News of the World [DVD]

Tom Hanks proves once again why he's an academy award winner. The script is well-written the actress that plays the lost girl is outstanding. It's a story of two people each with different demons, Hanks the civil war veteran comes is still dealing with the loss of his wife and the deep grief he is wrestling with. The lost girl who was kidnapped by Kiowa Indians finds herself alone, with the memory of her now-dead family. Through their shared grief Hanks endeavors to take to her aunt, along the way they faced threats that serve to bring them closer.Hanks dropped her off at her aunt's house and heads home to finally face the loss of his wife, realizing how lonely and empty his life has been, he realizes that she doesn't belong with the aunt, who only sees her as farm labor. Hanks rides back to get her and see's that she's been tied to a post by a rope attached to her ankle. It's in that scene Hanks and the little girl, rip your heart out and stamp it on the floor, its an accomplishment for any actor to impart those deep emotions from the screen, is no easy feat, but Hanks and his co-star manage to do just that.The movie has not one swear word, no copious amounts of blood, no never-ending western violence. There's only a couple of scenes where Hanks is defending his charge where he kills his attackers, but even then you want Hanks to do away with the bad guys who try and buy her from him earlier, when he won't sell her they chase Hanks with the intent to gun him down to get to her.It's an example of great filmmaking without tons of special effects, green screens, or CGI graphics. It's a well-told story with a happy ending. It would be better to see it on the silver screen, but nothing about the movie is lost watching it on a flat-screen. It's still a powerful story, about love, loss, redemption. It is a story that happened in the west in our early history many times over. In fact, the last Comanche warrior chief Quanna Parker was the son of a white captive girl. On the morning of May 19, 1836, while most of the men of the fort were working in the fields, a band of Indians came over the hill to the east of the fort, though warned not to do so, one of the few remaining men within the fort went out to try and prevent the impending disaster. After talking with several of the warriors, Benjamin Parker returned to the fort, saying the Indians wanted beef, a place to camp, and directions to water. Benjamin returned to the Indians with beef but was quickly surrounded and lanced. The Indians then charged the fort before the gate could be closed. Five settlers were killed and five were captured, the most famous being Cynthia Ann Parker, who was 11 when she was taken by Comachies, "rescued" twenty-four years later by Sul Ross and Charles Goodnight at the Battle of Pease River where her second son "Peanut" was murdered by white soldiers. The title "Battle of Pease River" is misleading, it wasn't so much a battle was it was murdering women and children, old people who were running away, many died trying to get across the river shot in the back.Another captive who was with Cynthia Parker, Rachael Plumber was a captive in the same Comanche tribe for 24 months but was purchased back. She dictated her experience and it was published in 1838. Cynthia Parker couldn't speak or read English she was taken back to the white world that she was born into. But as depicted in "News of The Day" white captive women/girls were defiled passed around as Indian women were, Cynthia and Rachael would've been ostracized by the upright moral citizenry of the day. Cynthia like the little girl in News Of The Day would've badly treated by whites who blamed the captives for being captured. Cynthia's daughter Prairie Flower died of the flu Cynthia Parker committed suicide shortly after in 1871. Her son Quanna Parker, lived until 1911 he was 66 when he died, he is buried next to Cynthia, Peanut, and Prairie Flower.In News of The World Hanks and the girl, each left alone in the world, swept up by events beyond their control the girl rescued by Hanks is left each has to learn to trust each other if they are to survive their journey. You briefly see Indians, but they don't try and take her back by force. Instead, it's white men who try and buy her from Hanks so that they can sell her into sexual slavery. The script is well written and without one curse word, proving that you can write a good story without using profane language.

When I was a boy, John Wayne was my favorite actor for many reasons. Long ago, however, Tom Hanks overtook Wayne as my go-to actor. Hanks has had a long and storied career. I can’t remember a bad performance or even bad movie involving him. If I had to go to a desert island and was allowed to take ten Blu-rays with me, surely I would have no difficulty doing so with at least three or four Hanks movies, starting ironically with my favorite, Castaway.I was very moved by Paulette Jiles’ novel, News of the World, upon which the movie is based. So, it was with high expectations that I watched this movie. My expectations were more than met. We all look for decency and humanity in our fellow humans, though we are sometimes disappointed at what we find. News of the World gives Tom Hanks yet another opportunity to show us how he easily inhabits such a role as Captain Jefferson Kidd, a former confederate captain, five years after the Civil War as an itinerant speaker wandering from town to town in Texas reading far-away newspapers to the local populace. Fate/divine providence (depending on your belief in either) brings a young, wild girl into his life. The daughter of German immigrants killed in a Kiowa raid and raised by the Kiowa for years so that she only knows their language and customs, “Johanna” presents Kidd with the moral dilemma of whether to abandon her or to undertake a long and very dangerous journey to unite her with her closest relatives.The journey is a gripping one, fraught with one peril after another. At one point in the film, I said to my wife, “Look at the emotions on that face,” referring to Hanks’ amazing portrayal. Helena Zengel, the young actor playing Johanna, gives a stunning performance. She has a promising future in front of her. The movie ending is different than the ending written by the novelist (as so often happens in movies based on novels), but very satisfying. I still prefer the novel ending version, which I find more poignant, though I understand why the movie version prevailed.Kidd acknowledges in the movie he served in a Texas regiment during the Civil War, which would have made him a Confederate since Texas was part of the Confederacy. I find it interesting that most professional reviews of this movie simply refer to Hanks’ character as a “former Civil War officer,” avoiding the description of him as a former Confederate officer I suppose due to the stigma today attached to that status. No matter how vile the cause of the Confederacy, to deny humanity to ex-Confederate soldiers is a bit PC. Incidentally, given Hanks’ age in real life and in the movie, I find it hard to believe he would have been a captain in either army five years earlier. Captains in the Civil War would be more likely to be in their early twenties, and certainly not in their late fifties. But I am being picayune I suppose.The scenery, cinematography, and music are all so evocative of the times. And another excellent directing job by Paul Greengrass.I usually skip the “bonus features” on a Blu-ray because they usually are not worth viewing. Glad I decided differently here. The deleted scenes are excellent and provide additional context and insight, especially in the relationship between Kidd and Johanna. I suppose they did not make the cut because studios are so anxious to keep films to no more than two hours in length. Regarding Kidd’s earlier service in the Civil War, there is one deleted scene where he is walking through a town and stops when hearing music. He turns and sees a down-and-out former Confederate soldier sitting against a wall in an alley plaintively blowing mournfully on his bugle. Looking at Kidd’s face, it is easy to see he is recalling his painful Civil War service. The bonus feature on the off-camera rapport between Hanks and Zengel is quite wonderful. Do not miss watching these features.In sum, this movie would certainly make the Tom Hanks’ share of my list of 10 Blu-rays to take with me to the proverbial desert island.

When it comes to reviewing Tom's work it boils down to which of his movies is less terrific than the rest. This is not Tom's best movie, but it's still a great show. Set in the port Civil War era he is a former Confederate officer and printer who is now making is living as a traveling newsman, reading the affairs of the world to the communities he visits. He ends up taking in a young white girl recovered from the Kiowa and is trying to return her to her surviving family. Adventure and misadventure ensue. When he finally finds her relatives, he finds that he cannot leave her behind although he tries. They become a team. Good movie.

Tom Hanks becomes the characters he plays. Tom Hanks is a national treasure. Don’t miss this film. I had never heard of it but, thanks to Amazon, I happened to see it online. Most of my treasures have come from Amazon, and many of them I just happened to see as I searched for other things. Come to think of it, Amazon is a national treasure too.

Cinco años despues de la Guerra Civil , el Capitan Kyle Kidd ( Tom Hanks ) va en ciudad en ciudad narrando noticias. Un dia conoce a Johanna ( Helene Zangel ) , una niña de 10 años educada por los Kiowa. La pelicula obtuvo 4 nominaciones al Oscar . Por otra parte la pelicula me llego en buen estado y dentro de la fecha programada de entrega. Viene hablada y subtitulado en español latino.

Tout d'abord il faut souligner la qualité des images et du son de ce remarquable western interprété par un duo d'acteurs qui ne laisse pas indifférent le spectateur. En effet, le scénario et la mise en scène de ce film mettent à l'honneur de façon remarquable le jeu d'un Tom Hanks égal à sa renommée (CapitaineJefferson Kyle Kidd), réhaussé par celui de la magistrale prestation de la jeune Helena Zengel, une belle découverte.Ce road-movie réalisé par Paul Greengrass sort de l'ordinaire par son originalité et nous éloigne des westerns des années 50/60. Ici, le Capitaine Kidd, en solitaire, parcourt lentement le territoire du Texas. Il apporte oralement des informations aux habitants, dans des contrées reculées où la plupart sont illettrés. Ainsi, il leur lit à haute voix les nouvelles contenues dans les divers journaux de la région.L'histoire montre le cheminement aventureux et les différents obstacles que va rencontrer cet ancien officier, à peine sorti de la Guerre de Sécession. Cet homme généreux, dont on ne sait que peu de choses sur sa vie passée au début du film, est soucieux de rendre rapidement à sa proche famille cette jeune sauvageonne, trouvée par hasard, qui autrefois vécut chez les indiens Kiowas, après la mort brutale de ses parents et son propre enlèvement.Certes le thème du film sur l'enlèvement d'enfants dans le western n'est pas nouveau (La Prisonnière du Désert, Les 2 Cavaliers, etc.), mais c'est la manière avec laquelle le réalisateur aborde ici le sujet sous un angle original qui force le spectateur à suivre ces deux personnages si différents qu'au départ, rien n'aurait dû les faire cohabiter. Les beaux paysages traversés et les scènes d'action sont superbement filmés. Un grand western très singulier, où la jeune orpheline vous émeut et peut tirer les larmes aux âmes sensibles, tant la prestation de cette jeune actrice est pleine de vérité et de promesses. La photographie de ce film est superbe en Blu-ray.Cette édition des studios Universal contient une version anglaise sous-titrée en français, et une autre en français. Les bonus sont sous-titrés en français.

Ein ergreifender Film zu einem wohl bekannten Thema. Alternder Mann nimmt sich kleinem Mädchen an. Dies wird aber neu und dazu sehr sensibel interpretiert. Ein Film, der Balsam für die Seele ist. Auch weil er zu einem so versöhnlichen, hoffnungsoffenen Schluss kommt. Hab ihn leider nur in englisch gesehen. Schulenglisch reicht aber aus. Alles andere sagen die Bilder! -Übrigens, eine Schieß- und Verfolgungssequenz musste wohl in den Firm eingebaut werden. Kann aber getrost ignorieren, wenn man auf so was nicht steht. Trotzdem volle Punktzahl.

I saw this film and wanted to buy it but when it came it is for Region 1 and not Region 2. Anyone know how I can make it play on my DVD player in England

liked everything