It's an effective overview of the period between the landings at Normandy and the final breakout from the formidable obstacles that prevented the Allies from moving into France. The program is a mixture of graphics, talking heads, combat footage, and reenactments.
Reenactments are often unnerving because the viewer KNOWS that he's watching actors, but in this case, they're unusually well done. The weapons and uniforms on all sides are reasonably accurate. And the scenes that are being reenacted are accompanied by the participants' recollections in the narrative. In a sense, they illustrate the participant's remarks.
I described the program as balanced because all three points of view are represented: German. British, and American. In reading about these events, I sometimes run into a pointless argument that the British were too slow in taking Caen, or the Americans were too inexperienced with the bocage to deal with those ancient and majestic hedge rows.
As it was (and as its shown here) the Germans threw the best they had against the British, who were unable to advance rapidly. If it hadn't been for the stubborn British attacks on Caen, the Americans might have been stuck in the bocage for much longer.
It was terrible fighting. The losses on all sides were appalling. What a waste of lives and money.
Reenactments are often unnerving because the viewer KNOWS that he's watching actors, but in this case, they're unusually well done. The weapons and uniforms on all sides are reasonably accurate. And the scenes that are being reenacted are accompanied by the participants' recollections in the narrative. In a sense, they illustrate the participant's remarks.
I described the program as balanced because all three points of view are represented: German. British, and American. In reading about these events, I sometimes run into a pointless argument that the British were too slow in taking Caen, or the Americans were too inexperienced with the bocage to deal with those ancient and majestic hedge rows.
As it was (and as its shown here) the Germans threw the best they had against the British, who were unable to advance rapidly. If it hadn't been for the stubborn British attacks on Caen, the Americans might have been stuck in the bocage for much longer.
It was terrible fighting. The losses on all sides were appalling. What a waste of lives and money.
