder 5 Oskars.

La qualité est à peine au niveau des anciennes copies VHS. À certains moments la vision se bloque et il faut passer en avance rapide pour retrouver image et son. Cela dit cette mini-série en 4 épisodes est superbe et les acteurs sont géniaux.

En la imagen trasera de la caja del DVD señala que incluye subtítulos en español pero dentro de las opciones de idioma y subtítulos solamente incluye ingles y francés, por lo que no sirvio como regalo.

Excellent!!

Preciosa serie, llena de sentimiento; me ha encantado volver a verla, muy emotiva y el DVD está en perfecto estado, está en español, aunque la carátula esté en otro idioma.