BACKDRAFT - DVD review

The bravery of firefighters is a fact of life that should go unquestioned. Men and women who put their lives on the line by combating burning blazes. It's easy to take them for granted, but our post-9/11 environment has really put the spotlight on the firemen, police officers, military, and rescue workers of the world. "Backdraft" celebrates the lives of those firefighters through an effects-laden Hollywood blockbuster.

Kurt Russell and William Baldwin lead the charge as Stephen and Brian McCaffrey, a pair of brothers who haven't gotten along in years. Both McCraffreys live in the shadow of their father, Dennis (also played by Russell), a legendary firefighter who was killed in action. Stephen exuberantly follows in his father's footsteps and has earned a reputation for throwing caution to the wind. It's easy to see how his headstrong behavior brought him the nickname, "Bull", which is proudly written on the back of his jacket. Unfortunately, Stephen's willingness to dive right into the inferno has estranged him from his wife, Helen (Rebecca De Mornay), and son, Sean (Beep Iams), who constantly worry he might not come home one day.

Brian has it harder now that he has the reputations of both his father and brother to live up to. Brian had already dropped out of the academy and bounced around from job to job, trying to find purpose for his life. He finally decides the fire station is where he's supposed to belong. Returning home, Brian finishes what he started and earns a spot with Fire House 17, right alongside Stephen, who's just waiting for little brother to drop the ball. Brian also tries to pick up the pieces of his relationship with former girlfriend, Jenny (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who now works as the assistant to Alderman Swayzak (J.T. Walsh), a politico that's slashed the fire department's budget substantially.

Just when it seems Brian has gotten his act together, he panics and takes an office assignment from Jenny and Swayzak. Brian is told to aid fire investigator Donald Rimgale (Robert DeNiro), a former firefighter himself who bears some particularly nasty burns across his back. A painful badge of his former life. Together, they look into the work of an arsonist whose fires have killed two people. The title of the film refers to the type of fire used by the arsonist in which the fire burns up all the oxygen in the area, but is not extinguished. Any sudden introduction of more air (by opening a door, for example) causes a massive eruption. It is, perhaps, the most dangerous and unpredictable fire that these men can encounter.

The script was written by Gregory Widen, an ex-firefighter that was inspired to do this story after witnessing a friend killed by a backdraft. In his review, Roger Ebert describes the screenplay as "brain-damaged." While I won't be as harsh, Widen and director Ron Howard take a very formulaic approach to the film. One rookie firefighter practically paints a bull's eye on his back with his overly eager manner. He might as well be wearing one of those red shirt uniforms from "Star Trek." And what would a manly man movie be without the ever-present montage set to a cheesy rock song?

Howard takes a pretty heavy-handed approach to the film's visuals. When Dennis McCaffrey is killed, a young Brian is there to witness the whole tragedy. The top of the building explodes and the father's burnt helmet lands right at the feet of the son. Another sequence finds Stephen emerging from a smoke-filled doorway with a young child in his arms. The most ludicrous moment in the film has to be Stephen's squad battling a fire which is intercut with Brian and Jenny making love on top of a fire engine.

The score by Hans Zimmer is a bit melodramatic at times, but is quite rousing overall. It's very similar to the pomp and circumstance that Zimmer composed for "The Rock." Anybody who's watched "Iron Chef" might be amused as much of Zimmer's score was reused for that cult hit cooking show.

While the story leaves something to be desired, the cast is strong and easily elevates the material. Russell usually excels at these types of roles. He easily fits the bill as the iron-jawed, all-American hero. It's ironic that Baldwin plays the role of an overshadowed brother since his elder brother, Alec, seems to be more adept at picking better roles for himself. Still, Baldwin does a fine job in one of his early roles. Scott Glenn appears as John Adcox, a grizzled veteran who served with the father, and the rest of the squad are filled out by former firemen. DeNiro is his usual strong self and Donald Sutherland appears in a small, but memorable, role as an incarcerated pyromaniac. Sutherland acts as a subdued Hannibal Lecter as he assists in the arson investigation.

Even with such an exceptional cast, the true star of the film is the fire itself. During his video introduction, Howard talks about early experiments with CGI, which were still in its infancy. Unable to produce convincing effects, Howard turned to FX coordinator, Allen Hall, to come up with realistic, but controlled, flames. The fire in this film is essentially a character on its own and is often talked about as a living, breathing creature. The fire crawls along the walls and floor. It pounces on the unsuspecting or slithers away from sight. Equally impressive is the fact that many of the actors performed their own stunts while no one was seriously injured on the set.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Having not viewed the original DVD, I cannot compare the two transfers, but I doubt fans will be disappointed with this new edition. The colors are sharp and vibrant with only a few specks appearing sporadically.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, along with dubbed Spanish and French language tracks. The latter two are presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. The score booms along with the effects. You can hear nearly every flame sizzle and crackle.

EXTRAS:
Disc 1 contains an introduction from Ron Howard and over forty minutes of deleted scenes. Most of this excised material fleshes out many of the film's characters, such as Brian going through firefighter academy.

Disc 2 is where the real meat can be found. The extras here include:

Igniting the Story runs 15 minutes and features interviews with members of the crew as they discuss making the film, trying to honestly depict the world of the firefighter, and the film's impact.

Bringing the Team Together runs 20 minutes and focuses on assembling the cast and what it was like for them to play firefighters and experience the flames themselves.

>i>The Explosive Stunts runs 15 minutes as the cast and crew talk about their need to make the film look realistic while dealing with the dangers of being set on fire.

Creating the Villain: The Fire runs just under 13 minutes and concentrates on the crew treading new ground in making and shooting the fire effects.

Real-Life Firemen, Real-Life Stories runs just under 9 minutes and features interviews with real firemen who discuss the film and their experiences.

FILM VALUE:
"Backdraft" does for firefighters what "Top Gun" did for fighter pilots, thankfully without the sweaty, shirtless volleyball game. The film does a commendable job in portraying the macho camaraderie of the firemen, but doesn't rise above the standard Hollywood big-budget schlock. "Backdraft" is still a fun view and those of you who are fond of the action-oriented, summer blockbusters will find a lot to enjoy.