Color With The Marines at Tarawa / To the Shores of Iwo Jima - Double WWII Documentary Feature (1945) Review

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(More customer reviews)One may ask why with the History Channel around anyone should buy a
video tape covering the American invasions of these two Pacific
islands? First off the price ... you can't lose much even if it is
not to your tastes. I feel uncomfortable rating a film that has real
people being blown to bits, I rate it at 5 Stars only because as an
historic record of these battles this tape is hard to beat. The film
starts out with the invasion of Tarawa on the Bieto Atoll. This is a
film made by the War Department and the USMC, I was suprised to see so
much color film. There is a good monotone narration (typical of War
Dept films of WW2) which is suprisingly honest and blunt about what is
about to happen. Troops are shown loading ammo as the Naval
bombardment hits the island. Next Navy aircraft plaster the tiny
island, as the landing craft and Amtracks head toward the beach enemy
guns can be seen flashing as they fire at the Americans. Music has
been added to many scenes, the USMC Hymn can be heard several times on
the tape. Incredible footage of "Jap" troops bursting into
the open as they flee their troched bunker, a Marine has his helmet
shot off his head on film, medics using new blood plasma techniques,
tanks(Lee's and Sherman's) blasting bunkers at point blank range,
"Nip" machine gun on pier and on scuttled ship in harbor
rips into Marines, suicide snipers in trees being blasted, bulldozers
crushing trenches and finaly the 1st prisoners being searched and
escorted to the waters edge. Alot of corpses are shown, American and
Japanese, enemy weapons are examined and then the flag is raised. The
part of the film that covers the invasion of Iwo Jima is much the
same, the opening scene of an American Battleship smashing through the
waves with "bone in teeth" is breath-taking. After a sitrep
on board we witness a bombardment and air attack before 500 landing
craft in 10 waves hit the shore. A destroyer closes to the waters edge
to pour 5" and 40MM fire point blank into the base of Mt
Suribachi, tanks get stuck in the black sand, flamethrowers are
squirted into every crack in the ground, artillery and rockets are
fired en mass non-stop just yards in front of the advancing Americans,
cave clearing with explosives, burning Japanese corpses, praying
Marines, stacked helmets of dead Marines, planes being to land on the
island and the narrator says how our B-29s will blast the Japs into
ashes...these are not cheery images and I am suprised the Corps agreed
to be so honest about the two battles shown here, if you are
interested in the WW2 Pacific Theater get this tape, it is as
informative as a good book, seriously it is. The film end with FDR's
famous speach.


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The World at War (30th Anniversary Edition) (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)Assuming that a filmmaker can't go on indefinately, let's say making a history of World War II in hundred or more hours of videotape, Jeremy Isaacs has done a masterful job of capturing the essense of World War II, including its causes and the Cold War that evolved out of its conclusion.
Please note, "The World At War" was produced between 1971 and 1974, which means the interviews with veterans and other war survivors were filmed close to thirty years after the conclusion of World War II.
I watched much of this series when it was first telecasted in the 1970s, and continued to view reruns of programs over the last 25+ years. I had thought that I had seen every episode two or three times, but after finishing the complete DVD collection, I'm pretty sure I completely missed some programs and saw only bits-and-pieces of others.
What a tremendous production. Beautiful reproduced on DVD, with excellent color and superb graphics (maps).
I especially appreciated the opening special, "The Making of..." with producer Jeremy Isaacs, as well as Isaacs' brief introductions to each of the 26 programs. I only wish he had prepared similar introductions to the supplementary material on Discs 4 and 5, but you can't have everything.
"The World At War" is hundred times better than the typical fare found on A&E, The History Channel, and even PBS. That's not to say that quality productions are not being made today, but Jeremy Isaacs' production is just plain better than most things regularly scheduled documentaries on cable and broadcast television.
Special mention must be made of the music by Carl Davis and the writers, who are too numerous to mention. Everyone familiar with this series knows the contribution of Sir Laurence Olivier, definitely the finest documentary narration I've ever heard.
As an American, I particularly appreciate the British perspective, which offers a different view of the breath, scope and horror of the war. The series really puts the current War on Terrorism in perspective.
The supplementary material begins with an extended interview/commentary by Traudl Junge who served as Hitler's secretary. She's a fascinating person, speaking calmly and thoughtfully about her former employer, especially the events leading up to his suicide.
There is an equally interesting interview with historian Stephen Ambrose, filmed in the early 1970s. While looking 25+ years younger, Ambrose sounds almost the same as he does today during his numerous C-Span and PBS appearances.
The most fascinating of the eight hours of supplementary material are the programs dealing with the Death of Adolf Hitler and the extended two part examination of the Final Solution.
Thank you, Amazon, for making this wonderful documentary so accessible.
For those of you contemplating this major expediture, you won't regret purchasing this landmark visual/aural history of World War II.
And remember, this DVD collection will be available for your children and grandchildren.

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More than 30 years after its initial broadcast, THE WORLD AT WAR remains the definitive visual history of World War II. Narrated by Academy Award winner Laurence Olivier and digitally re-mastered for DVD, this is epic history at its absolute best.
Unsurpassed in depth and scope, its 26 hour-long programs feature an extraordinary collection of newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations, including color close-ups of Adolf Hitler taken by his mistress, that present an unvarnished perspective of the war's pivotal events. Penetrating interviews with eyewitness participants--from Hitler's secretary to Alger Hiss to ordinary citizens who stood outside the battle lines--add spine-tingling, first-hand accounts to an already unforgettable viewing experience.
Informative and unbiased, THE WORLD AT WAR is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an International Emmy Award, The National Television Critic's Award for Best Documentary, and knighthood for its creator, Sir Jeremy Isaacs.

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