Image Courtesy of Amazon.com
Own it on DVD September 12, 2006
Director
Harold Becker
Cast
George C. Scott……….General Harlan Bache
Timothy Hutton……….Cadet Major Brian Moreland
Ronny Cox……….Colonel Kerby
Sean Penn……….Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer
Tom Cruise……….Cadet Captain David Shawn
The Movie
In 1981, Timothy Hutton was coming off an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor in Ordinary People, the same film that would beat out Raging Bull for Best Picture. His next picture was to be Taps, a film about a group of cadets who fight the National Guard in order to save their Military Academy. While the film would be a success, 25 years later it isn’t known for being a film Hutton starred in. Rather, it’s the film that would be the big screen debuts of current Hollywood heavyweights Tom Cruise and Sean Penn.
Hutton, Penn and Cruise star as cadets of Bunker Hill Military Academy. As Cadet Major Moreland (Hutton) prepares to take command of the cadets corps for the following year under the direction of retired General Bache (George C Scott), devastating news hits the Academy. The Board of trustees controlling the Academy has opted to shut it down and sell it to developers, who seek to make the building into condominiums. Determined to keep their traditions and their school alive, the cadet corps locks themselves in the Academy building in a stand-off with the outside authorities.
It’s interesting to view this film in 2006, as now Penn and Cruise are regular features above the marquee and middle aged while Scott is long since dead and Hutton no longer a major star. Cruise and Penn are just beginning to develop their screen personas as well, giving them a bit of an awkward phase in the film. Both are sure of character and are fine actors by this point, Penn having been recruited off of Broadway at 20, but both are still young enough that they haven’t developed their trademark methods of acting. Juxtaposed against Scott at the tail end of his career and rising star Hutton, Cruise and Penn pale in comparison due to just their relative inexperience in front of the camera as opposed to anything else. Hutton would be at his career peak, sadly, as he never would be a bigger star than within the five years after his Oscar win but it’s interesting to see him upstage two men who would go on to become bigger stars than he ever would be.
The film itself is an interesting one in both concept and in execution. Part of the film is a militaristic look at the “Lord of the Flies” as we get to see children running themselves as a unit and the adult authority struggling to handle them. Another part is that it is a different type of military movie than the glut of war movies that came out in the 1980s. It’s more of a look at values and concepts such as honor & loyalty through the eyes of children as opposed to adults; it creates interesting dynamics throughout the film between them that are fascinating to watch.
The Audio
Presented in a Dolby Digital 4.0 surround, it’s the same quality audio track that was on the first release as well.
The Video
Presented in a widescreen format with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the new special edition of Taps doesn’t look that much different than the original bare bones release. While the color has been cleaned up a bit and the image is slightly sharper, the film looks good but hasn’t been cleaned up remarkably.
The Extras
Sounding the call to arms: Mobilizing the Taps generation is a half hour retrospective on the film. Featuring members of the production staff, as well as Hutton and Becker, it’s an interesting look back at how the film was made. Reveling in Hutton’s post-Oscar win, he was cast in the starring role right as Ordinary People was beginning awards season. With the firestorm surrounding his performance pushing him from the role of Dwyer into the lead role as Moreland
The Bugler’s Cry: The origins of playing “Taps” is a historical perspective on the origin of the signature call of the US military. Dispelling the myths behind the bugle call’s origins, the piece points to General Daniel Butterfield during the Civil War as having originated the material specifically for his own troops. Wanting something to find a bugle call to calm his troops before they slumbered, Butterfield and his bugler in July 1862 originated the piece and it was quickly adopted by the Union troops. Running around seven minutes, it’s a unique piece about a unique aspect of the military.
Trailers and TV Spots
Commentary by Director Harold Becker
| InsidePulse’s Ratings for Taps Special Edition | |
The Inside Pulse
Taps isn’t a film so remarkable it has to be in everyone’s DVD collection, it’s just important because it’s the debut of two of the biggest stars in Hollywood history. With a couple quality extras but not much more, it’s not a must have if one already owns the bare bones release but is reasonably priced for those who held off on purchasing the original.
