My Review:
The DVD was viewed on a portable (14") TV set and the 2.40:1 aspect ratio is not suitable for small screens since many of the scenes were shot at a distance. However, the widescreen is needed for viewing many of the dance numbers, especially the numbers that include the villagers, such as "Go Home with Bonnie Jean." The widescreen effect is also good if subtitles are used since the subtitles appear in the black section below the movie scenes and, therefore, do not interfere with the movie itself.
The film has been digitally enhanced and the video quality is excellent. The scenes in the village of Brigadoon are exceptionally bright and clear with sharp, bright colors. The sound quality is also clear with sufficient volume.
The movie begins with a foggy scene in the Highlands of Scotland but it quickly moves to the animals in Brigadoon awakening to the song "Brigadoon." As the animals awake, the scene becomes clearer and gradually the clear, bright town scenes replace the Highland fog.
Although I haven't seen the play of "Brigadoon," I know that some songs from the original play were eliminated and, most likely, more dancing was added to adjust to Gene Kelly's main talent. Unlike most of his other movies, "Brigadoon" was not developed specifically as a project for Gene Kelly and, therefore, there are no special dance sequences, such as those in "An American in Paris" or "Singin' in the Rain." However, the dancing to "It's Almost Like Being in Love" is very typical Gene Kelly choreography. "Brigadoon' was the last major film that used Gene Kelly as choreographer and star.
The special outtakes included on the DVD were mostly cut from the final film. The first one, "Come to Me, Bend to Me," is a rather boring number sung by Charlie to Jeannie. The second one, "From This Day On," features Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse dancing and singing. However, Charisse's voice was dubbed and the voice did not match Charisse's speaking voice at all. The dance sequence was kept but the music was changed to "Heather on the Hill" and this produced a much better effect in the final film. The final outtake, "Sword Dance," was replaced in the film with the wedding dance where Harry grabs Jeannie. I prefer the cut "Sword Dance" number, where the village men are dancing with swords to music that conveys the mood and adds to the plot in a more subtle way than the wedding dance scene does.