CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 8/26/05

An Education Earned in Blood

by jason davis

Though the conceit of "History is written by the winners" surely informs this collection of ten BBC documentaries chronicling World War II, the vivid delivery and journalistic integrity of the productions provide a formidable example of powerful documentary television while offering an enlightening glimpse into the most pivotal event of the Twentieth Century.

BBC History of World War II

Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State (six episodes) by Laurence Rees
Battlefield (four episodes) by Richard Holmes
The Battle of the Atlantic (three episodes) by Andrew Williams
D-Day 6.6.44: Reflections of Courage (90-minute feature) by Andrew Bampfield
D-Day to Berlin (three episodes) by Andrew Williams
Dunkirk (three episodes) by Neil McKay with Lisa Osborne and Alex Holmes
Horror in the East by Laurence Rees
The Nazis: A Warning from History (six episodes) by Laurence Rees
The Road to War (four episodes) by Charles Wheeler
War of the Century (four episodes) by Laurence Rees

The programs assembled in this package vary in age, authorship, and execution, but they combine to paint a detailed and personal picture of an epic event with a combination of archival footage, first-person interviews, and dramatic recreations. Assembling these diverse sources into each documentary miniseries, the foremost British scholars of World War II involve the viewer on both an intellectual and emotional level while attempting to bring a sense of understanding to events that are frankly inconceivable to those who didn't live through them.

A variety of scales are employed across the assembled series. The narrow scope of Horror in the East, D-Day to Berlin, The War of the Century, Dunkirk, and The Battle of the Atlantic provide a forum for in-depth exploration the theaters in question. The writers begin with an overview of the events placed in the greater context of the war before digging into the minutiae of the subject at hand. Along the way, the voices of those who lived the events offer recollections, while the narrators (Timothy Dalton and Sean Bean among them) voice the analysis of the writer in an effort to explore the ramifications of the particular story. Whether it's the torturous slog from the beaches of Normandy to the capture of Berlin, or the heinous war crimes perpetrated by the Japanese half way around the world, history is brought into focus and recreated in a fashion no history book can hope to better.

Elsewhere, Battlefields and The Road to War offer an anthology approach to their particular interests. The former features four separate and grueling battles that became key moments in their respective campaigns. From Montgomery's routing of Rommel's tanks in North Africa to the Nazi defeat in Italy, Battlefields puts the viewer into the trenches as the complicated machinations of Allied and Axis leaders converge to change the course of history. The Road to War studies the world that led to Word War II by devoting an hour to four key participants and their national concerns in the wake of the Great War. The US, Great Britain, Italy, and Japan star in cultural explorations designed to contextualize their entry into the conflict.

Dominating the collection are two programs written and produced by Laurence Rees, who executive produced many of the other shows in this collection, as well as hosting the DVD set as a whole. The Nazis: A Warning from History is a chilling account of an insignificant political party's rise from obscurity to the head of an empire created to conquer and kill. Rather than presenting an indictment of the German people, Rees has created a step-by-step account of the social and economic ills that placed Hitler in power. Simultaneously, he illuminates the chaotic structure of the Nazi party and the combination of tacit consent and individual initiatives that allowed an incendiary man with vague, but charismatic, visions for his people to perpetrate many of the most violent and abhorrent crimes ever committed. An insidious account of some of those crimes can be found in Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State, where Rees explores the history of the infamous concentration camp from its inception as an internment center for Polish political prisoners through to its recreation as a murder factory. At each step, the decisions that painted the camp with the blood of millions is explained within the context of Nazi philosophy, wartime economics, and historical import, creating an account that will linger long after the program fades from the screen.

The depth and breadth of information presented ensures that even the most informed viewer will learn something in the course of the 35 hours comprising the collection. Rees and his compatriots have not only marshaled the facts at their command, but have skillfully crafted them into a format that entertains even as it enlightens. The vintage footage carries with it the musty honesty of the past. The personal interviews add an emotional spine to the stories at hand. The recreations lend a dramatic immediacy to what would otherwise be ancient history. Together, these facets reflect the scope of an event almost too big fully to comprehend while imbuing it with a personal touch, a heart, which speaks to the individual person as only another person can.

Auschwitz
- Interview with writer Laurence Rees
- Follow up discussion hosted by Linda Ellerbee
Battle of the Atlantic
- Forgotten Heroes: Merchant Seamen
D-Day
- Unedited interviews
- Fact File
- Making-of special
Horror in the East
- The Forgotten Volunteers
- Burma: The Forgotten War
Nazis
- Series introduction by Laurence Rees

A handful of ancillary programs offer further insight into various aspects of the principal documentaries, while D-Day: Reflections of Courage is accompanied by unedited interviews with the participants featured in the finished program. A fact file and making-of special are also included for the 90-minute special, while Laurence Rees offers an overarching interview at the top of The Nazis: A Warning from History. An array of full-length documentaries round out the supplemental materials by exploring more specific aspects of the principal film's subject matter. Though three of the supplements are full-length documentaries in their own right, their inclusion here is to augment the viewer's understanding of the details influencing the dramatic narratives of the featured programs.

Awash in new perspectives on familiar people and events, the assembled series comprising this collection immerse the audience in their narratives with a carefully constructed latticework of historical images juxtaposed with authentic testimony and dramatized by cinematic recreation. The combined effect is a gestalt of powerful import that transports viewers sixty years into the past through the power of moving images.

BBC History of World War II
BBC Home Video
Not rated; 35 hrs.
$149.98

Buy it now for only $112.49 (save 25%)

At the age of 21, Jason Davis was hit in the face with a car. He has since devoted his life to writing. His words have appeared on TBS, MSN.com, and CS Weekly, where he serves as DVD Coordinator. He lives in Burbank.

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