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Reviews
Die Brücke (1959)
I was expecting MUCH more...
I've been getting "The Bell and Blade" catalog since forever. One film in there has intrigued me for the longest time "Die Bruke" from Germany made in 1959. So many reviews of how marvelous this film is and how any WWII historian should view it to get one of Germany's first post war views of itself. Well, I couldn't rent it from Netflix so I finally broke down and bought the thing. I watched it last night... I must say I was quite disappointed. While I wasn't expecting "The Best Years of our Lives" I was expecting a more in depth treatment of the late war, Hitler Youth mentality than I got!. It' wasn't the worst but man, the climactic bridge battle scene was from hunger. Farm tractors (literally) painted up to look like Sherman Tanks. Death scenes straight out of the silent era for muggery and anquish. Pheh... I'm sorry but I was very disappointed.
Worf
The World at War (1973)
After all these years it still "holds up"
I recently purchased the "30th Anniversay" edition of this title for my first complete viewing of the work in about 20 years. Now having all the Home Theatre goodies I didn't have then I'm surprised to find how much of this documentary was/is in color. What is even more amazing is how brilliantly even handed this series is. There is very little "preaching" by Olivier or the producer. Some things are just put out there for you to see and hear and then judge for yourself.
In that this series was made while the former Soviet Union was much alive it does contain some key bits of history that was only found out AFTER the declassification of of many Russian documents. For instance Stalin's offer to help Nazi Germany should it's war against Britain and France go badly. This bombshell was unknown at the time TWAW was being made. My one quibble with this series is it's obviously Anglo-centric bent. Still it's amazing for it's time how much credit they give the Russians for breaking the back of the Nazi's and they also grudgingly recognize that America whipped the Japanese practically on their own.
The only technical problem I have with the DVD set is the lack of a Dolby Digital, DTS or better soundtrack. After all these years how hard would it be to give us proper sound. This led me to take only one star from the rating.
Worf
Sailor of the King (1953)
Above Average PostWar Fare (Some Spoilers)
I never heard of this film before I ran across it on Amazon.Com. I was amazed by this as I'm a military historian and I already have an extensive WWII film library. Upon first viewing I found the whole front story stultifying. I love Michael Rennie as an actor but I found his whole "stiff upper lip" "I love you I truly do" performance to be unbelievably stiff. And the mother, were talking early 20th Century morals here, I no more believe her spending a week bonking a stranger than I do her then allowing him to walk away. And her then compounding it by having his love child out of wedlock AND NEVER TELLING HIM??? Puhlease. Eyewash....
When we're finally at sea though the movie comes into its own. Of course the ships are way to modern to be WWII vintage craft and the Nazi's are portrayed as "right good fellows" (they are our allies at the time now against those nasty Bolshiviks so be nice to em) and there's nary a swastika in sight. Good ripping yarn if I do say so myself but could'a been much more if the Victorian morals hadn't derailed the film.
Da Worfster