by Sam Juliano
More documentaries, narrative films and volumes have been made or written about the cataclysmic event known as World War II, than about any era in world history. It is estimated that anywhere between 50 and 85 million people were erased during the six years the conflict was fought in theaters around the globe making it the most widespread war in history, and directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Because the war affected so many and was fought on so many continents, historians and those who remain endlessly fascinated if deeply disturbed by the conflict’s long ranging implications, there are many who prefer to focus on different aspects of the war. i.e. the Holocaust, the war in the Pacific, the European front, the Battle for Stalingrad, the Battle of Britain and so on. Any attempt to encapsulate this unconscionably horrific event via an overview will almost always result in the need for expansion or studied elaboration. Because there have always been new revelations, there will always be new stories to tell, maiden reports of facts freshly unearthed, and changing perspectives connected to this most heinous paradigm of human suffering and mass degradation in the whole pantheon of human existence. What we have confidently concluded is that if such an all-encompassing epic struggle had been fought today, what with the advance weaponry, and ability to forge precision strikes, a doomsday scenario would be almost impossible to dispel. War historians continue to explore the various political, psychological and social instabilities that triggered the calamity, and will no doubt continue to well into the future or until the time when another event of equal or greater ferocity will make such a study a moot point.
The list of books connected to the Second World War comprise the most populated literary sub-category in existence, and any attempt to list them all or even a representative selection would prove a futile exercise. Like other World War II buffs, I’ve ready many over the years, but will restrict my inclusions here to William H. Schirer’s The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; Anna Reid’s Leningrad: The Epic Siege of World War II, Donald L. Miller’s The Story of World War II; Alan Bullock’s Hitler: A Study of Tyranny, Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, not to mention several works by William Manchester on Churchill, MacArthur and the economics of the war and of course the beloved The Diary of Anne Frank and Night by Ellie Wiesel. There have been more documentaries on the subject than you can shake a stick at, with enduring works like Shoah, Night and Fog, The Sorrow and the Pity, Listen to Britain, Auschwitz and Fires Were Started perhaps the most venerated of all.
The cinema never seems to lose focus for the subject either, and some of the most highly regarded motion pictures about the subject include Schindler’s List, Atonement, Night and Fog, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, Come and See, Au Revoir Les Enfants, Hope and Glory, Patton, From Here to Eternity, Rome Open City, Army of Shadows, Letters from Iwo Jima, Ivan’s Chilhood, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Closely Watched Trains, The Train, The Pianist, Downfall, The Bridge over the River Kwai; Aopocalypse Now, Full Medal Jacket, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives, and the Hungarian Fateless among countless others. The subject is largely and understandably the most austere of any filmed, so almost as a necessity to offer some levity, we have guffawed uneasily at the likes of Ernest Lubitsch’s To Be or Not to Be, Mel Brooks The Producers, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards and the television sitcom Hogan’s Heroes. The animation masterwork from Studio Gibli, The Grave of the Fireflies also made its point most powerfully. For all the great works that have been created in the arts though and the war as an ever aching reminder of the worst horror people can survive to recall did serve as the basis to some of the most emotional works ever- there is one that in terms of condensed scope, archival footage, newsreels, interviews, and historical reportage and analysis that is the one that stands tallest as a permanent record of that most terrible of times, one that brings all aspects of the war from the storm clouds and events that set the stage for unrest and mistrust, culminating in nefarious plotting, armed aggression, mass murder and devastation that hasn’t been seen before or since.
The imperfect but still towering work in question and the subject of this post is the landmark 26 part television series The World at War, which remains the most ambitious project of its kind ever attempted. The primary creative force of the enterprise was Sir Jeremy Isaacs, who was given the project by the BBC as a logical continuation of what they had completed with The Great War, chronicling World War I. (The Great War did make the Top 125, hence it will be reviewed in the second part of our countdown -81 to 125- in January of 2018). Isaacs as it tuned out was the perfect one for the job, as his position right from the start was not to restrict the work to the “combat of the war” regardless of how much footage was available. And there was tons of it as all historians know well. The Nazis had all their rallies and domestic war preparation, political gatherings and parades filmed for posterity, and there is certainly no dearth of material on the allied side either. Isaacs had said something along the lines that he didn’t want to exclusively rely on guns, tanks and bombs for the twenty-six weeks of the show, but rather to emphasize the experience of the war, the war economy of the five great combatant nations (Germany, Japan, the United States, Russia and Britain) and the political maneuvering behind the scenes. Purportedly, Isaacs related that the network originally wasn’t keen at the likelihood of so much black and white footage at a time when color had become all but essential for financial success. Once the green light was given, Isaacs assembled a team of 50 researchers, editors, Imperial War Museum experts, and assorted other program-makers, who toiled meticulously over what would ultimately become a television milestone. There were problems with Sir Laurence Olivier’s original narration sessions due to over fatigue and having a full schedule at that time in film and theater, but Isaacs told interviewers that the situation was righted almost straightaway, and Olivier’s narration, and Carl Davis’ score now seem the most identifiable aspects of the show. The iconic actor’s beautifully haunting voice and the composer’s harrowing music are integral to the work’s power and consummate artistry. The opening, which leads the viewer into a place of death and devastation, sets the stage for what is to come in progressively graphic terms:
Down this road, on a summer’s day in nineteen forty-four, the soldiers came. Nobody lives here now. They stayed only a few hours. When they had gone, the community which had lived for a thousand years was dead. This is Oradaur-Sur-Glane, in France. The day the soldiers came, the people were gathered together. The men were taken to garages and barns. They women and children were led down this road, and they were driven into the church. Here they heard the firing as their men were shot. Then they were killed too. A few weeks later, many of those who had done the killing were themselves dead in battle. They never rebuilt Oradaur. Its ruins are a memorial. Its martyrdom stands for thousands among thousands of other martyrdoms in Poland, in Russia, in Burma, in China, in a World at War….
Each of the twenty-six episodes begins with this spare and stark description which encapsulates either the coming narrative or theme, before the urgent immediacy of the credits take center stage. One of the best artistic decisions Isaacs made with the series was to largely steer clear of Nazi genocide and wartime atrocities, surmising rightly that abhorrent consequence would be the standalone focus of other works on the Holocaust. Hence, Isaacs saw these unspeakable acts as the outgrowth of the worldwide culture of war, and the inconceivable extent of extremism, in this case the “final solution” of national socialism. German and Japanese aggression was negotiated to gain more land and resources, and the murders help facilitate that end while of course allowing racist concepts of superiority and entitlement to reach fruition through force. One a single episode deals with the “Final Solution”, though Isaacs has since come out and stated that had he had the opportunity to either add to or re-do the series he would in fact spend considerable more time on the subject. All things considered I think Isaacs was smart to concentrate more on the war as it played out in historical stages. Yes, the pro-British bias is there, and America’s central role in the eventual Axis defeat is played down, especially in the Pacific theater which gets lesser coverage, rather ironic since something like 40 million of the 70 million killed in the war were in Asia. It certainly could be persuasively argued that Germany – portrayed in the series as the bigger global threat – crumbled earlier and conquered less land area, irregardless of the number of countries that invaded and occupied. Though Russia gets several episodes -the siege of Stalingrad show is one of the very best of The World at War- there is little mentioned about China, which was brutalized and ravaged by the Japanese. For those who count the beginning of the war at the time the Japanese invaded Manchuria in 1931, it could be reasonably argued that the series skirted it, as it did Patton and MacArthur, Mussolini (whom Hitler idolized) and his embarrassing failure in Ethiopia. The pivotal Battle of the Bulge which was by all accounts spelled end for the Nazis gets only scant attention, and Churchill is shown as Roosevelt’s military superior, when the facts of the war assert the contrary position. Some historians and writers have strongly contended that without America’s entry into the war, Germany would have defeated both Great Britain and Russia and Japan’s empire would have expanded from India to Australia and north to the Kamchatka peninsula. It all came down to America’s military might. Perhaps the most shortsighted was spending an entire episode on the minor British activities in Burma and Singapore, while a far more expansive operation was unfolding with MacArthur’s stopping the Japanese drive towards Australia, and the American island hopping is completely ignored. Likewise the North Atlantic submarine/U boat battles are given precedence over the American Pacific submarine battles with the Japanese.
The bottom line though is that the series was made by the British, and their own involvement, even with some vital concessions and an attempt to expand their world view, would be apt to put their own role in center position. And the priority in the series is to document the ominous signs and how Hitler’s advances were aided by Western non-interference, damaging concessions and astonishing luck that led to the fall of France and an advance deep into Russian territory. The World at War is consistent with virtually every study of the war worth their weight in that it came down to appeasement (creating a monster) that started a ball rolling that ended only with the deaths of countless millions. It would be difficult to fathom any series on the war deeper or more captivating, nor with the right combination of devices that will keep any watcher glued and enthralled, and disappointed when the end credits flash. If Isaacs makes no bones about his desire to document Germany’s rise to power and that effect on the British, the French and the Russians, he has made a definitive work. Alas no work to date has combined that vital focus with the other in the Far East. Many notable people on both sides of the war also asked to participate which led to interviews with Albert Speer, Karl Dönitz, James Stewart, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, Alger Hiss, Adolph Hitler’s secretary Traudl Junge, and historian Stephen Ambrose. There’s also interviews with housewives, enlisted men, officers, and politicians as well, which offers a wider perspective of the conflict than most documentaries allow. The following is a listing with brief descriptions/observations on the twenty-six episodes:
A New Germany: 1933-1939
The fragile state of the Weimar Republic, declining influence of the popular war hero and President Paul von Hindenburg and the Nazi party’s rise to power because of economic dissatisfaction and the rise of nationalism, caused in some measure by the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles and the desire to win back lands lost in that concession. After that harrowing opening (described in the above passage) the episode paints a powerful picture of the indoctrination of war, the rise of a cult, and how ironically enough (and Olivier states this with sardonic incredulity) Hitler was actually given power after the Nazis had suffered some election defeats so as to share, rather than maintain damaging divisions within the Reichstag. Hindenburg’s funeral after his death at age 87 was seen in nocturnal footage with a horror film scheme, portending the real horror that was about to unfold. Rallies, Nazi hand salutes, children being brainwashed and the appointment of Hitler cronies set the stage for a far more diabolical game plan. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the episode was the way clueless Germans were embracing their Führer and how even when Hindenburg was still alive murderous events like the July 2, 1934 “the night of the long knives” where all political opponents were murdered were allowed to happen without consequence.
Distant War: September 1939-May 1940
With the western European nations seemingly unwilling to interfere, Hitler grabbed back German lands near France that were lost after the First World War, and then marched into Austria and annexed the country on the grounds that most of its citizens because of language and culture considered themselves German. While England and France grew restless, they then committed the worst blunder of all by allowing Hitler to claim the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia, on the exaggerated auspices that the people were really Germans and wanted to return to the motherland. In Hitler’s presence Prime Minister Chamberlain and his French counterpart along with Mussolini signed over the lands to the Führer. Lines of tanks exploded over the border and the Czechs were brought to their knees, never again as Olivier states in his damning narration, to trust the West again. Shortly after that Hitler took the remainder of Czechoslovakia. At that point it was clear to everyone that Hitler has far more nefarious world-conquering aims, and Britain and France pledged military support to Poland if he added them to his wish list. Again fabricating excuses the Germans roll into Poland, eventually ceasing the Poles resistance and the airing on radio of their national anthem. Polish Jews are rounded up and the Germans reduce Warsaw to rubble. Other lesser known facts like Russia simultaneous invasion from the East and their defeat by Finland are also covered. Hitler of course sees the Russian battle defeat to their Scandinavian foes as indication his secretly hated Russian colleagues are militarily susceptible and plans are being made for the biggest of military betrayals.
France Falls: May-June 1940
Isaacs doesn’t try and conceal France’s long asserted cultural arrogance, over confidence and military ineptness in one of war’s most inconceivable losses. Churchill confidently predicted a German defeat by what he considered the best trained and prepared army in the world, but the French made blunders that allowed the Germans to penetrate the Ardennes Forest and overcome an army that was larger in number. The German advance gave birth to the war tactic term blitzkrieg, and it took the French completely by surprise. The most unforgettable image in that episode and in fact in the entire program was the real footage of Hitler who trimumpahntly arrived in Paris to stand near the Eiffel Tower. The episode ends with Britain’s precarious position as sole holdout to Hitler’s European domination.
Alone: May 1940-May 1941
The episode begins with the fall of Dunkirk, one of the most famous events of the war, and one just given its own movie by Christopher Nolan. To digress, the four minute searing steadicam sequence shot by Seamus McGarvey in Joe Wright’s humanist 2007 “Atonement” (my favorite film of that year from any country) said more about Dunkirk physical and psychological devastation than ever depicted. Wright’s stunning re-creation of the scene has the cumulative effect of being transported in a time machine without compromising the cinema verite urgency of a harrowing time in history. Soldiers are milling around aimlessly, while some sing patriotic songs in defiance, and still others engage in the terrible act of shooting horses because food for them has run out. The war-ravaged and chaotic landscape is framed by a ferris wheel in the background. Amid the booming artillery, damaged ships, and soldiers frantically seeking food and shelter, Wright repeatedly employs a close-up on Robbie’s face (James McAvoy) to give the war-weariness an intimately human perspective. The expansiveness of the segment is staggering for sure, but the effect is wholly emotional, comparable with the Adagio movement of a four-part symphony. This is one of the most masterful single scenes in the cinema over the past 20 years, and a definitive reference point for those wanting to explore further than the footage from The World at War, where full scope prevents a more comprehensive examination. In any case the episode documents the subsequent British humiliation, though redemption is quick behind with the Battle of Britain. the war at home in the U.K. is stirringly recalled and shown in footage of Britons surrendering their pots and pans to be melted down for steel munitions. The Nazis overun the Balkans, with Greece and Yugoslavia falling. Just as Hitler seems to be on the verge of defeating the British what with continued nocturnal air assaults taking their toll, the unpredictable Fuhrer aims for a much bigger prize twlling his unsuspecting generals that mineral-rich Russia is the target. Of course any war buff knows that the plan was foolhardy, and the one single reason why Hitler was defeated. Similarly, Napoleon failed because of the same aspitrations and because of the brutal Russian winter.
Barbarossa: June-December 1941
One of the episodes most memorable segments in an interview with Hitler’s main architect Albert Speer, who tries to pass the buck on his many crimes. It is generally agreed that the early and successful Nazi advances into the Soviet Union are the result of political purges by Stalin in the 30’s that weakened the leadership of the army. Operation Barbarossa, a massive invasion of Russia. After some initial victories in Blitzkrief mode the assault stalls after a move on Moscow because of the aforementioned cold season. Other intriguing interviews featured in this segment are with Grigori Tokaty, W. Averell Harriman and Sir John Russell.
Banzai: Japan (1931-1942)
Traces back to the rise of the Japanese Empire, the Sino-Japanese War, the Soviet-Japanese border conflicts, Pearl Harbor and the early Japanese successes in the fall of Malaya and Singapore. Some fascinating segments on how the Japanese used bicycles to conquer Malaya, how Singapore lacked landward defenses, which allowed 130,000 British to be captured, and how the Japanese needed to develop shallow water torpedoes to succeed in Pearl Harbor.
On Our Way: USA: 1939-1942
U.S. entry into the war after Pearl Harbor attack, Lend Lease (saving Britain), U boat attacks on Atlantic convoys and America’s graduated responses, the mobilation by the U.S. after Pearl Harbor, the loss of the Phillipines, Midway and Guadalcanal. Hitler’s collasal blunder by declaring war on the US, which would not have legitimately been able to through its weight on the European front without such a declaration. The Bataan Death March kills thousands as 80,000 Americans surrender, and MacArthur must retreat. The Japanese expansion is stopped at Midway.
The Desert: North Africa: 1940-1943
The desert war, starting with Italy’s unsuccessful invasion of egypt and teh successive attacks and counter-attacks between Germany and Commonwealth forces, and the Afrika Korp’s eventual defeat at El Alamein. Italy’s incompetance in Ethiopia is explored as is German General Rommel and his Panzer tanks.
Stalingrad: June 1942-February 1943
A deeper military look at the German catastrophe at Stalingrad in one of the program’s most riveting installments, and one that stays with you longer after. Of course the Russian resilience at Stalingrad has always been front and center when bravery during war is broached.
Wolfpack: U Boats in the Atlantic: 1939-1944
The submarine war in the North Atlantic is examined, particularly the brilliant maneuverings of German Admiral Karl Donitz, whose U boatd caused destruction in the early months of the war, when America’s role was still not clear. Donitz of course became the second and final Fuhler after Hitler commited suicide, though the duration of his tenure was brief.
Red Star: The Soviet Union: 1941-1943
The siege of Leningrad is explored. Stalin is livid over the West’s lack of help, though his own genocidal streak and military incompetance are well documented. the rise of teh red army and Soviet production are also examined.
Whirlwind: Bombing Germany: September 1939-April 1944
The development of British and American strategic bombing in both success and setback. Britain and American dominate the airways.
Tough Old Gut: Italy: November 1942-June 1944
Emphasizes the difficult Italian campaign beginning with Operation Torch in North Africa, the invasion of Sicily; Salerno, Anzio, Cassino and the capture of rome.
It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow: Burma (1942-1944)
The jungle war in Burma and India, justified by the makers as a case of “what lacked in scale made up in savagery.” The location was a minor theater in teh war, so with this episode one could conclude it was a matter of British bias, what with all the action in the Pacific at that time furious.
Home Fires: Britain: 1940-1944
British life and politics dominates this rather less interesting episode. The Isle of man becomes a giant British internent camp for Germans, Italians and others suspected of Nazi sympathizing.
Inside the Reich: Germany (1940-1944)
A riveting episode about German society and how it changes as its fortunes of war are reversed. Censorship and popular entertainment, the transformation of German industry, the recruitment of female and foreign labor, allied bombing. German disent and the famed July 20th assassination attempt on Hitler.
Morning: June-August 1944
Almost exclusively on D-Day and the weather problems. Nine thousands men die on the beaches of Normandy.
Occupation: Holland: 1940-1944
Emphasizes life in the Netherlands under German occupation, when citizens chose to resist, collaborate or remain passive. Anne Frank is mentioned.
Pincers: August 1944-March 1945
Packed episode featuring Operation Dragoon, the liberation of Paris, the Allied breakout in France and teh failure of Operation Market Graden; the Warsaw Uprising, the Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the Rhine In the East, the Romanian coup and the Russian advance through Ukraine to East Prussia.
Genocide (1941-1945)
The episode that deals with the Final Solution, not referred to here by the Holocaust. The development of German racial theory is explored as the lead-in.
Nemesis: Germany (February-May 1945)
The final invasion of Germany by the Western and Eastern allies, the bombing of Dresden and the vents in the Fuhrerbunker during the fall of Berlin. This official end of Hitler, Joseph Goebbels and national socialism was strikingly dramaticized in the movie Downfall (Die Untergang) with Bruno Ganz as Hitler.
Japan (1941-1945)
Japan’s society and culture during wartime, and how life is transformed as the country gradually becomes aware of increasingly catastophic setbacks including the Doolittle raid, defeat at Midway and the death of Isoroku.
Pacific: February 1942-July 1945
The successive and increasingly bloody land battles on tiny islands in the Pacific, aimed towards the Japanese heartland. Following the bombing of Darwin, the over-extended Japanese are progressively turned back at Kokoda, Tarawa, Peleliu, the Phillipines, Iwo Jima and finally Okinawa.
The Bomb (February – September 1945)
The development of the Atomic Bomb, the ascendency of Harry S. Truman after FDR’s death, emerging splits in the Allies with Stalin, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and teh Soviet invasion of Manchuria, all ultimately leading to the surrender of Japan. Includes comments from State Department employee Alger Hess and actor Jimmy Stewart, who was an American flyer. The Yalta Conference establishes the new boundaries, where sections are given to the Allies for occupation. The episode implies that the bombings were necessary for the Japanese surrender.
Reckoning: April 1945 and beyond
How the war – both good and bad experiences – were experienced by its witnesses
Upon the end of the series, some urged the makers to add more installments. With Eric Porter narrating nine others were added that provide a deeper understanding of Third Reich, the Holocaust and the social and economic conditions in Germany when the Nazis took over, as well as a Making of documentary.
Glorious review of a seminal series, Sam! Your expertise of the subject is rivaled by a deft critical assessment. I have seen some of the segments, and am always am unable to break away until the credits roll. I have to agree that there was a subtle bias on the part of the British who made it, but it was their point of view. I have read the blu ray is exceptional, even with purists complaining about the change with the aspect ratio.
Well Frank, all I can say is thank you for that nonethess over-the-top assessment. I am a longtime World War II buff, and this series is a go to many times over the years. Yes there was indeed a subtle bias in the focus, as I did discuss in the review. Yes the blu ray is superlative all things considered, but I’ll discuss that later down the thread with my friend Bobby J., who has complained about it. Many thanks!
Sam, I read your response further down the thread, explaining why the blu ray is still the best way to go with this.
Frank, that is my position anyway, I know Bobby doesn’t agree. I do have both though. 🙂
You might also be fascinated to read Winston S. Churchill’s six volume memoir of the war including the many fascinating and telltale telegrams that the British Prime Minister exchanged with Roosevelt, Stalin, Smuts, Mackenzie, etc.
Yes indeed Andrew, I have planned to read that, but can’t say exactly why I never did. I did read the Manchester books on Churchill though and thought them superlative. In any event I have no doubt the six volume memoir is essential. Thank you!
An endlessly fascinating documentary on the Second World War. Your massive review is as excellent and comprehensive as the work itself. And your overview nailed the vast majority of what I would say are a matter of urgency for war buffs or historians. The first several episodes are brilliant, but my favorite is the siege of Stalingrad.
Thanks very much for the over-the-top but nonetheless kind words Frank A. Can’t at all blame you for counting the harrowing Stalingrad episode as your personal favorite as it is widely considered one of the very best in the series. I also agree on that myself.
I am vaguely aware of this documentary, and of course very aware of the fact that World War II encompassed the whole world. Fitting all the pieces together would be a daunting undertaking.
What you have written here is a very well rounded and many spoked wheel that the avenues of the study of war have gone and still have to go… Wonderfully done!
Aye Jeff, it was a colassal undertaking, and one the makers initually thought would be very difficult to pull off. But after the BBC succeeded grandly with THE GREAT WAR on the First World War they thought they needed to move forward with the project. I’m sure you will be riveted to your core with this series! Thank you once again for all your support not only for this entry but for the entire series. You are a gem my friend and thank you.
What always gets me about this series is how complete it feels. As you make clear, no one book or documentary can ever cover the whole thing. This, however, feels like a sort of final word, even though it is isn’t.
Adam, it does really feel as complete as any work on that war has a right to be. And from the timeline standpoint it is absolutely not to mention a deft manner of covering pertiennt themes. Yes I wish the Pacific theater got more attention, and that the US’s involvement was more of the vital role it turned out to be, but by and large this work is unprecedented. Thank you!
A documentary masterpiece.
Aye Barry, I agree with you lock, stock and barrel. Thank you!
Whoa! A totally epic review for one of THE great epic TV documentaries of all time that sees Sam leaving no stone unturned!
Fascinating read on one of the most fascinating and heartrending periods in history, this review makes me wanna watch THE WORLD AT WAR all over again!
Thank you for this, Schmuleeeeee!
Well, I do thank you Sir! I was actually hoping to leave many unturned stones, but I rather did get carried away with what I wanted to say, and not sure all of it was successful. The later episodes wer egiven skimpy commentary, but I just ran out of gas. Yes this is an addictive series and one for the ages. Thanks again my friend!
I have not heard of this one until now but it certainly looks like an all encompassing documentary. I find myself continually pulled into reading books and watching movies about the era. This looks right up my alley. Thanks for making us aware of it Sam! Great job here.
Jon, it is a monumental work and it grabs you by the throat in the opening minue, holding you to the bittersweet conclusion. I am 100% certain you will be swept away by the harrowing archival footage, Sir Larry’s cadences and that unforgettable music. Thank you my friend!
Titanic post Sam. Your knowledge of the subject is passionate and comprehensive. I’ve seen a few episodes here and there but never afforded the time for it that it deserves.
Thanks so much Ricky! Yes THE WORLD AT WAR is a substantial time investment but well worth it!
Fabulous, Sam!
Thanks very much Maxine!
My younger brother thinks this is the greatest documentary ever made. Because of him I watched some, but am hardly an expert. Tremendous review. I’ll be leading him to it. Interesting what you say about the US being short changed.
Your younger brother has excellent taste if I might say so Karen! Yes the matter of USA involvement was far from THE WORLD AT WAR’S focus though I do understand and appreciate the main theater for this documentary by design was in Europe. Thank you!
Sam, I did think The Great War, the other major BBC work that came out prior to The World at War was more impartial. I still think TWAW is a masterpiece, but you were correct to point out what it omitted. And how it sometimes stressed things that were unimportant in the overall picture. Based on what you announced, I am assuming The Great War must have just missed this Top 80 and will be reviewed in the second batch in January. Or at least I think that is the way it will go.
I understand why the Holocaust was played down, and because the series wanted to concentrate on the cause and mechanics of the war, but I still though they should have given it a few more episodes.
Anyway this is a brilliant review.
Absolutely Peter! Totally agree with that on THE GREAT WAR irrefutably impartial by and large. And yes, they could well have devoted more of their focus to the Holocaust, though it is hard to believe whatever they did show elipsing what Resnais did in NIGHT AND FOG. But still…yes. Thank you as ever my friend for the exceedingly kind words!
You’ve enlightened me as to this documentary existing at all. I’m deeply troubled every time I delve into any research at all on that war, but as easily and deeply fascinated. I’ll look for this and add it to the by-now extremely long list of shows I have to catch up thanks to this list.
Robert, I can certainly understand that! So much of the writing and films have been unremittingly disturbing, much as you’d expect from such a somber subject. When you do get to it I would make an even money wager you will rank it among your favorite documentaries. It is tuly a towering work, and one that crams in so much. Thank you!
Excellent review Sam, very comprehensive.
I slightly prefer ‘The Great War’, perhaps because it’s a far more focused narrative, being set mainly in Europe, whereas ‘The World at War’ dissipates by the global nature of the conflict. It’s a brilliant series and the theme music is extraordinary and hypnotic.
Those wanting to watch this should steer away from the grotesque blu-ray which, like the ‘Kung Fu’ Tv show, decided to crop the top of peoples heads and bottom of the image so that they could have a “wide-screen” image. It’s akin to butting ‘Night Gallery’ segments from 40minutes to 25 and expanding 15 minutes ones by putting in edited out-takes.
Hmmm, I own that blu-ray and think it is excellent. I wonder what Sam has concluded in regards to this item.
David, it is excellent, but there really isn’t any reason to crop it other than the producers thinking that with home screens set up at the widescreen ratio, no modern viewer will want to watch movies in the 4:3 ratio. If only they’d given buyers the option to flit between the two. It reminds me of the horror days of the “pan and scan” days. What happens if they get there hands on ‘Shane’ or ‘On the Waterfront’. My ‘Kung Fu’ season box sets are gathering dust. I’ll have to capture them on the telly – with darned channel logos.
Bobby, you make an excellent point with THE GREAT WAR. Allan also slightly preferred it. It is more focused, though of course it wasn’t quite as far-reaching in a global sense as was the Second World War. So true what you say about that hypnotic theme music.
OK, the blu ray. Well, here is my poistion on it (and I see David jumped in here as well) originally I was appalled about the matter of making 4:3 into 16:9. I thought it violated the vision and turned carefully composed images into a bloated flame. But I bought it anyway and later read some others saying all things considered it was a stupendous blu ray. It comes down to a trade off, and at least for me a winning proposition FOR owning it.
Remember that THE WORLD AT WAR is -unlike the Ken Burns documentaries- largely stays clear of talking heads. If the documentary were predominately talking heads I’d say yes avoid it for that reason alone. But most of it -maps and archival footage of the war, before, during and after-were NOT composed with any artistic concern for framing. These were materials employed by Isaacs and his team, and whether they are shown in 4:3 or 16:9 or in any other size for that matter doesn’t really matter. Only in a few instances in the documentary are you even made aware of any cropping with some of the interviews, but it is hardly excessive. Purists complained from the very start of the Freemantle release, but the truth is that the print was meticulously cleaned -every frame- hisses, speckles, dirt removed, and the print improved in every way. For me the BIG addition too are the English subtitles that allow for everything to be heard so to speak. If this were a work of the cinema, yes the aspect ratio change would matter. But here it is only being derided by purists who wanted to maintain the decision Isaacs made in 1973 to go 4:3, when in fact he could have gone 16:9 at that time. I am finding this blu ray just stunning my friend.
Your astonishing support and authoritative insights throughout this countdown is something I wouldn’t trade for anything my friend!
Outstanding Sam!! I’ve watched it more than once, and each time seem to come away for new revelations. I always scratch my head when I think of how Hitler got away with the most boneheaded decisions any leader could give the orders for. The decision to march into Russia, when he could well have taken Britain will go down as the worst ever, not of course that I am sheading any tears. But it all comes down to appeasement as you stated unconditionally.
Tim, what you say about new revelations on each new viewing is so true! Yes Hitler was a favorite of Lady Luck, not only his getting away with faulty decisions but also averted assassinations on a few occasions. Oh yes, the march into Russia was committing the same blunder as Napoleon did, and western appeasement paved the way to the ascendency of the Third Reich. Thank you!
Sam, I was waiting and hoping to see this one appear. I used clips when I taught history back in the 90’s. The series was European in conception and as such it presented the perspective from those who lived it and were on the front lines when the Nazis invaded. For anyone looking for a wider examination of the Pacific theater, this is not the series. But no others is as complete, nor as eloquent. The lilting, elegiac voice of Olivier is a major asset. Your review is about as complete as any I’ve read. Great job!
David, I have of course long known of your love for this documentary and wa shoping to hear from you on this thread. You do make a very good point about the series NOT being definitive on the Pacific theater absolutely! Terrific assessment of Olivier’s vital contribution too. Thank you for the very kind words my friend!
It has always been a popular loan item, and after seeing it with Mark (who thinks it is the final word on WW2) I can understand why. This is a crowned jewel of a review Sam!
Thanks so much for the exceedingly kind words Celeste! Yes I fully expected it would be a popular take out item for sure.
One of a kind series certainly, but not the place to look if you are interesting in US involvement.
That’s certainly fair enough Jim, and it’s a position that I find hard to counter as much as I like you adore the series. Thank you for visiting Wonders in the Dark.
I watched this at school in the early 80s, it made a huge impact on me, a monumental series. It’s true it was aimed at a British TV audience – I don’t know how much UK TV was sold abroad in those days – and yes it focused more on areas where the Brits were involved like Burma (where my grandfather fought), and the whole existential threat to the future of the country. US or Russian series would probably focus more on their own experiences too though (visiting Russia on Victory Day on 8 May a few years ago really brought home their massive casualty numbers and emptying of huge population areas in the west of the country)
Maybe because of the economic climate here (in the UK) when it was made in the 70s there was a lingering envy I regret to say over the relative fortunes of US and UK power and GDP in the decades since the war and questions over the extent to which the US’ late entry into the war may have contributed to that, which all now seems ungrateful and pretty much an excuse I know, but may account for the relative lack of interest in the war in the Pacific. The US entry was critical but how differently might the war have gone if they had entered sooner, given all the global situations they have entered since ?
Thanks for the thoughtful response here James! Somehow I hadn’t seen your comment until Chris came in today with two of his own and I received the notification. I’m not sure how things would have turned out if the US had entered much earlier, but it certainly is clear enough that their entry helped to turn the tide. I agree that this is a Brtish/European production and as such it presented the war largely from their perspective, which is fair enough. It is not the series to go back to if one is looking for the War in the Pacific narrative, but THE WORLD AT WAR is uniquely all-encompassing. Thanks again for the great comment!
As a child of the 1970’s, I grew up watching the World at War series. This was a sporadic and piece-meal endeavor back then. There was no way to record the episodes, and you were lucky to catch them on T.V. before they had already started, you missed an episode(s) or even the whole series. I recently spotted the complete series being shown on T.V. and was able to record and finally view the series in its entirety. I always valued the series very much, more than others, which I can not recall today. I had noticed the pro-British bias, but your breakdown pointed out other shortcomings of the series that I did not notice, even though I am familiar with all of the points that you made, so thank you for that. Despite this, I believe that we are in accord that this is an outstanding documentary series that still retains much value and relevance today, and will for a very long time.
Despite this, I believe that we are in accord that this is an outstanding documentary series that still retains much value and relevance today, and will for a very long time.
Thanks so much for the great comment Chris! We are indeed in accord. This is a unique documentary series that unfailingly holds you captive everytime you run into it, and the result is always immersion. There are those issues but they are overwhelmed by the assets. Much appreciated my friend!
@ James H
I found your second paragraph very interesting and enlightening. As an American I never would have made such connections to the time and sentiment in the U.K. during the series’ production, and the influence they may have exerted. I think you are on to something.