Audio Video News

Arrgghh! They've finally released The Commitments on DVD—and it's pan&scan! Even worse, the telecine transfer is compromised by an overly reddish tinge, and the soundtrack is a murky disappointment. Pity. The movie deserves much more.

The Commitments is about the redemptive power of soul music. It's the gripping tale of Jimmy Rabitte (Robert Arkins), a Dublin dreamer who transforms a group of misfits into a powerful soul band. It's a great story, well told by director Parker and perfectly cast with a group of unknown actor-musicians.

Anchored in the reality of a Dublin that appears half bombed-out rubble, half public housing, The Commitments celebrates the little victories—such as how a sense of purpose can make a powerful difference in lives that don't have a lot going for them. As one bandmember remarks when meeting Rabitte in the welfare line, "It's better being an unemployed musician than it is an unemployed pipe-fitter!"

Just as believable are the problems the band runs into—such as the lead singer's (Andrew Strong) smug assurance that it's his band, and the band's inevitable resentment of it. Or the way the group's saxophone player chafes at the restrictions of the soul genre as he becomes a better instrumentalist and feels the need to express himself.

Ironically, considering how badly 20th Century Fox managed such important details as sound and video quality, the DVD is nicely kitted out with extras. These include a charming "behind-the-scenes" featurette, the theatrical trailer, a bonus music video, and excerpts from the soundtrack (in fact, a marketing tie-in for the CD).

I can't decide whether the DVD release of The Commitments is evidence of 20th Century Fox's cynical indifference to what DVD buyers actually want from the format, or if it's simply the result of corporate incompetence. Either way, despite the excellence of its script, direction, and performances, it should be avoided like the plague.