...and it does a fine job.  An excellent job, even.  This is quite the examination of history during that time period.  A lot of things I never knew about, or realized, or put the pieces together with.  From the Versailles treaty all the way to Pearl Harbor, you'll be surprised just how many events transpired which, now that we look at it, brought about the inevitability of the second war.

I think a great part of this is the credibility involved here.  Made in the 70's (a short 30 years after WWII), you've got commentary from people who either were *directly* involved in these events, such as host and journalist Eric Sevareid, to a myriad of professors and other figures.

Additionally, you'll get some Hearst Newsreels on each disc, which give a short summary and different perspective of either events that were talked about, or weren't....  Either way, the inclusion of these in this set works to its benefit (versus the earlier WWII in the Pacific set, where the European-theater-centric newsreels didn't make sense.)  I'm not sure of the source of these newsreels, the production and voice-over seem to indicate a much later production date, rather than contemporary pieces.  (Which I'd still like to see a good "movietone news" or similar DVD set from the war!)

The series is presented from a US-centric viewpoint.  Meaning that the events described take place starting from the US' short but pivotal role in WWI, up until Pearl Harbor.  But, it does examine all the other happenings between those two events, including the war in Europe, and Japan's expansion in Asia.  This is key, as a lot of these sort of documentaries merely jump in with both feet at Pearl Harbor, as if nothing at all had happened until then.

If you're a military history buff, then this is a must-have.  The films themselves appear to have been rescued, but not restored.  I only mention this because they do appear rather rough at times, and I wouldn't want anyone thinking you're getting anything different.  I don't have a problem with this at all.  This is about preservation mostly, and I'm glad that Readers' Digest and Questar have put this series to disc for the archives, instead of letting the film or tape turn to dust in some closet somewhere.

The Road to World War II officially releases October 18, with a sticker price of $49.99, although Amazon (and likely others) has it for less.

Here's a summary of the episode titles, which should give you an idea of the series comprehensive look....

Disc 1: 1. Versailles: The Lost Peace 2. Return to Isolationism 3. The First Salt Talks

Disc 2: 1. Radio, Racism and Foreign Policy 2. The Great Depression and Foreign Affairs

Disc 3: 1. FDR and Hitler: The Rise to Power 2. FDR and Hitler: The Dynamics of Power

Disc 4: 1. America in the Pacific 2. The Recognition of Russia 3. Latin America

Disc 5: 1. The Italian-Ethiopian War 2. The Spanish Civil War 3. The Phony War

Disc 6: 1. FDR and Churchill 2. Japan Invades China 3. War Comes to Pearl Harbor

Bonus Features: Exclusive Heart Newsreels showcase the era leading up to WW II

The entire series is also available to "rent" on YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fh11LMYSrk&list=SL&feature=sh_e_se

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This classic documentary series, The Road to WWII, follows the events that inevitably sparked World War II, capturing the drama, the excitement and the juxtapositions of these crucial years between the end of World War I and Pearl Harbor. Former CBS News correspondent and commentator, Eric Sevareid, one of the world's most respected  figures in journalism, presents this extraordinary series which features  stunning original newsreels, soundtracks, and rare archival footage. It was the era of Lucky Lindy, bootleg, Babe Ruth, Valentino and assembly-line Fords. It was also the time of market collapse, Klan meetings, demagogues abroad, red scares at home and bread lines. The best of times, the worst of times, and the times in which the United States reluctantly moved center stage.  The Road to WWII is an innovative 16-part series that examines this crucial time as it progressed from the Armistice in 1918 to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. You will see the people who made history, hear their voices, and revisit the sites of events where consequence occurred. From the election of Roosevelt, to the rise of Hitler in Germany, it's all here. Disc 1: 1. Versailles: The Lost Peace 2. Return to Isolationism 3. The First Salt Talks Disc 2: 1. Radio, Racism and Foreign Policy 2. The Great Depression and Foreign Affairs Disc 3: 1. FDR and Hitler: The Rise to Power 2. FDR and Hitler: The Dynamics of Power Disc 4: 1. America in the Pacific 2. The Recognition of Russia 3. Latin America Disc 5: 1. The Italian-Ethiopian War 2. The Spanish Civil War 3. The Phony War Disc 6: 1. FDR and Churchill 2. Japan Invades China 3. War Comes to Pearl Harbor Bonus Features: Exclusive Heart Newsreels showcase the era leading up to WW II

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Brand:
Manufacturer: Questar
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Eric Sevareid

Reviews

Related posts:

1. World War I Films of the Silent Era (1917/1975/2002)
2. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
3. Force 10 From Navarone (1978)
4. Inglorious Bastards (Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato, 1978)
5. The Bomber (2011)

I almost hesitate to put this into the "war movie" category.  It is an excellent movie, but its more a drama about life-in-general than anything else, with a bit of war-induced PTSD to fuel the dramatic fire.

Three friends, Nick (Christopher Walken), Steven (John Savage), and Michael (Robert DeNiro),  from what could be any average industry-driven small town get sent off to Vietnam.  Actually they all volunteered.  Not unusual, a lot of people volunteered rather than be drafted.  They wind up meeting up on the battlefield under (what I thought were) forced circumstances, and are taken prisoner.  There they are forced to play "russian roulette" to the amusement of their captors.  They escape, and they all get separated in the fray.  That about ends the actual "War movie" part of this drama.

Previous to the overseas action, we are witness to a rather lengthy wedding (Steven's) scene, and another sequence where the boys go deer hunting.  Both sequences are important.  The wedding is there to cement these guys and their town as that "anytown USA."  The deer hunting scene is there to set up some important character development, mostly on the part of Michael.

After Michael returns, he quickly picks up a relationship with Nick's old flame, Linda (Meryl Streep).  He also learns that Steven is holed up in a VA hospital, having lost his legs, and is suffering from extreme PTSD, basically abandoning his family because of it.

There is another, parallel scene in which the "gang" goes hunting again, and the change in Michael's character is unmistakable.  You'll just have to experience that for yourself.

Michael learns that Nick is still alive, and (due to a previous encounter in Saigon) deduces that he's still playing russian roulette and making some serious bank, sending a large portion back to Steven.  He goes back to Vietnam right as the embassy is being evacuated (a bit convenient), and finds Nick, or at least what's left of him, playing out the same scene as back in the prison camp....  Not going to spoil the ending, sorry, but if you've seen it, you know why I won't.  The final scene is really quite moving, at least I thought so.

Really, this isn't a movie about "Vietnam" per se.  Although some will tell you that.  This movie could have been set in 1864, 1917, 1944, 1952, or even today.  It's about "going to war and coming home again."  That nothing will ever be the same, for anyone, after that.  That people and relationships are lost, changed (for better or worse), and found, both on the battlefield and at home.

It is long, and there are some scenes that do drag on (the wedding in particular, I was wondering what I was getting into after a bit) but once you're in, you're in.  The initial Vietnam scene where the three meet up again seemed a bit far-fetched and contrived.  "Oh, hey! Fancy seeing you here!"  But the entire over-there sequence had the feeling of being told as a story, probably by Michael.  "They found me, then we got captured, we escaped, then I lost Steven... and found Nick, but lost him again..."  Director Michael Cimino did a far, far greater job on the dramatic aspects of the back-home "acts" than the other.

Still a great, and timeless, movie, though.  If you're in a somewhat pensive mood that is, otherwise a lot will be lost.  Don't go in expecting Rambo or anything.

My favorite scene?  Where they all return from hunting and hit the bar, and their friend starts playing a rather serious piece on the piano.  They all pause to reflect on it, and maybe their lives, and whatever else, and then we're quickly cut away to Vietnam.  One of those bits of film that makes you turn inward and think about yourself, and then throws you into the fire.  Excellent stuff.

Anyone making a "coming home" movie today (which is what seems to be the norm) should take note of The Deer Hunter, because this is how its done.

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Related posts:

1. Inglorious Bastards (Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato, 1978)
2. Force 10 From Navarone (1978)
3. Gray Lady Down (1978)
4. The Road to World War II (1978, 2011)
5. Hearts and Minds (1974)

Here, the Neptune, helmed by Captain Blanchard (Charlton Heston) collides with another ship in an unfortunate accident, and finds herself at the bottom of the ocean, where they await rescue.  I don't know what class of submarine they're supposed to be in, either, but you could almost play tennis in that thing....  (nitpick, I know.)

And that's pretty much the long and short of the movie.  Actually, it reminded me a lot of stock 1970's disaster movies, with a healthy dose of 70's TV-ish moments, and some downright awful straight-from-TV soundtrack sequences (but others that were actually quite good! go figure.)  I'm not even sure you could technically classify it as a "war movie," other than that A) it involves the military and B) it's a movie.  Take that for what you will.

The predictable plot unfolds, rescue team comes, problems and conflicts arise both on the surface and below, eventually most everyone is rescued and they all live happily ever after.  Predictable being the key word here.  Just about every move you could see the end result a mile away.  From the untimely and heroic demise of Capt. Gates (David Carradine) to the sacrifice of Cmdr. Samuelson (Ronny Cox)....

Not to say at all that this is a bad movie.  Actually it isn't that bad at all, its just not quite what I was expecting.

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a veritable whos-who of 1970's and 1980's film and television, including a young Christopher Reeves, and a young Stacey Keach (younger than I remember him in anything anyway!)

All in all I'm throwing this a 6/10.  Just because even though its not all *that* bad, its pretty formulaic, and not really a war movie at all.  Just saying.

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Gray Lady Down List Price: $14.98 Sale Price: $7.49 You save: $7.49 (50%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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GRAY LADY DOWN - DVD Movie

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Brand: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Charlton Heston
• David Carradine
• Stacy Keach
• Ned Beatty
• Stephen McHattie

Reviews

Related posts:

1. Force 10 From Navarone (1978)
2. The Deer Hunter (1978)
3. The Road to World War II (1978, 2011)
4. Inglorious Bastards (Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato, 1978)

First off, realize that this movie is decidely anti-Vietnam war.  I don't think there is any doubt to the purpose of the movie.  However, I think they did a fine job of exploring the facts (as it suited this purpose) and even providing a sort of tribute to the many casualties.

One of the prominent names is Navy pilot and long-term POW George Coker.  Throughout the movie he is shown not condemning the war per-se, nor really being "for it" in the traditional sense of things.  Rather he's shown in the light I think we should see guys like him, doing the job he was called on to do, and that's about as good a tribute as it gets.

Also prominent throughout is the use of key Presidential soundbites and historical events, from Truman all the way through to Nixon.  When pieced together like they've done here, it paints a picture that we now know is all too common.  One of the US meddling in foreign affairs where it shouldn't be, and feeding the American people, well, a line of BS a mile long.

I'm only touching on a couple aspects of the movie here, as there are really too many too mention in any detail.  The views of the draft evaders, the people at home, the people of Vietnam, and the soldiers both on the ground and the ones who returned....  It's pretty sobering and disheartening, and even more so when you consider that this was made *right then*, that it didn't take years for all of this to come out.  It's unfortunate that it has taken years, if not decades for the truth to become accepted, but the reality that these facts were indeed known at the time, at least to a few, is saddening.

No matter what your views on the Vietnam war, whether you are old enough to remember or not, I think you'll probably learn a great deal from Hearts and Minds.  It manages to do its job without (most) of the usual "War is Bad(tm)" generic rhetoric.  Yeah, it gets close at times, most notably the scene of the NVA soldier's funeral, but facts is facts, and its portrayed in just that manner.

Be sure to watch all the way through the end of the credits, to the end of the parade scene at the end.  I think it sums up perfectly what public opinion must have been, with everyone arguing and nobody really knowing the truth.

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A courageous and startling film, Peter Davis' landmark documentary Hearts and Minds unflinchingly confronts the United States' involvement in Vietnam. Using a wealth of sources-from interviews to newsreels to documentary footage of the conflict at home and abroad-Davis constructs a powerfully affecting portrait of the disastrous effects of war. Explosive, persuasive, and shocking, Hearts and Minds is an overwhelming emotional experience and the controversial winner of the 1974 Academy Award® for Best Documentary.

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: DAVIS,PETER
Manufacturer: Criterion
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Georges Bidault
• Clark Clifford
• George Coker
• Kay Dvorshock
• Dwight D. Eisenhower

Reviews

Related posts:

1. The Red Badge of Courage (1974)

But, I'll let most of my review of "Apocalypse Now Redux" stand.  Mostly.   Honestly its been a long, long time since I'd seen the original cut, and I think it is a much better film than Redux, just because of the lack of the extended scenes.  Yes, the Blu Ray contains *both* versions, and no, I haven't got around to watching Redux in this set yet...

But I think my appraisal of the movie in my other review is missing one thing.  The meaning behind the film can solely be summed up in Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) last words.  Not, "The Horror", but the line previous,

We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write "fuck" on their airplanes because it's obscene!

Actually most of Kurtz's supposedly insane monologues make more sense than the events Willard comes across in the rest of the film, and capture perfectly what the essence of war, and fighting, (and the movie,) is.  It's insanity.  Kurtz himself is the logical conclusion to Willard's insane journey, if he isn't careful, if he loses his humanity and his soul....

But, onto the Blu Ray...  Basically the movie looks, and sounds, brilliant.  This isn't a "grand restoration" to be sure.  There are still noticable specks here and there, and (to be expected) there is a lot of grain to be seen.  I say "to be expected" because its just how the film came out.  I'd say its a "faithful" transfer in every respect.  The strange palette of the movie is definitely noticable, with its blues washed out to near gray, while the greens, reds, and "brights" snap out at you.  There's one scene, the "It's a f*cking tiger, man!" scene which is especially interesting, with the canopy of the jungle above coming out a bright green in the sun, while everything underneath becomes almost awash in monochrome gray....

And the sound, yeah.  The opening scene with the helicopter, never sounded this good I wager.  On disc 2, there's a few features on how "Apocalypse" was a ground breaking film in its sound design and was instrumental in paving the way towards our 7.1 multi-channel systems of today.

Speaking of the extras, I admit I have yet to get through them all.  I watched the above sound features, and part of the conversation between Sheen and Coppola.  I've not even touched disc three of the "full disclosure edition", which has the full-length "Hearts of Darkness" documentary.  I've never seen this and thought it might be worthy of its own review.

In the three-disc edition you also get a booklet, which is admittedly mostly eye-candy.  I flipped through it rather quickly.  There are some scribbled up script excerpts, production notes, stills, etc....  good to have in a "complete" edition such as this.

Bottom line: If you like this movie, then you need this.  If you've never seen it before, then this is where you start, but think about what you're watching and why things are happening.

I'm throwing out a full '9' on this one, and I haven't finished digesting the whole package.

Oh, and Dennis Hopper is still amazing as Kurtz's "interpreter."  Casting genius.

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Apocalypse Now (Apocalypse Now / Apocalypse Now Redux / Hearts of Darkness) (Three-Disc Full Disclosure Edition) [Blu-ray] List Price: $59.99 Sale Price: $29.29 You save: $30.70 (51%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

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Francis Ford Coppola's timeless classic comes to Blu-ray for the first time! This 3-Disc Deluxe Edition includes Apocalypse Now and Apocalypse Now Redux in stunning new transfers supervised by Francis Ford Coppola - and presented for the first time in their original 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratios. Also included is the feature-length making-of documentary Hearts of Darkness, presented in a new 1080p HD transfer. Additional features include a 48-page collectible booklet with never-before-seen archives from the set, over 9 hours of bonus features, plus a storyboard gallery, image galleries, marketing archives and an original script excerpt from John Milius featuring hand-written notes from Coppola.

Apocalypse Now / Apocalypse Now: Redux In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production of Apocalypse Now as if it were his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged Philippines, he quite literally went mad as the project threatened to devour him in a vortex of creative despair, but from this insanity came one of the greatest films ever made. It began as a John Milius screenplay, transposing Joseph Conrad's classic story "Heart of Darkness" into the horrors of the Vietnam War, following a battle-weary Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) on a secret upriver mission to find and execute the renegade Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has reverted to a state of murderous and mystical insanity. The journey is fraught with danger involving wartime action on epic and intimate scales. One measure of the film's awesome visceral impact is the number of sequences, images, and lines of dialogue that have literally burned themselves into our cinematic consciousness, from the Wagnerian strike of helicopter gunships on a Vietnamese village to the brutal murder of stowaways on a peasant sampan and the unflinching fearlessness of the surfing warrior Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore (Robert Duvall), who speaks lovingly of "the smell of napalm in the morning." Like Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God, this film is the product of genius cast into a pit of hell and emerging, phoenix-like, in triumph. Coppola's obsession (effectively detailed in the riveting documentary Hearts of Darkness, directed by Coppola's wife, Eleanor) informs every scene and every frame, and the result is a film for the ages. --Jeff Shannon Hearts of Darkness Hearts of Darkness is an engrossing, unwavering look back at Francis Coppola's chaotic, catastrophe-plagued Vietnam production, Apocalypse Now. Filled with juicy gossip and a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the stressful world of moviemaking, the documentary mixes on-location home movies shot in the Philippines by Eleanor Coppola, the director's wife, with revealing interviews with the cast and crew, shot 10 years later. Similar to Burden of Dreams, Les Blank's absorbing portrait of Werner Herzog's struggle to make Fitzcarraldo, the film chronicles Coppola's eventual decent into obsessive psychosis as everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Storms destroy sets, money evaporates, the Philippine government continually harasses the director, Coppola has romantic affairs, and he can't write the story's ending. Everything is captured on film. In the most disturbing scene, we watch Martin Sheen have a drunken nervous breakdown while his director goads him on (he eventually suffered a heart attack, but finished the film). Other incredible footage is not visual, but aural as the film includes tapes Eleanor Coppola recorded without Francis's knowledge. In them, he truly sounds like a madman as he confesses his fears about making a bomb of a movie. But while Hearts of Darkness is an amazing, voyeuristic experience, its importance lies in the personal reflections offered by those involved. Sheen, Coppola, and Dennis Hopper speak frankly without embarrassment, offering us an essential piece of film history. --Dave McCoy

DVD Information

Binding: Blu-ray
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: Lions Gate
Manufacturer: Lionsgate
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Martin Sheen
• Marlon Brando

Features

• Condition: New
• Format: Blu-ray
• AC-3; Closed-captioned; Dolby; DTS Surround Sound; Special Edition; Subtitled; Widescreen

Reviews

Related posts:

1. Apocalypse Now: Redux (1979/2001)
2. 1941 (1979)
3. Time Slip, aka G.I. Samurai, aka Sengoku Jieitai (1979)

Unlike the previously reviewed Civil War Films of the Silent Era, which approached the Civil War with a bit more romantic bend, and a lot of hindsight, "WWI Films" delivers a view, for the first time, of a current conflict in moving pictures.  On this disc are four separate features...

"Fighting the Great War (1916)" takes us into the Trenches and gives a look at the men and the means of the war.  Likely one of the first true war documentaries, its certainly interesting.

"The Log of the U-35 (1917)" is 100% authentic footage taken on board a German submarine, and mostly documents the ship-sinking exploits of the crew.

"The Secret Game (1917)" is sort of the odd-man out here, a tale of espionage and intrigue as a Japanese diplomat helps the Americans root out the German spies among us.  I think I understand why it was included, as its certainly ironic to see the Japanese portrayed in such an honorable light, only to be roasted over the coals some 25-odd years later.  But its also interesting to see the "state of the art" in the spy game of the time.  Disappearing inks, code books, the usual stuff.  Interesting, but there surely must be better material to put here.

The last is the 1975 compilation, "The Moving Picture Boys in the Great War", which is just that, a compilation of bits and pieces which sort of chronicles the role of film in the war.

Honestly?  I thought "Civil War Films" was the much better entry of the two.  The two documentaries were certainly interesting, and would have been received by audiences with curiosity, both at the thought of seeing what's going on a world away, and at the new moving picture gizmo....  But the other two just didn't quite do it for me.  The Secret Game in particular.  I dunno, I just didn't quite see the point, other than it was a contemporary piece only tangentially related to the war.

Something else that bothered me, both here and in "Civil War Films" was the soundtrack.  It was obviously a computer-generated track, having that "midi" quality to it, and I would have liked to have heard maybe just a simple piano track, or even an honest period recording....  Just a nitpick I know, but still.

If you're interested in the history of war movies at all, or in WWI history, then I suggest you check this out, you probably won't be disappointed.  But generally speaking I could have gone without....

and I simply can NOT find any of the pieces of this compilation to embed here, which is a shame!!!  Sorry! If I come across any I'll edit this post to include them.

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WORLD WAR I FILMS OF THE SILENT ERA - DVD Movie

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Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Brand: Image Entertainment
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Sessue Hayakawa
• Jack Holt
• Florence Vidor
• Mayme Kelso
• Raymond Hatton

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Related posts:

1. Civil War Films of the Silent Era (1913,1915)
2. The Road to World War II (1978, 2011)
3. Overlord (1975)
4. Soldiers of Change, aka The Painting (2002?)
5. We Were Soldiers (2002)

Now, I'm going to go out on a limb and try to detach myself from 65 years of my own US-centric perspective and try and see this from the Japanese POV.  In that respect, I think that the end result is a fine, fine picture.  A tribute to all those who were called on to defend Japan at her "last stand" or dare I even go there, her "Alamo."  The intent seems pretty clear that's the portrait we are meant to see here.

In that respect also, it paints a different picture than what we on this side of the Pacific might be used to seeing.  That the defeat at Okinawa wasn't so much dealt by a crushing invasion force, by land and by sea, but rather a failure by high command to allocate the proper resources and make the right decisions.  Since I have no earthly idea whether or not this could actually be the case, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  In fact, the first part of the film starts almost a year before the invasion, exploring the preparation of the island, the airfields, etc.  and how those command decisions may have been the deciding factor.  Like I said, I don't have a clue, but its interesting.

Then as the real invasion starts, the civilian population's dire straits are portrayed quite well, to a point (more on this later)  and again, it seems to be a failure by command to provide adequate means for evacuation, to the point they're forced to recruit local students and women into the fight.  OK, I might give you that one as well.

But throughout there is definitely a feel that this is, as I said, a tribute of sorts to those who fought and died, both military and civilian on that bloody island.  That might offend some of you, but I'd wager that its their right to do so, just as we would, and have done.

And they had me on board with most of it.  Right up until the last, oh, twenty minutes or so.  Then things take a decidedly sour turn in the viewpoint toward the encroaching US forces.  The portrayal turns to a (IMO, quite nasty) characterization of us intentionally and mercilessly murdering the civilian population, shooting soldiers plainly attempting to surrender, even to the point of using chemical weapons on nurses and wounded in the caves.  True or not? I can't say.  I don't know.  There are few who probably do know the truth.  I'd like to think not, but it sure is a "whoa, hey, wtf!" kind of moment.  On the other hand, there are a few scenes where the US troops quite peacefully accept surrenders....

So while I don't think there's a total indictment going on here, one of the final scenes with the old woman and the tank implies a great deal.  I think its part of a larger picture of how the war is (was?) viewed in Japan, as a dark point in history, where the country did what it did at the time, to the point of crushing defeat, yet really doesn't offer any apology for it.

Overall I think the tone and pacing of the Battle of Okinawa somewhat feels a lot like the previous year's "Tora! Tora! Tora!"  With the jumping around to various desks and commanders making all these key and fateful decisions.  The combat scenes are done well for the time, if maybe a bit cliched and riddled with stock sound effects, but they're better than some of the same period.  The pacing involved during the combat works quite well, so you're not just left with a boring drone of shelf-reel richocets, but rather cutting between the various plots going on.

On a somewhat humorous note, was the DVD subtitle that appeared at the intermission point of the movie.  "Take a break, stretch your legs and make yourself a nice drink.  Or just skip to the next chapter."  Ha!

If you're easily offended by a countering viewpoint on the war, and some pointed accusations therein, I would suggest you just steer clear of The Battle of Okinawa.  You'll just end up pissed off in the end.  However, if you can take a step back and see things from the Japanese point of view here, I think you'll be pleased with the overall results of the film.  That is, a fitting tribute to their own soldiers and civilians who did what they had to do, and paid the price for it.

Also of note is the translation of the Japanese title: 激怒の昭和史：沖縄決戦, which amounts to "indignation of the history of the Showa era: the decisive battle of Okinawa"....  And I think that probably is a fitting title.

IMDB: Gekido no showashi: Okinawa kessen
Amazon: Battle of Okinawa

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BATTLE OF OKINAWA - DVD Movie

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Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Brand: Koch International
Manufacturer: Animeigo
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Keiju Kobayashi
• Yûzô Kayama
• Tetsurô Tanba
• Tatsuya Nakadai
• Mayumi Ôzora

Features

• Beverly Hills hasn't been the same since the Clampetts moved to town! Now you can own 20ic episodes of this hit show, which remained in the top ten for nine straight seasons. These hilarious hillbillies will keep you laughing hours with their backwoods antics. And you thought your family was crazy! Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES Rating: NR Age: 737187011504 UP

Reviews

Related posts:

1. Raid on Rommel (1971)
2. Battle of Britain (1969)
3. Johnny Got His Gun (1971)
4. Battle of Britain (1969, Blu-Ray)
5. Battle Cry (1955)

American and Legion Major William Sherman Foster (Gene Hackman) is tasked with protecting a French archaeological expidition in Erfeud.  The problem is, that he's the one who brokered the peace in the first place with the Arab leader, El Krim (Ian Holm).  Another problem is that the peace no longer exists, as the location was attacked by the Arabs and 100+ Legionnaires killed.

Well, throw in a minor diversionary love interest (Catherine Deneuve) for the scoundrel-iest new recruit, Marco (Terence Hill), the usual civilan vs. military tension between Foster and the expedition leader Mameau (Max von Sydow)... the usual comeraderie amongst men vibe... and you've really got an under-rated picture.

If there's a down side to March or Die, it maybe takes itself a bit seriously at times.  The ending, in particular, is so cliched, but it mostly works.  I dunno.  I can't find a whole lot of bad things to say about it.  Why this picture has flown under my radar for so long I'm not sure!

The only way to get a hold of this film currently is as a "double feature" bargain bin DVD with "The Domino Principle", or via Netflix and/or Instant Watch.  I saw it on my Roku Netflix Player and the delivery was adequate, if maybe an older 4:3 "for TV" copy of the movie...

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076175/
Amazon: The Domino Principle/March or Die

Here's a bit of the film towards the end... looks like the whole thing is on YouTube. Go Figure.

Related posts:

1. A Bridge Too Far (1977)

Well you couldn't be more wrong.  Oh, sure, 1941 starts out funny, I'll give it that.  Where else are you going to have John Williams AND Spielberg lampooning *their own work* (namely the Jaws theme/opening sequence) as a naked lady gets hoisted high on the periscope of a bumbling Japanese submarine?!

But as it goes along, the whole thing quickly falls into a morass of chaos and even more chaos, degrading into a giant clusterf*ck that there is no recovering from.  The problem?  I think that they tried to do way too much with the picture.  Too many sub-stories that really didn't interconnect in any way.  And enough already with the dance contest.  These scenes just dragged on way, way too far.

And don't get me started on Belushi.  What. in. the. hell.  You've got to wonder how they were even able to stand him up straight to get him to utter the few unintelligible lines he does have.

The short version:  What starts off with a lot of promise, in premise AND on film, turns out to be a nightmarish trip into chaos.

The thought came to me that this thing might have been written by the SNL gang, all sitting around a big table filled with booze and whatever else was in vogue in '79, and as the night went on, the more wasted they got, throwing ideas onto the table and eventually into the final product.   "Wouldn't it be cool if...?? Yeah! We need a ___, too! Awesome! And this that and the other! Sweet!"

Maybe as an example of what NOT to do, but otherwise, don't bother.  Not only that, but the DVD I acquired from Netflix was an early (1999) example of widescreen formatted/letterboxed for 4:3, so some major zooming and formatting action was required to get a full picture on my screen.  I guess nobody's bothered to update 1941 in the catalog, and probably for good reason.

Related posts:

1. Apocalypse Now (1979, Blu Ray)
2. Apocalypse Now: Redux (1979/2001)
3. Time Slip, aka G.I. Samurai, aka Sengoku Jieitai (1979)
4. Dive Bomber (1941)
5. Great Guns (1941)

What you get here is a surreal trip into one man's nightmare after suffering extensive injuries on the battlefields of World War I... and a biting anti-war film to boot.

"Johnny" is really Joe Bonham, who does his civic duty and goes off to Europe to fight in the trenches.  He literally blown to bits by an inbound shell, losing his arms, legs, and face, losing all senses except touch.  He survives, and becomes a medical curiosity to the upper brass.  He's kept alive, and in his sensory-deprived state, we get to go on some rather odd journeys down memory lane, among others.

Really I don't want to spoil too much of it, because I think you really have to experience it for yourself.  Between his remembrances of his father, who apparently loved his fishing pole more than Joe, to his matrix-like train station conversations with Jesus (a trippy Donald Sutherland), and the absolute terror portrayed as he tries to figure out what is happening to him....  It's just brilliant.  Yeah I know I said something before about it being not-so-much, but on another viewing I've changed my mind.

The only problem I think exists with the amount of anti-war "preaching" that goes on.  Some of it is just so obvious and "in your face" that it comes across wrong.  Take for example the bit with he and his father talking about Democracy....  While it might be true to a point, its almost pretentious.

But...  I guess that's to be expected given the time it was made, right at the height of the Vietnam war and all. (Especially if you take a gander at the poster art...) I think it probably serves as a metaphor for that war more than anything.  Viewed in that respect it also adds another layer of depth to it.

Johnny Got His Gun is a mind-trip, that's for sure, but I have to recommend it.

Related posts:

1. “Johnny Got His Gun” to be Remade? Why?!
2. Raid on Rommel (1971)
3. The Battle of Okinawa (1971)