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Warriors (Guerreros)
Fox // Unrated // June 1, 2004
List Price: $19.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
The war in Kosovo was one of those international events that I never really understood. There were too many players involved and I could never keep them straight, or remember what their political agendas were. I only remember that it sounded like a very, very tragic event. The Spanish film Warriors AKA Guerreros offers some insight into the war, but not quite enough.
Guerreros tells the story of a platoon of Spanish soldiers who have been sent to Kosovo to assist the locals and attempt to keep the peace. The platoon is led by Lieutenant Alonso (Eduardo Noriega) and Sergeant Rubio (Ruben Ochandiano). As the film opens, a group of terrorists attack a power plant and knock out the power to an entire valley. Lieutenant Alonso's platoon is given the assignment to travel to the village (along with a group of French soldiers) and restore the power. However, along the way, the platoon runs into trouble and soon finds themselves thrown into the middle of this turbulent and confusing war.
When I think of Spanish films, I typically picture atmospheric films, such as those from Alejandro Amenabar, so Guerreros was a very different experience for me. And, it's my understanding that the film is quite an unusual experiment for Spanish cinema. But, therein lies the ironic twist: Guerreros may be a different Spanish film, but it resembles many American-made movies. As a matter of fact, save for the fact that the story was set in a war that I know little about, I felt that I'd seen Guerreros before. The path of the plot is predictable and the soldiers fall into the typical stereotypes seen in these films.
Still, Guerreros does have some good points. The ambiguous nature of the war is illustrated through the agitated and listless mood of the soldiers. They're not sure why they are there and are frustrated when they can't stop all of the atrocities going on around them. The performances are fairly good, with the reliable Noriega standing out above the crowd. Some of the film was actually filmed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, so the authentic scenery adds to the film. Guerreros is a solid movie, but won't seem very original to American audiences.
Video
Guerreros fights its way onto DVD courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is fairly sharp and clear, although there is a subtle amount of grain visible on the picture throughout the movie. There are noticeable, but minor defects from the source material, such as black spots and very small scratches. The colors are good for the most part. The action is a bit too dark in the nighttime scenes. On the whole, artifacting and edge-enhancement issues are kept to a minimum.
Audio
The DVD carries both a Spanish and English Dolby Digital Stereo audio tracks. (Although there are points in the film where characters are speaking English on the Spanish track.) Both tracks provide clear dialogue with no signs of distortion. The stereo effects are quite good and there is a noticeable amount of bass produced by the front channels. These effects help to add atmosphere to the battle scenes.
Extras
There are no special features on this DVD.
Fans of Spanish cinema may want to check out Guerreros to see that different kinds of films can come out of Spain. Also, admirers of Eduardo Noriega will want to see the movie, as he has a predominant role in the film. But, those who are seeking out unique war films may be disappointed by Guerreros.
The war in Kosovo was one of those international events that I never really understood. There were too many players involved and I could never keep them straight, or remember what their political agendas were. I only remember that it sounded like a very, very tragic event. The Spanish film Warriors AKA Guerreros offers some insight into the war, but not quite enough.
Guerreros tells the story of a platoon of Spanish soldiers who have been sent to Kosovo to assist the locals and attempt to keep the peace. The platoon is led by Lieutenant Alonso (Eduardo Noriega) and Sergeant Rubio (Ruben Ochandiano). As the film opens, a group of terrorists attack a power plant and knock out the power to an entire valley. Lieutenant Alonso's platoon is given the assignment to travel to the village (along with a group of French soldiers) and restore the power. However, along the way, the platoon runs into trouble and soon finds themselves thrown into the middle of this turbulent and confusing war.
When I think of Spanish films, I typically picture atmospheric films, such as those from Alejandro Amenabar, so Guerreros was a very different experience for me. And, it's my understanding that the film is quite an unusual experiment for Spanish cinema. But, therein lies the ironic twist: Guerreros may be a different Spanish film, but it resembles many American-made movies. As a matter of fact, save for the fact that the story was set in a war that I know little about, I felt that I'd seen Guerreros before. The path of the plot is predictable and the soldiers fall into the typical stereotypes seen in these films.
Still, Guerreros does have some good points. The ambiguous nature of the war is illustrated through the agitated and listless mood of the soldiers. They're not sure why they are there and are frustrated when they can't stop all of the atrocities going on around them. The performances are fairly good, with the reliable Noriega standing out above the crowd. Some of the film was actually filmed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, so the authentic scenery adds to the film. Guerreros is a solid movie, but won't seem very original to American audiences.
Video
Guerreros fights its way onto DVD courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is fairly sharp and clear, although there is a subtle amount of grain visible on the picture throughout the movie. There are noticeable, but minor defects from the source material, such as black spots and very small scratches. The colors are good for the most part. The action is a bit too dark in the nighttime scenes. On the whole, artifacting and edge-enhancement issues are kept to a minimum.
Audio
The DVD carries both a Spanish and English Dolby Digital Stereo audio tracks. (Although there are points in the film where characters are speaking English on the Spanish track.) Both tracks provide clear dialogue with no signs of distortion. The stereo effects are quite good and there is a noticeable amount of bass produced by the front channels. These effects help to add atmosphere to the battle scenes.
Extras
There are no special features on this DVD.
Fans of Spanish cinema may want to check out Guerreros to see that different kinds of films can come out of Spain. Also, admirers of Eduardo Noriega will want to see the movie, as he has a predominant role in the film. But, those who are seeking out unique war films may be disappointed by Guerreros.
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