Blu-ray Review: JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (Twilight Time)

The work of French fantasist Jules Verne has fascinated readers for over a hundred years. When I was young, probably around ten or eleven, I was a devotee of Verne's. I collected his better known works and read them over and over again, voraciously. His unique vision of the march of science turned men into explorers, and the great unknown into familiar territory in the minds of his readers. In other words, the works of Jules Verne are perfectly suited for adaptation to the silver screen, and many filmmakers have taken up the call over the years. Probably the most frequently adapted of Verne's books is Journey to the Center of the Earth, and this 1959 film version is undoubtedly the best known version of the story, with good reason.

Most people, even those who haven't read the stories, can surely glean some idea of the plot of the film from its title alone. Therefore I'm not going to give a plot synopsis, it seems a bit silly.

What is interesting to me is the choice of Journey as the story to which filmmakers attach themselves. It seems that with the progression of time, Journey to the Center of the Earth is probably the last remaining story that retains any shred of mystery. Verne's other major works, From the Earth to the Moon, Mysterious Island, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, were all written at a point in time in which their subject matter was still beyond the wildest fantasies of contemporary readers. However, in the years since we've gone to the Moon, charted every last inch of the Earth with the help of satellites, and sent men into the deepest crevices that the Earth has to offer. However, we've not sent a man to the Earth's core.

Modern science has a lot to say about what we would find on a journey to the Earth's center, and it doesn't look at all like what Verne describes. However, we can't prove it. All we have are measurements, charts, and Earth samples. This scientific evidence, though compelling, leaves just enough room in the imagination to go on the adventure with Professor Lindenbrook and his compatriots to see what is really down there. The center of the Earth is the final frontier, the last place that Jules Verne's stories took us that we haven't been able to go on our own. This is why the story is still so compelling, this is why we still make films out of Journey to the Center of the Earth, and this is why they are still thrilling.

Henry Levin's 1959 version was made in the golden age of science fiction filmmaking. The film stars James Mason, and young heartthrob Pat Boone as the explorers determined to find their way to the Earth's center. Journey features some very impressive production design, and offers up fantastic visuals to help illuminate Verne's ideas of the underground wonderland. In addition, Bernard Hermann's bombastic score is a marvelous thing to behold, even if it is interrupted occasionally to give Boone a chance to croon for the ladies. Though the film runs a bit long at nearly two hours, I was riveted the entire time.

One of the things I'd hoped to gain from this viewing of Journey to the Center of the Earth was to engage my son in my old obsessions, which has been a hobby of mine since becoming a parent. I wanted him to feel the wonder in watching Verne's story that I felt while reading it. Unfortunately for me, Journey ran a little bit too slowly, with no major action happening until nearly the second hour of the film, and he drifted in and out of interest, at least until the final thirty minutes. Maybe a film like this is a bit much to ask of a seven year old.

Later in the day, I took my boy to see the most recent Verne adaptation, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. I had no real hopes for this film, however, it did something amazing, it got my son interested in the stories that I so loved as a child. Today he went out with his grandmother and bought his own copy of Journey. I think our little warm up yesterday did what I wanted it to, and for that I thank Mr Levin and Twilight Time for reminding me how great these films and stories can be.

The Disc:

Twilight Time's Blu-ray presentation of Journey to the Center of the Earth looks pretty damned good. As with the recent Blu-ray edition of Bell, Book, and Candle, wide shots are a bit mushy, but not unduly so, however, closeups are fantastic. The image shows a healthy about of grain, and the colors are glorious. Even more of an upgrade than the video is the DTS-HD four channel lossless audio track, which gives Hermann's score the attention it deserves. I was blown away by the audio presentation on this disc, and have rarely heard any so good.

As usual, the extras on the disc are limited. Twilight Time does give us an isolated music score, which in this case is marvelous, as well as a trailer. There is also the wonderful essay from Julie Kirgo, which is always a treat and is only slightly secondary to the films when it comes to my anticipation of Twilight Time releases.

Twilight Time have released another gem in tip top form. Journey to the Center of the Earth doesn't have quite the action adventure feel of The Mysterious Island, but it is a great telling of a wonderful story. Definitely recommended.