Heart of a Nation

One may assume that in France there is a preservation quality source print for Julien Duvivier's The Heart of a Nation. From what can be made out of the movie from the English-language source-print here, it's worth seeing and was worth saving. That same cannot be said for this DVD, which is barely watchable, mastered from a worn, faded source print that has serious frame problems as well as very soft detail. One gets the sense that this is an important and well-made movie, although the dubbing of the Hollywood version is attrocious -- the deficiencies in the actual print are the nails in the coffin in terms of appreciating the movie. If you must see some version, this DVD is better than nothing, but just barely. Other considerations of matters such as chaptering, etc. are irrelevant when you're dealing with a source as poor as the one this disc utilizes.