Showing posts with label war film. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war film. Show all posts

Monday, August 3, 2020

TV Show Review - Five Came Back

I'm a big fan of film and history, so a mini-series like this is right up my alley.

Five Came Back is a 2017 3-episode mini-series. It is rated TV-MA for language and graphic images of war and is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good


The History. This documentary does an excellent job of covering the careers of 5 top Hollywood film directors, John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens, how they got into film, what they shot before World War II, what their role was in that war, and how it forever affected them. I've heard parts of these stories from time to time, but it was wonderful to see them all together.

The Visuals. This documentary included shots from many films of the era, many photographs of what went on behind the scenes, and plenty of new visuals to tell the story. It looked like a big budget Hollywood production unlike most documentaries that show their small budgets.

The Pace. While this is a documentary, it moves at a much quicker pace than most documentaries. I never found myself getting bored or watching the clock. It moved at the pace of most 1940s films, which was very appropriate.

The Perspective. Too often people have a habit of judging the past by current fads and thought, which makes no sense since the past was a different time with different circumstances. This documentary does an excellent job of keeping the proper perspective and judging the men and their films by the standards of their day. And several modern day directors give very insightful observations about their films and the effect they have on us even today.


The Bad


...


What I Would Like to Have Seen


I was totally satisfied.


Overall


Five Came Back is a 2017 3-episode mini-series. This documentary does an excellent job of covering the careers of 5 top Hollywood film directors, John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens, how they got into film, what they shot before World War II, what their role was in that war, and how it forever affected them. I've heard parts of these stories from time to time, but it was wonderful to see them all together. This documentary included shots from many films of the era, many photographs of what went on behind the scenes, and plenty of new visuals to tell the story. While this is a documentary, it moves at a much quicker pace than most documentaries. I never found myself getting bored or watching the clock. It moved at the pace of most 1940s films, which was very appropriate. Too often people have a habit of judging the past by current fads and thought, which makes no sense since the past was a different time with different circumstances. This documentary does an excellent job of keeping the proper perspective and judging the men and their films by the standards of their day. And several modern day directors give very insightful observations about their films and the effect they have on us even today. I highly recommend this show and give it 5 out of 5 remotes.


   
  

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086G6FKRV/

Friday, February 28, 2020

Movie Review - 1917

I have a great interest in The Great War, The War to End All Wars (if only it had), so I was curious to watch the latest flick about that time. The trailer looked okay, but it was the overwhelmingly positive reviews from nearly everyone that really got me excited to see this film. But would it deliver?

1917 is a 2019 action war film. It is rated R for language, violence, and harsh images, and is appropriate for adults.

The Good


Cinematography. This movie was very well shot with it looking like it is nearly one continuous shot. The way the camera moves and captures the scenes makes you feel like you are in the middle of the war with the main characters. Unlike so many modern films, this one lets the camera step back and see the scene around so you can enjoy the great environments instead of pushing the camera in everyone's face so you feel like you are in tight quarters and can't really see anything.

Variety. This movie had a lot of variety in setting, in action, in peril, and everything else. I was kind of afraid I'd get bored with the same soldiers walking thru No Man's Land for two hours, but there were scenes in rivers, towns, grassy fields, trenches, underground, in the day, at night, and more.

Not Gratuitous. The Great War was a horrendous affair filled with scenes that could give anyone nightmares. The filmmakers really held back the gristly imagery showing only what was necessary for the story and no more. I appreciated that. I was afraid I was going to be sick if I saw this film.

Surprise. Most of this film is what you expect, but there was a shocking surprise in the film that wasn't even hinted at in any of the trailers, ads, or reviews and it occurred at a very unexpected time. I'm amazed with as much as had been said about this film, no one let this cat out of the bag.

The Bad


Peril and Suspense. There was real peril and real suspense in this film, but not as much as I would have thought, and I was fairly comfortable the whole time and almost never at the edge of my seat. They could have ramped up the peril and danger just a little bit.

What I Would Like to Have Seen


Put me on the edge of my seat more.

Overall


1917 has been called a near perfect movie and a cinematic masterpiece, and that praise isn't much of an exaggeration. This is an excellent film filled with amazing visuals, a unique storytelling device with the "uninterrupted shot for the whole movie", and a variety of action and peril. Being a Great War flick, this could have easily turned into a horror fest, but the filmmakers kept the gristly visuals to a minimum only showing a few necessary images to convey the proper mood. The story is good and the pacing, while a little slow in parts, mostly keeps moving. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Boxes of Popcorn.