Overview: Based on Robert Cormier’s controversial novel - once the most widely banned book in America -this starkly beautiful (San Francisco Chronicle) allegory of abusive power is set in a Catholic boy’s school where a chocolate sale becomes a war over conformity.

Jerry (Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Weird Science) is a student who refuses to take part, undercutting ambitious school administrator Brother Leon (John Glover, Scrooged).

Leon secretly enlists Archie (Wallace Langham credited as Wally Ward, Ford v. Ferrari) - the sadistic mastermind of the school’s resident gang - to force Jerry into line.

But motives and results are far more complex than they first seem in this fascinating film done with style, with care and with excellence (Los Angeles Times).

Blu-ray Verdict: Dark, strange, slightly amateurish yet oddly compelling, The Chocolate War is an excellent antidote to the happy-go-lucky teen films made popular by John Hughes in the 1980’s.

Based on the popular book by Robert Cormier, the story concerns Jerry Renault (Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Weird Science), a bright but sad young man coping with his mother’s untimely death (which has also turned his father cold and distant).

Jerry is a student a prep school known as Trinity, where he clashes with a sadistic secret fraternity known as the Vigils and the oh-so-slightly-mad acting headmaster Brother Leon (played to perfection by John Glover).

At first by order of the Vigils, and then on his own, Jerry refuses to participate in the annual fund-raising chocolate sale, which not only angers Brother Leon but also causes an assortment of other problems.

Yes, this is a rather simplistic summary, but going into great detail will not only take a lot of time but will also spoil the viewing experience.

The Chocolate War is the directorial debut of actor Keith Gordon (Christine, Back to School), who also wrote the screenplay. The film is a fairly faithful adaptation of Cormier’s novel, but the ending is changed significantly.

Fans of the book argue that Gordon’s ending for the film is too tidy or happy, but in it’s own way the film ends on a rather despairing note, with no easy answers or solutions.

Obviously filmed on a shoestring budget, The Chocolate War still boasts wonderful performances by its young cast. Mitchell-Smith is quite good as Jerry Renault, as well as the previously mentioned John Glover. Wally Ward (better known these days, perhaps, as Wallace Langham of Veronica’s Closet) is very good as the Vigils’ evil assigner Archie, and Bud Cort (Harold and Maude) has a funny cameo as another teacher.

Sometimes the pacing is slow, and sometimes the director attempts to be a little too artistic in his style and, in my humble opinion, the film also suffers from a soundtrack that was dated even when the movie was made (the music comes from such new-wave dinosaurs as Yaz and Kate Bush).

But, and regardless, The Chocolate War is a very thoughtful, well acted, compelling piece of work, and that is a cinematic rarity. Barely seen at the time of release and sometimes hard to find back in the days of video stores, The Chocolate War is out now on stunning Blu-ray via MVD Visual, and is well worth watching (and also well worth reading). This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

High Definition (1080p) presentation of the main feature in 1.85:1 aspect ratio
Audio: English 5.1 Surround , English LPCM Mono, Spanish Mono
Optional English, French and Spanish Subtitles
Feature Commentary By Director Keith Gordon
Interview – Director Keith Gordon Discusses ‘The Chocolate War’
Original Theatrical Trailer
Collectible Mini-Poster