Benedict Arnold - A Question of Honor
by Mikael Salomon
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DVD details
Actor: Aidan Quinn, Flora Montgomery, John Kavanagh, John Light, Kelsey GrammerDirector: Mikael Salomon
Brand: A&E
Producer: David Craig
Producer: Delia Fine
Producer: Franz Landerer
Producer: Guido De Angelis
Producer: John G. Phelan
Producer: Jonas Bauer
Writer: William Mastrosimone
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-02-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Home Video
DVD Reviews of Benedict Arnold - A Question of Honor
DVD Review: Interesting but flawed version of the Benedict Arnold story
Summary: 3 Stars
'Benedict Arnold - A Question of Honor' is a honest attempt at the very fascinating story of Benedict Arnold but it comes up short. Benedict Arnold's story should be brought to life because it has to be one of the most interesting and tragic stories to come out of the American Revolution. But the A & E version of his story feels too rushed, just not enough detail, and has a lower budget. The battle scenes that depict Arnold's heroic actions for the Americans in the Revolution are rather short and do not have a cast of thousands. There is no real sense of the vastness of the American Revolution. Also valuable time is spent on romantic scenes of Arnold and his wife that would be better used in depicting the machinations of his treason.
The acting is good, but is short of great. Aidan Quinn makes a suitably moody Arnold but does not really bring out what made Arnold such an admired American commander before he became a turncoat. Kelsey Grammer is decent as Washington but falls short of the excellent cinematic performances of Washington done by Barry Bostwick, Jeff Daniels, and David Morse. The key figure besides Arnold in the treason John Andre is portrayed in a less than convincing fashion. I did not really like the actor's performance as Andre and he did not bring the figure alive. Many American officers believed that Andre should not hang and were taken by his unique character but none of this comes through in the film.
I also believe that the film should have been longer and made on a bigger budget because this is such a interesting tale with so many interesting historical characters involved.
I think viewers would be better served by reading the books 'Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor' by Willard Sterne Randall and 'The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold and John Andre' by James Thomas Flexner than watching the film. Hopefully one day this story can be done correctly on a larger scale and really show all of the complications of this most fascinating time in American history.
DVD Review: Woof
Summary: 1 Stars
What a dog of a movie. Bad acting compounded by overacting built upon atrocious casting. Burn before watching.DVD Review: Underfunded, overwritten and often extremely badly acted
Summary: 2 Stars
Underfunded, overwritten and often extremely badly acted, Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor aka Field of Honour, has a great story but it constantly shows its roots on the A&E Channel by putting long and florid quotes from the real characters' historical correspondence into the mouths of actors ill-equipped to deliver them aloud. Kelsey Grammar fares best as George Washington but Aidan Quinn is often hopelessly at sea as Benedict Arnold, a bit of a problem when he's the main character. It's an interesting attempt to look at the way the jealousy, snobbery and parsimony of those on his own side led the revolution's most brilliant and successful soldier to become its most notorious traitor, but cinematographer-turned-director Mikael Solomon fails to bring enough life and vitality to the rushed narrative to disguise the bad writing, low budget and poor casting while the accuracy doesn't extend to the production design: Valley Forge looks like a gentleman's summer retreat, Quebec is reduced to a field with a log fence and the American War of Independence something that took place in a few fields and streets in Ireland. Dull stuff.DVD Review: A&E needs to wake up!
Summary: 1 Stars
Again, an eagerly anticipated evening's enjoyment watching an excellent movie about an important part of America's history, is thwarted because of no sub-titles. The product details mention "closed-captioned", but I need sub-titles. A&E has lost another sale. I bet I'm not the only person who needs subtitles!DVD Review: Biography A&E
Summary: 5 Stars
My dvd came with an A&E Biography of Benedict Arnold which is all an amateur history buff could want.
[I could not bring myself to watch the featured movie, however.]
-- Louis J Sheehan
Description of Benedict Arnold - A Question of Honor
Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 02/11/2003 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: NrThe most sullied figure of the American Revolution receives partial redemption in Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor. Produced for the A&E network, this factual drama reveals the lesser-known circumstances of Arnold's dishonor, beginning in 1777 and chronicling his fall from greatness. The conquering hero of Saratoga and other victories of the Revolution finds himself in an impossible predicament, his allegiance torn between his British loyalist wife (Jane Brennan) and his paternally devoted commander, George Washington (Kelsey Grammer), as his Colonial detractors cast him into a tragic no-win scenario. Authentically detailed and blessed by playwright William Mastrosimone's poetic period dialogue, Benedict Arnold successfully explores the personal and political facets of a great soldier's downfall. Aidan Quinn's expressive melancholy perfectly suits his title role, and Grammer transcends Frasier, lending appropriate gravitas--and some physical resemblance--to his portrayal of America's future president. Like A&E's earlier film The Crossing, this is compelling historical drama, entertaining, intelligent, and emotionally complex. --Jeff Shannon
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