Rating  - Watch Over and Over Again!
The only thing I'll add to the other 4- and 5-star reviews is that I wish it was longer! I could watch several hours more of this film footage. Very well done.
Rating  - World War I in colour
Excellent video, Kenneth Branagh did a outstanding job of documenting facts and presenting them in segments that pulled together. For anyone that enjoyed this i would recommned Fall of Eagles which also deals with the relationship between Austria, Prussia and Russia. I would recommend this video to any history buff
Rating - The Impacting Color, Red
I'm not going to write about the scope of this DVDs military/historical merit because I'm not a historian and don't want to offend the sensibilities of those who are. I would instead like it known beforehand that I have read a lot on the subject, have watched a lot on the subject, and have delved into some of the more bizarre intrigues of warfare. My great-grandfather, a doughboy himself, sparked my interest when I was a child and, with that still impressing an ever-impressionable mind, I purchased this set to perhaps see a little more clearly into that mirror in time.
While it isn't the image that makes the tale but the way it is actually told, there are a few images in the series that really did make an immediate impact. The first were the naval sinkings; when I watched those in black and white I had always seen the ship roll over and start to sink and had thought of how horrible that must be. When it went to color I didn't see it as a ship anymore, however, but more as a floating fortress with thousands of little people trying to dive into the water while hoping to escape. That really brought home how horrible this was, with the color etching little moments into a larger affair that really made an impact.
And what an impact it made.
Some of the other things that were brought out quite stunningly were the multi-cultural aspects of war, with the British colonies showcasing an astounding array of people I had never envisioned, and the sheer variation in uniforms that moved from nation to nation. As you watch the Germans march you could see how they stood apart from their Austro-Hungarian allies, for example, and when you stared down a line of trenches you saw some of the people that seemed to blend in with the surroundings. That meant exploring the mud and the foundation and seeing a little more of the condition, knowing all-the-while that those people "going over the top" were really more like myself than I had ever explored.
That was really terrifying to think about, and especially so in some of the major conflicts where tens of thousands lost their lives in less than a day of fight.
Then there were the machines of war, the tanks and the air battles especially, and how they looked. I never imaged the German aircraft being so colorful, truth be told, even though I had seen them in books and had seen recreations. It just didn't connect - but seeing it there made it seem all-the-more overwhelming.
On the merits of that and that alone, I would say this is an excellent buy. If you go by price alone, World War 1 is actually the true forgotten war, with entire volumes on the conflict costing meager sums when compared to its more contemporary counterparts. It is short, true, and the longer sets do lay down a better foundation. Still, the set is quite amazing in scope and detail.
Rating - Really helps connect with history
Stunning to see this ancient history become real. Quite an accomplishment. Several reviewers have complained of the re-use of some footage, but it isn't that big a deal. Highly recommend.
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