Product Details

• Actors: Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Vince McMahon
• Directors: Paul Jay
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 100
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: J-Films
• DVD Release Date: December 8, 2009
• Run Time: 164 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001NG9GZ0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,622 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

THE NEW Double DVD set: BRETT THE HITMAN HART
And never before released on DVD,
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF OWEN HART....

Bret Hart, five times' champion of the World Wrestling Federation, sits in a hotel room - one day before the most important fight of his life.

Sure, it's just professional wrestling, but this match is different. It will be Bret's last in the WWF, a company for whom he's been the top guy and loyal champion for years. The owner of the company, the legendary Vince McMahon, want's him out, only months after signing an unprecedented twenty years contract. Now he want's him to lose his final match as well.

It's not just another wrestling show for Bret. This fight will determine how his character 'The Hitman', wrestling's favourite good guy for the last decade, will be remembered.

Sitting in a hotel room, one day before the match. What Bret doesn't know, is that he will be the target of the biggest double cross in the history of professional wrestling.

Over the span of one year, an award winning documentary film crew followed Bret Hart. They hoped for an unprecedented look behind the scenes of the WWF. What they got was the most dramatic story in the history of wrestling.

HITMAN HART is a story about loyalty and betrayal, money and greed, dignity and disgrace. It's about fathers and sons, fans and icons, and keeping one's integrity in a world of moral uncertainty. In a word, it's a film about being human.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good and Infamous Wrestling Documentary!, June 1, 2010

By 

. "mattb123" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows - 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition (DVD)

I still remember when this documentary first aired back in '98 or so (the DVD is the 10-year anniversary of the original DVD, as opposed to when the documentary first aired). I believe it aired on A&E or one of those similar cable channels. Basically, a camera crew followed around WWF (now known as "WWE") wrestler, Bret Hart, filming his WWE professional life and personal life including his contract negotations with WWE owner Vince McMahon. The documentary is somewhat unique as up until this point there had been little done or shown behind-the-scenes on pro wrestling. Further, it just so happened that the year that was filmed led up to...and included...one of the most renowned and "real-life" controversies in the recent history of pro-wrestling "The Montreal Screwjob." (Granted, this documentary may have helped make it one of the most memorable and controversial events...). Since the night of "the Screwjob," everyone involved has had their say on what happened... Wellllll (as "Hawk" would say), on this DVD you'll see exactly who got caught on camera saying what (and lying to Bret's face). If you have an opinion...or interest...you'll want to watch it. If you don't have an opinion or know the full story, you might decide to "wikipedia" it after watching this...there have been various "revelations" made in the years since, including admissions by Shawn Michaels. It's a prime example of how - as strange as wrestling storylines may seem to many - the behind-the-scenes stories can be just as unusual!

Beyond the "screwjob," there's much more covered in this documentary including Bret's struggles to balance his family life and wrestling career, his negotiations with Vince up until the time Bret departed the WWE, and battles with himself trying to decide what was best to do. Some of the "spin" around that time was that Bret and others "sold out" and left Vince McMahon and the WWE in a bind; but again this documentary provides new insight about that - at least as far as Bret goes. I also found memorable a scene with Bret expressing to some fellow wrestlers his true feelings about other wrestlers (such as Michaels and Triple H), and on the direction and storylines the Federation was taking.

Overall, after viewing this I definitely came away thinking that Bret was "old-school" and a "traditionalist" struggling in a business that seemed to be changing from what he believed it was or should be. Bret is an interesting study - he's a hero in Canada, the all-time favorite of many wrestling fans, and clearly drew strong opinions about the changing sport and the way he was dis-loyally treated. But others see him as inflexible and taking things a little too seriously, which may have led to his bitterness. After viewing this the viewer can draw their own opinion...but if you know Bret's full story you cannot argue that he sacrificed all (and paid a very heavy toll indeed) for the sport that he dedicated his life to!

I would add this DVD isn't very redundant even if you've seen the Brett Hart DVD set or read his book (and I recommend those if you're a WWE or Bret Hart fan too).

New to this "10-year anniversary" edition are additional updated interviews ("10 years later..." with Bret and others) as well as a documentary on the life and death of Owen Hart (Bret's younger brother, also a wrestler, who died doing a stunt during a "pay-per-view" event that took place not long after Bret left the WWE...and yet the PPV event continued!!!).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a classic after 12 years, January 9, 2010

By 

Latroy Gordon "LG" (minneapolis mn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows - 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition (DVD)

i have watched this documentary over and over it never gets old. bret hart was my favorite wrestler growing up and to see his career in the wwf end like it did was truly heartbreaking. wrestling with shadows is a movie about what goes on behind the curtain,how match outcomes are determined etc.. its a story of loyalty and betrayal. a must have for any wrestling fan. i also enjoyed the bonus dvd the life and death of owen hart it takes you through his whole career leading up to the circumstances surrounding his untimely death in 1999.it was shorter than bret's but i still enjoyed it.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you do not have to be a fan of wrestling to enjoy this amazing film!, October 25, 2009

By 

Richardson "Clarence" (Sunny California USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows - 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition (DVD)

I am a pleased owner of this two disc set and its an amazing documentary. I love documentaries and this is one of my all time favorite films. I don't want to get into a debate of wrestling and its sub plots but lets suffice to say this exposes much of the hype and behind the scenes politics. The back stabbing that went on during this period are legendary in wrestling circles and the actors/athletes that double crossed Brett Hart went on to make a fortune in the game which shows you how little honor has to do with anything anymore. The bonus disc on his brother Owen who tragically died in a poorly planned and ridiculously dangerous stunt in conjunction with another event could be of interest again to non wrestling fans. I can't recommend this highly enough truly a 5 star film.