Screen legend Steve McQueen (The Great Escape, Bullitt, The Getaway) delivers a powerful, gripping performance as a defiant loner whose skills as a soldier make him invaluable to his struggling platoon. In the heat of battle during World War II, McQueen and his fellow soldiers find themselves severely outnumbered as they hold off a Nazi advance along the Siegfried Line in France. Using only their ingenuity and bravery, they must bluff the Germans in order to buy some time…and save their lives. The great Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, Charley Varrick, Escape from Alcatraz) directs the explosive action led by an all-star cast, including Bobby Darin, Fess Parker, Harry Guardino, James Coburn, Nick Adams and Bob Newhart. If they can fool the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive, victory is theirs.

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Video Quality

Hell Is For Heroes debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. While there are very minor inconsistencies here and there, this is largely a fetching presentation. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have all been cleaned up substantially with overall clarity and detail looking very favorable. Even if you still spot a minor speck or two, this is more than likely the best the film has ever looked.

The presentation is enviable throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation rarely faltering. The stark black-and-white photography allows for steady contrast. Detail is helped out a lot with this new presentation with consistent subtle facial features easily noticeable alongside the texture of the debris. Black levels hold up well with no major instances of crush observed. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with a refined look rather than a clumpy mess. This presentation is a stellar effort which should please any fan of classic war pictures.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that sounds pretty dynamic throughout this perilous journey. Much like the video side of the equation, the audio track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear and distortion. Dialogue holds up admirably, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the score or sound effects. Everything is presented with clarity and a strong fidelity as it fills the room. Kino has done a good job of showcasing this material. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Combat Films: American Realism Author Steven Jay Rubin deliver a very informative commentary track in which they discuss the history of the film, where this fits within the war genre, the background of various creative figures attached to the film, what Steve McQueen wanted from this story, the reception of the picture, details about the shooting locations and more.

Trailers: The three-minute trailer is provided for Hell Is For Heroes. There are also trailers provided for The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Hunter, Charley Varrick, Escape From Alcatraz, Fixed Bayonets!, Attack!, The Train and Beach Red.

Final Thoughts

Hell Is For Heroes is a fine example of Hollywood being unafraid to showcase the bleak, gritty nature of war. It comes as no surprise that Don Siegel is the perfect director to handle this material, and his collaboration with the icy cool Steve McQueen and the rest of the formidable ensemble brings something special to this material. The film offers a good balance of character-based drama with the harrowing action sequences in a way that raises the emotional stakes throughout. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray with a fantastic A/V presentation and a really informative commentary track. If you are a fan of the genre, you should add it to your collection. Recommended

Hell Is For Heroes is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.