Reviews

There is a lot of contemporary film shown throughout the series but it very often does not match at all with the narrative. For example, throughout the series, we frequently see film of Hitler, I believe, plotting 'operation citadel' while the narrator discusses something entirely different. This is not art where all we need is 'a feel' for the period. If this is history, we need evidence. If the film wants to discuss Latvian auxiliary units, then use film, photographs, interviews or documents of that. Showing us 'stock footage' of German soldiers somewhere on the Eastern Front is not good enough. I know this may seem pedantic, but this is where things can get very confusing. It is quite wrong to have a narrator telling us about Latvian or Ukrainian nationalists fighting with the SS or of the same killing communist commissars but then have film which showing something quite, quite different. This is profoundly undermining for what could have been far better. The 'World at War' series created a very high standard which viewers could trust and treat as history. 'Nazi collaborators' severely handicaps itself with such a slapdash approach. I am afraid that it may not be long before the discrepancy of film/narration will be held up as evidence that the events being discussed did not happen.

Tom Hanks took on a role left untouchable by Alec Guiness. (A quote from a place I can no longer find.) If you haven't seen the 1955 version, please do. For this to have been taken on by the Coen brothers too..... My goodness, the hubris. 1955 has Alec Guiness, Peter Sellers, Herbert Lom, Frankie Howerd, Jack Warner and Kenneth Connor. How on earth anyone is giving the 2004 version 6.1 stars is just nuts. Please, please, please, please, watch the 1955 original. And for anyone else out there with similar plans, only broach the idea of a remake if you can actually make it better. If you can't, don't. And as for Hanks as a 'great actor' which I've repeatedly seen written, watch 'Big' a few times and then try telling me that. OK, that's unfair, but seriously this remake is just horrible and awful and dreadful.