Search - Save the Tiger on DVD

Memorable performance by Jack Lemmon

06/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Interesting story with great performances by both Jack Lemmon and Jack Gilford. Lemmon won the Best Actor Oscar for his intense portrayal of a businessman and WW2 vet contemplating insurance fraud and arson, who is having a nervous breakdown while longing for the clarity of the past. Forget the critics who gave this a lukewarm reception, this is an excellent movie with memorable performances."

Classic drama with great performance finally on DVD. Include

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 10/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Harry Stoner (Jack Lemmon) isn't having a good day. He's burned out on his seemingly successful life. He's in hock up to his eyeballs and is an example of Paul Simon's observation about the "quiet desperation" of American lives. Lemmon picked up a deserved Academy Award for his portrayal of Harry with its echoes of other Lemmon characters throughout the latter part of his life.

"Save the Tiger" looks particularly good. Paramount has done a nice, crisp and clean transfer here. While the film occasionally looks soft with noticeably grain in some sequences that's the result of age, the film stock and lighting conditions for the film. The 2.0 audio has nice clarity and presence.

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere when this was released (or on the box that I received with my preview copy) but there is a great commentary track from producer/writer Steve Shagan and director John G. Avildsen ("Rocky"). Both recall the difficulties they had in making the film and Lemmon's consummate professionalism in shooting this film. It's a pity that Lemmon wasn't tapped to provide a commentary while he was alive (and it's a pity that this wasn't issued earlier to take advantage of that) but having Shagan and Avildsen (much less any commentary track) relate their stories about the making of the movie is a delight.

An essential drama with a great performance by Jack Lemmon, "Save the Tiger" looks exceptionally good in this transfer from Paramount. Featuring a nice commentary track by Shagan and Lemmon, "Save the Tiger" is an enjoyable movie and fans will savor having this classic on DVD.

"

Lemmon In One Of His Most Profound Roles

Gus Mauro | Brandon,mb | 04/25/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even though Save The Tiger May not of been a commercial sucsess
it still shows how great filmaking was once made. Basically
the story is about a day & a half in the Life of Harry Stoner
owner of a garment manufactuing company who's going through a
midlife crisis is in debt considers arson to his warehouse as a way of his troubles and manages to commit adultry. Jack Lemmon's
amazing performce which earned him a well deserved oscar plays
with sheer brillance and belivablity that he is pratcally in every scene of this film. One great scene was when Harry litterly
breaks emotinally thinking back to his army days seeing his friends wounded & killed when giving a speech at a fashion show.
No Matter how dated or strange this film may be today it's still
a great film it's defintely not a film for visual & special
effcts nuts but a film with certain amount of intelligence
and should be held as a clasic film."

A man at the end of his rope

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 09/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are some things, no matter how bad they might be otherwise, that touch a chord in us somehow and thus gain our admiration. For me, this movie does exactly that. Maybe it's the reminiscing about old ball players and jazz musicians; maybe it's Bunny Berigan's "I Can't Get Started" on the soundtrack; but this depressing and pretentious movie has impressed me ever since I saw it years ago. Jack Lemmon plays a clothing manufacturer who is in trouble financially; he's thinking of torching one of his warehouses for the insurance money, seeing no other way to make it through "another season." He's also fed up with the crummy world he's "forced" to live in and lives more and more in the world of his past (which, he if really thought about it, was probably just as bad). Much in the movie is cliched and phony, but Lemmon rises above it all somehow. Like I said, it touches something in me that's beyond explanation. Despite its flaws I like this movie a lot."