Backdraft (15th Anniversary Edition)

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 10, 2006

Release Date: September 19, 2006

Unless you bought the DVD before it went out of print, you may have forgotten about this gem. The special effects were absolutely beautiful and the sound is to die for. This is definitely one of the first reference DVD’s that ever came out.

Brian McCaffrey (William Baldwin) has a history with fires. With both his late father and brother Stephen “Bull” McCaffrey (Kurt Russell) being firefighters, it is the only logical thing for Brian to do. After graduating, Brian finds out that he will be reporting to his older brother. With bad blood in the family, both men try and find a way to work together. When an arsonist starts murdering city officials Donald “Shadow” Rimgale (Robert De Niro) is called in to investigate the fires and identify the murderer. All three men battle the backdrafts and their own personal demons while serving the city of Chicago.

With an all star cast, Ron Howard only further developed his reputation as an Oscar caliber director. Already dabbling in special effects with Cocoon but not quite near the beautiful effects in Apollo 13, this was Howard’s breakout film for special effects. Allowing the film’s subject to be his real star, Howard used the beauty and visceral power of fire to take over the film. After reading the film’s script, Jennifer Jason Leigh reportedly told director Howard that she wished she was the fire because it has the best part. Nominated for three Oscars, the film was visual and sound effects masterpiece.

Now on a special 2-disc 15th Anniversary edition DVD set, Backdraft looks better than ever. The picture and sound quality are both well above par. The video is sharp and vivid, displaying the fire sequences in full glory. The foundation of the DVD is the sound though. Using all five channels to full effect, you feel just as the actors do, engulfed in flames. The true surprise of this set comes in its special features. Over 40 minutes of deleted scenes, “Igniting the Story” Director Ron Howard, Academy Award®-winning producer Brian Grazer and others discuss the evolution of the film from script to screen, “Bringing Together The Team” From the casting room to firefighter clinics see how director Ron Howard brought together a talented team of actors and real-life firefighters, “The Explosive Stunts” Filmmakers reveal the state-of-the-art technology and heroic stunts that created the explosive action of the film, “Creating the Villain: The Fire” See how an overwhelmingly talented team of special effects creators and stunt coordinators worked together to bring the fire to life, “Real-Life Fireman, Real-Life Stories” Get an insider’s perspective on what it takes to be a firefighter are all on the second disc of this amazing set.

While the film itself is not amazing and could be considered a guilty pleasure, its value as a DVD should not be overlooked. The film has an amazing cast, but falters as they attempt to over dramatize their roles. De Niro was as good as you could ask from such a small role, the same with Donald Sutherland. Russel and Baldwin aren’t quite Oscar caliber actors, but the film is still fun and a 90’s classic. Backdraft is a must own DVD and a just a fun movie to pop in every now and then. Not too serious and not too silly, it’s just the right amount of entertainment.

Movie Grade: C+

DVD Grade: A

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