Customer Reviews

Once an Eagle

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have been waiting for years/decades for this mini-series to be released on home video. For those who don't remember, in the aftermath of the success of "Roots" for a brief period networks put a lot of money into producing miniseries programing. It was going to be the next big thing to save the networks (kind of like reality shows today).

As a result, this adaption of "Once An Eagle" is top-notch. The production values are outstanding and, to use a cliche, it features an all-star cast. Sure, the story of the two officers (once admirable, one despicable) is a little black and white, but it's still a whale of a story. The WWI and WWII periods are really entertaining, even if the story may drag a little in the middle. [Note to purists: the story ends in World War II, while the book continues on to the verge of the Viet Nam War, but it's much more dramatic this way.]

I can't believe that over seven hours of great entertainment is priced so reasonably, much less than a lot of mediocre 90 minute movies. This item is a great value. I've already ordered two and will probably be buying many more as gifts.

I have not seen the new DVD release but I own the VHS tape version and I'm sure they are similar....with better quality on the DVD.

This is one of the very best military dramas to be shown on TV. It is based on the novel of the same name by Anton Myrer. The book is required reading in the military schools because through the two main characters the reader/viewer learns the difference in leadership style and what it takes to be a true leader of men.

The story traces the careers of 2 men from WW1 thru WW2. One is a martinet while the other is a leader. Action sequences are scattered throughout the movie but it is mainly the story of these two men and those surrounding them. It is also about the military "system" and the sacrifices soldiers...and their families... make to serve their country

I highly recommend both the book and the movie and look forward to the new DVD release. Anyone remotely interested in the military will enjoy both book and movie. It is NOT a "blood & guts" story but one of heroism and sacrifice.

This DVD miniseries is in 2 disks. Disk 1 contains chapters 1,2,3 and disk 2 contains chapters 5,6,7,8. You will note that neither disk contains chapter 4. This is a major ommision. This probably accounts for the shortened running time which is far less than shown on the case. It probably also accounts for some of the 'name' cast characters not appearing at all in either disk. Also disk 1 has a hang up of about 2 minutes during which the screen does not advance. Additionally the color reproduction is poor. I have recommended to Amazon that they pull all copies of this product from their inventory and have the film studio provide Amazon with a complete and better quality version of the miniseries.

Just so you know, Timeless Media who brings you this package has the reputation of presenting EVERYTHING they release cut and edited in one form or another. Some products are butchered to death and some less so but they are not complete. If you can accept this then go ahead and buy the discs but if you expect full, pristine releases, you will be dissapointed. This is not a judgement review, just a heads up of the products they carry. Thanks.

Did any of you actually see the DVD?????? Unfortunately I did. The cover lists 520 minutes, but there are only a little over 400 min on the DVD set. My set came with 2 DVD,s - 7 chapters at about 50 minutes each (the last chapter is actually double the time). I remember seeing the show when it originally aired. There are whole sections missing. Maybe one day they will release the entire miniseries - but till then I'd wait to but it if I were you.

Sorry, this is a long review. I apologize but can't keep quiet about this.

I read the novel three times at different stages of my professional military career, beginning as a late-stage adolescent and ending during a period when I was dragging my 50-ish self around the hot deserts in the Middle East during the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

The novel "Once an Eagle" by Anton Myrer was an irreplaceable reference in our leadership training at West Point. When this miniseries ran in the United States in the 1970s, I was stationed overseas where the program was unavailable. At the beginning of each of my four command tours throughout a thirty-year military career, I required my officers to read "Once an Eagle." I also strongly recommended they view the movies "A Man for All Seasons" and "The Caine Mutiny." The purpose of this homework was to present what I considered to be basic, foundational concepts of leadership, honor and teamwork.

The novel "Once an Eagle" is a wonderful work, considered by many as our nation's "War and Peace." In my opinion, the miniseries "Once an Eagle," regardless of its wonderful cast, is an amateurish attempt at creating a soap opera from an epic lesson in leadership and honor. The screenplay mirrors a mediocre high school play and much of the acting is at the same level. It appears that someone saw "Roots" and thought they discovered a magical equation for making a fortune in the miniseries business, quality aside.

The true message of "Once an Eagle," positive leadership, duty, and honor, would make a wonderful screenplay if only it were understood and presented in context. Great novels are great because readers understand the messages. Great novels become great movies when screenplays connect with the novels' readers and exhibit understanding of the key themes. Think about "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Lonesome Dove." These screenplays grasped the themes of the novels and were absolutely true to the messages. Both were incredible. The miniseries "Once an Eagle" was not.

The essence of the true message in the miniseries "Once an Eagle" is masked and replaced by a weak attempt to place this story in the same category as a low-budget soap opera. If you are a fan of today's soap operas, you may want to buy this DVD for its prurient, sophomoric qualities. I you want to understand the pain and joy of leadership, read the book.

General SBB, I hope you agree.

This DVD contains the full miniseries as it originally aired. For those in doubt, you can check the Internet Movie Data Base ([...]). Here's the link to the full episode list, if this system allows it to post through:

[...]

As you can see, there were seven episodes, not 8 as some have misremembered, the first airing on 2 December 1976 and the last on 13 January 1977.

All seven episodes are present and accounted for, sir!

Episodes 1 and 7 were two hour episodes, the rest being an hour each. That was a total of 540 minutes of air time, INCLUDING THE COMMERCIALS. Take the commercials out and you're down to 400-some-odd minutes... exactly what's on this disc set.

I found the quality to be as good as possible considering the source material: a TV miniseries in the days before Hi Def. I also just watched "Rich Man, Poor Man", from the same era, and the quality was exactly the same.

My discs functioned flawlessly. The interactive menu works just fine.

Now, for those who have read the book -- as I have -- this miniseries never did contain the entire book. I remember thinking that at the time of the original airing. The original novel carries the story further in time than the TV show did. Obviously a decision the producers and network made at the time... and obviously it's too late to change that now.

So, if you liked it then and want to revisit it, do so with confidence. It aged well!

If you haven't seen it, you should. There aren't too many works around that were written by people who lived that era of the military, and especially not many that are done so well. Irwin Shaw did it with "The Young Lions". Jones's "From Here To Eternity" trilogy. Very few others.

PS:

The links were, indeed, edited from my review, so I've added them as a comment to this review.

As the previous reviewer mentioned, I have not seen the new release, but can only imagine finally seeing this story with great quality. It really is a great American story. I remember seeing it when it was originally airing on TV. I always remembered parts of it but not the whole thing. I finally found a copy of it and enjoyed watching it once more. I can't wait to see what they do with the DVD version.

Televised in 1976, this outstanding miniseries had been on the shelf for more than 30 years until Tom Hebert of www.once-an-eagle.com (check it out) kicked off his successful "Give Us the Miniseries" campaign. It will be the blockbuster military release of the decade! It has story line & star power! You'll watch it over and over. Hebert's website also covers the novel on which the miniseries is based. And, he wrote a non-fiction book on the novel and miniseries that can be found on Amazon.

Once An Eagle: Notes on Once An Eagle

Two hours of the miniseries missing without a trace. Is it an incomplete movie that you want to watch?