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 enlarge | Director: Fred Zinnemann
Actors: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.94
Buy New: $6.10
You Save: $8.84 (59%)
New (67) Used (23) Collectible (1) from $5.54
Rating:  90 reviews
Sales Rank: 4881
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 118
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: COLD05319D
Model: 9531
ISBN: 0800178831
UPC: 043396053199
EAN: 9780800178833
ASIN: B00005JKF6
Theatrical Release Date: 1953
Release Date: October 23, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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| Customer Reviews:
 A classic that lives up to its reputation November 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
From the days when doorstop novels (or at least large chunks of them) were turned into films rather than mini-series, From Here to Eternity may be toned down to please both the censors and the US Army, whose co-operation was vital to the film, but it's still a superb piece of film-making that slips in a few powerful punches between the lines.
Set in Pearl Harbor in the months leading up to the Japanese attack, it focuses on two professional soldiers: Prewitt (Montgomery Clift), a hard-headed ex-boxer given 'the treatment' by his commanding officer to force him to fight in the regimental boxing championships, and the company's Top Sergeant (Burt Lancaster), who is having an affair with the officer's frigid wife (Deborah Kerr).
Daniel Taradish's screenplay is a masterpiece of snappy construction, perfectly mirrored by Fred Zinnemann's directorial style that brings out both the toughness and the sentiment with a convincing lack of sensationalism. And what a cast: Lancaster a convincing mixture of toughness and emotional vulnerability, a surprisingly sexy Kerr, Donna Reed playing tough against type, Borgnine at his meanest and a wonderful array of character actors. Clift may make an unlikely boxer, but his performance is one of his best, as is that of Sinatra, always under-rated as an actor on those occasions when he made an effort, as his doomed best friend Maggio.
With a good DVD transfer, this is let down by the extras - only a teaser trailer, a making-of featurette that runs a full two minutes (!!!), a brief extract from a documentary about the director and an audio commentary by Tim Zinnemann and Alvin Sargent. This is still well worth adding to your collection, though. Classic films often don't live up to their reputations. This one does.
Great Movie November 8, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful movie. I have always enjoyed movies set around WWII and this fit the bill. The choice of actors was amazing. They worked well together and I can't think of anyone else who would have played the parts better. No matter how many times I see it, the beach scene is still the best.
 A View of the Peacetime Army November 1, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The film opens at the Schofield Barracks in 1941 Hawaii. Prewitt transferred from Fort Shafter to this rifle company; why? We learn about his past, the new outfit, and what is expected. The captain has a domestic problem, and awaits a promotion. The boxers in this outfit are all non-coms. Prewitt is given extra drill to change his mind about boxing. Sgt. Warden is advised to have some fun by his captain, and this leads to an adventure. On payday the soldiers engage in gambling; easy come, easy go. The film shows pre-war Hawaii. There is a private club with hostesses who dance with gentlemen. Some of the hostesses can take a gentleman into the parlor - to talk. [The scene at the beach seems false, as if the censors were active.]
Prewitt's lack of co-operation leads to added punishment. But he shows he can blow a bugle. Sgt. Jordan picks a fight with Maggio, Sgt. Warden stops it. Maggio makes a big mistake in walking away from guard duty. He is court-martialed and sent to the stockade. Sgt. Warden meets with Captain Holmes' wife in secret. They make plans for the future. So does Prewitt and Alma. Prewitt is pushed once too far, and a fight occurs. We see more about the personalities of the people. Prewitt sadly gets to play 'Taps'. Later Prewitt meets with Sgt. Jordan for a final goodbye. Captain Holmes' conduct is recognized. A new Captain Ross makes changes. Sgt. Warden's affair with Karen ends after these changes.
Then December 7 arrives on a Sunday morning. There is a surprise and things change. America will never be the same again. Sgt. Warden takes command and orders a defense of the barracks. Prewitt ties to return to the Army, but is mistaken for a saboteur. This is a tragic ending, a warning about anyone who bucks the system. This is a good story but it was simplified from the novel. They toned down the raw language and situations. Wasn't Hawaii regarded as a great posting? There is a warning at the end. If a person ever tells you a sad story to gain your sympathy it is very likely to be a confidence trick.
RIP, Deborah Kerr October 18, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Strange. I picked this up because it's one of my favorite WWII movies, though it's little light on the war. Now, only days after receiving it, news that one of its most famous players, Deborah Kerr, has died. I think "the kiss" with Burt Lancaster has probably been done to death by others -- lord knows in this day-and-age it doesn't seem that racy compared what Hollywood routinely portrays. But immerse yourself in the time and place, and it's one of the hottest scenes in a movie of the era.
I think "the kiss" tends to overshadow what is otherwise a very rich and gritty movie. The way everyone goes about playing out their lives, filled with the normal travails, tragedies, and triumphs, while in the background we know what is coming and are desperate to see how these people will react to the events to come. An excellent ensemble cast (Sinatra at his finest as an actor) pulls us in to their world and gets us so engrossed in their lives that I think we tend to forget what's about to happen. The story also highlights the times, the combination of head in the clouds and rough around the edges that was America at the time.
Anyone who wants a good story could do much worse that "From Here to Eternity."
A Must Have But Which One? August 9, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This film is a must have for any collector's library, but I have a question rather than a review:
Amazon advertises 2 different versions of this DVD: One sells for $9.99 and the other (called Superbit) for $23.99.
If anyone knows the difference between the two (whether it's worth the dramatic price difference) and can make a recommendation, it would be greatly appreciated.
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