Triumph Of The Spirit Blu Ray Review (MGM)

Triumph of the Spirit is a 1989 drama directed by Robert M. Young (Dominick and Eugene, Extremities, Short Eyes, Talent for the Game, and Battlestar Galactica). It was written by Andrzej Krakowski (Eminent Domain, Tides of War, Genghis Khan: The Story of a Lifetime, and Managua) and Laurence Heath (Murder She Wrote, Mission: Impossible, Dynasty, The Alaskans, and Most Wanted). It was produced by Arnold Kopelson (Platoon, The Fugitive, Se7en, The Devil’s Advocate, Falling Down, Outbreak, Porky’s, and Warlock). The budget was $12,000,000 and it grossed $408,839 worldwide at the box office. It takes place during WWII at the Auschwitz internment camp. Salamo Arouch (played by: Willem Dafoe from Platoon, Wild at Heart, Spider-Man franchise, To Live and Die in L.A., The Boondocks Saints, Aquaman, John Wick, and American Psycho), interned at the death camp with his family and friends is forced to fight his fellow inmates to amuse the guards the loser is sent to the gas chamber. Salamo’s prowess in the ring is both his salvation and his stressful nightmare as his hollow victories condemn others to their death. Still he has to fight so.he might somehow save his father, his friends, and perhaps even his own soul! Triumph of the Spirit is an interesting hybrid of Nazi survival and boxing. It’s based on shocking life events that forced a man to fight to stay alive to entertain his psychotic guards. It’s directed by veteran Robert M. Young and this is one of his best efforts behind the camera. Lead actor Willem Dafoe is amazing as the tough Salamo Arouch. His family and friends are all barely hanging on to their lives so he’s trying to reconnect to all of them through these intense battles to the death. Back in the day, Dafoe had his fair share of bigger roles. Unfortunately, he mainly does supporting or cameos now but he always kills everything that he does. He’s one of the most underrated performers around, this one flew way under the radar. The talented Robert Loggia (Big, The Sopranos, Scarface, Independence Day, Lost Highway, and Innocent Blood) gives a heartbreaking portrayal of a father that sees his family separated and they are all going through different situations in this living hell but he can’t do anything about it. He’s tough but these Nazis keep breaking him more and more as time goes on. Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver, Battlestar Galactica, Selena, Mayans M.C., Blade Runner, American Me, and Dexter) is great as the resourceful Gypsy. He’s kinda a mentor and motivator for Salamo Arouch. He’s found creative ways to survive this nasty world but no one is ever safe here. The supporting cast includes Costas Mandylor (Saw franchise), Wendy Gazelle (Graveyard Shift II), Kelly Wolf (Graveyard Shift), Kario Salem (Killing Zoe), Edward Zentara (Hard to Be a God), Hartmut Becker (SOKO München), Zofia Saretok (The White Raven), Jerzy Gralek (Blood for Blood), Ewa Lesniak (Echo Serca), and Grazyna Krukówna (The Consul). Triumph of the Spirit came out way before so many other bigger Holocaust movies and it still doesn’t get the respect it deserves. It’s definitely a more unique entry when it comes to this sub-genre or boxing movies in general. It’s a grim, dark, tense, and stressed filled drama that’s unfortunately actually took place. It doesn’t back away from violence, death, and some extremely graphic visuals. There’s some scenes that will stay with you long after watching Triumph of the Spirit. There’s a good chance that you have never heard of this but it’s worth giving a shot sometime. It’s a powerful experience plus It stays historically accurate which I appreciate. It’s currently streaming on MGM+, STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from MGM! This 1080p (1.85:1) transfer appears to be the exact same restoration as the 2024 Kino Lorber home video release l. It’s still a huge upgrade compared to it’s original DVD and VHS versions. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track on the disc. The audio is great but it’s mainly pops for it’s haunting score. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the rough survival is elevated, and the music has a nice boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has the “Theatrical Trailer”. It has the almost 2 minute “Behind the Scenes Gallery”. Don’t let the artwork fool you, this is a pro pressed home video release and it’s not a BD-R. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com!!!!