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Rating:  - How the West Was Won
I originally saw the film in Cinerama at the theater (7 times) - it's my favorite of all time. I've seen it a few times on TV but a bit disappointed about the lines dividing the 3 screens and the distortion that created. However, I was shocked to see how this version did a supurb job of putting the three screens together to give the viewer the closest resemblace to the original experience! I find the "Smilevision" a bit too corney. The brochure telling of the behind-the-scenes facts are very informative as well.
Rating:  - Excellently restored, but..
The restorers have done a superb job of turning this movie into a home cinema experience but the nature of the beast that is Cinerama isn't easy to tame. This comes as a 2 Blu-ray set with one done (very) widescreen and the other done in the odd smilebox format. Neither is perfect nor could they be but it's certainly a grand experience either way.
It's not my favourite film but the reason for buying was the grandeur of it, some miscolouring still appears from time to time where the film stocks were joined but it doesn't hurt the overall feel of it.
It's understandable after seeing this as well as home video allows why only two Cinerama films were made, for all its grandeur it doesn't present any better than the extra wide but normal films that followed, with the distorted fish-eye like view sometimes detracting.
However it does present as a very collectible film and the quality is quite superb overall.
Rating: - How Cinerama DVD Was Won
Wow !!! What a wonderful transfer either for image and sound ! watched on Plasma screen (with HDMI connexion) and through Dolby Digital 7.1 ("Adventure" YAMAHA DSP type), it's impressive!Of course I knew this movie in Cinerama Theater (EMPIRE HALL in PARIS). Congratulations for "3 screen" separate lines treatment which make possible a domestic watch in good conditions. the original version was interesting in Cinerama theater but a torture on a domestic screen! The "Cinerama adventure" bonus includes very persuasive highlights of the "smile-box" version available only in Blue-Ray edition. I don't have Blue-Ray player yet but after seeing that, I think about !!!
Rating: - Beautiful!
The Blu Ray release of How the West Was Won is by far the best version released to date. The frames are nearly perfectly aligned and synchronized. The "smile box" format is a real treat. It simulates the Cinerama theatre experience very well. The soundtrack sounds great. Blu Ray has definitely improved home theatre audio which has suffered from low resolution and high data compression with DVD. If you are a fan of this film, an audiophile, a videophile, or a Cinerama enthusiast, you must own this. If you don't already own a Blu Ray player, get off your butt and go buy one! It is worth it for this version of How the West Was Won.
Rating:  - The birth of widescreen
A superb restoration (on Blu-Ray) of what is a mediocre film. Not even all of the featured Hollywood stars could rescue this Disneyesque look at America's westward expansion. The most interesting thing was the documentary extra on the Cinerama process and how it influenced all subsequent films. This is how widescreen was born. But the use of Cinerama for this film makes many scenes look awkward, as the characters eyes don't quite meet in a number of scenes, since the camera used three lenses and the actors had to "guesstimate" where, exactly, the other actor would appear on the curved Cinerama screen. Closeups were also impossible. Cinerama was made for big, expansive scenes, of which HTWWW has many. The directors actually had to compose their shots based upon the camera's unique characteristics. While some scenes were gorgeous, even displaying it in HD on my 106" projection screen looked awkward, because it was made for Cinerama's curved screen. All in all, an interesting, if underwhelming, movie.
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