Video:

When the Mountains Tremble has not aged well; the source print looks dirty, no attempt seems to have been made to clean up scratches on the film and the colors are fading fast (a shame considering the sparkling beauty of some of the native Guatemalan dress). It is presented in full-frame.

Audio:

The stereo audio track does its job in an efficient, if unspectacular, fashion. The dialogue is easy to make out (or understand, if you speak Spanish – there is very little voiceover and Menchu speaks exclusively in her native tongue). There is little to no difference between the two speakers, though, as if the stereo mix is really a rehashing of an old mono track.

Extras:

The commentary track with Yates, Sigel and Peter Kinoy is more interesting than the feature, if documentary filmmaking is more interesting to you than third world struggles. The fact that 17 journalists had been killed in Guatemala in the two years before the filming of When the Mountains Tremble says everything that needs to be said about the bravery of Yates and Sigel; this is not a place where the free press is embraced. The trio have lots of interesting stories to share, along with some reflections on the political situation there and how it has changed today.

There is an introduction and an epilogue provided. The former features a very, very young Sarandon, giving the Cliff's Notes version of the story, but the latter is actually interesting. Menchu sits down after winning the Nobel Peace prize and describes what that award means to her and her fight.

Filmmaker biographies and trailers round out the package.

Final Thoughts:

While the replay value on such a disc seems like nil (it's like popping in tapes of old newscasts), When the Mountains Tremble still gets a wholehearted recommendation, if for no other reason than as a reminder of how simple great documentary filmmaking can be.