Anybody watching "The War" on PBS?

[MrPickins]

I'm sure most of y'all are watching your series premieres this week, but I can't seem to turn away from The War. It's being broadcast in HD, and some of the pictures are stunning.

It's very well produced. The narration is top notch and the interviews are as uplifting as they are depressing.

I'm supposed to be writing a paper, but it'll have to wait.

 

[markgm]

Yeah, I've been watching it in HD. WNPR had a blurb about it one morning since one of the places they interview people from is Waterbury, CT and that caught my attention because I used to live there a few years ago and now live one town over. It's amazing to see how much an area can change in just a few decades.

It's a really good series, I'd like to get a copy of it in HD at some point.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: markgm
It's a really good series, I'd like to get a copy of it in HD at some point.

I'm recording it to my HTPC in hi-def. I'm going to convert it to DVD for my granddad who served in the war.

 

[lupi]

PBS is a bunch of brain dead idiots. There have been nothing but repeats for the last 4+ months on network TV and they wait to release this when the networks all crank out their season openers, total retards.


My more research centric fellow said the narrative had some inaccuracies and in general the amount of material covered wasn't worth the time commitment.

 

[CrackRabbit]

I'm recording it, but I haven't had a chance to watch any of it yet.

 

[AnyMal]

There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: AnyMal
There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

Clearly you haven't watched it are are just talking out your ass. It is in no way one-sided. In fact, the "just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances" is the most recurrent theme of the documentary, whether they're talking about some working class family or FDR's oldest son, James, dropping behind Japanese lines at Guadalcanal.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: AnyMal
There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

Some of the interviews address that.

Personally, I find it interesting from an oral history perspective.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: lupi
PBS is a bunch of brain dead idiots. There have been nothing but repeats for the last 4+ months on network TV and they wait to release this when the networks all crank out their season openers, total retards.


My more research centric fellow said the narrative had some inaccuracies and in general the amount of material covered wasn't worth the time commitment.

Honestly, I find it more entertaining than most of the season openers I've seen this year. Of course, I can't wait for The Office.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: AnyMal
There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

There is no value in brain-dead posts by people who are quick to make judgment about something they haven't even watched.

 

[yuppiejr]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: AnyMal
There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

There is no value in brain-dead posts by people who are quick to make judgment about something they haven't even watched.

QFT...

 

[PricklyPete]

Ken Burns is the man. I unfortunately can't get my local PBS station in HD...so I'm waiting to see it on DVD.

 

[KB]

I have liked the documentary alot; its has a very Ken Burns style.
Unfortunately WWII documentaries are very common, just check the History and Military channels. I really want to see documentaries from the Canadian, British, Italian and German perspectives.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Not yet, been recording it though.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: KB
I have liked the documentary alot; its has a very Ken Burns style.
Unfortunately WWII documentaries are very common, just check the History and Military channels. I really want to see documentaries from the Canadian, British, Italian and German perspectives.

I completely agree, and when I happened on it while flipping channels before Heroes, I expected it to be like any other war documentary, but I was blown away. I think a large part of it is the people they chose to interview and the amazing source material the producers had access to.

 

[AnyMal]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: AnyMal
There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

Clearly you haven't watched it are are just talking out your ass. It is in no way one-sided. In fact, the "just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances" is the most recurrent theme of the documentary, whether they're talking about some working class family or FDR's oldest son, James, dropping behind Japanese lines at Guadalcanal.

Clearly you didn't bother reading what I wrote. I am talking about a comprehensive documentary that would reflect the POV of every side involved in the war. No such films have been made yet, unfortunately.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: PricklyPete
Ken Burns is the man. I unfortunately can't get my local PBS station in HD...so I'm waiting to see it on DVD.

HD download FTW. 'Tis public TV, afterall.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: KB
I have liked the documentary alot; its has a very Ken Burns style.
Unfortunately WWII documentaries are very common, just check the History and Military channels. I really want to see documentaries from the Canadian, British, Italian and German perspectives.

Last month they showed(at least the Seattle PBS station did) a Canadian Documentary on WW2. Being Canadian I watched it and found it to be real good. I haven't been watching this current series though, so I don't know how similar/dissimilar they might be.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: AnyMal

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: AnyMal
There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

Clearly you haven't watched it are are just talking out your ass. It is in no way one-sided. In fact, the "just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances" is the most recurrent theme of the documentary, whether they're talking about some working class family or FDR's oldest son, James, dropping behind Japanese lines at Guadalcanal.

Clearly you didn't bother reading what I wrote. I am talking about a comprehensive documentary that would reflect the POV of every side involved in the war. No such films have been made yet, unfortunately.

While that would be ideal, it would also be an incredibly difficult feat to pull off and still have a balanced viewpoint. Maybe eventually it will happen, but only if oral histories of the people who were affected by the war are recorded sooner than later. In the US this has been going on for quite awhile, so the source material is rather vast. I'm not sure how much is available in the rest of the world.

But, in the meantime: To call this film without value, only because it focuses on the experiences of a select group, is asinine. Especially when you haven't watched it.

It's not so much about the war like a typical documentary, it's about the human experience. That's what really has me hooked. These are real people with powerful stories relating what their true emotions were in unimaginable times.

 

[imported_Imp]

I wanted to last week, but thought I didn't get the channel. Turns out it was just PBS from Buffalo, which I actually have. I'll try to catch it this week, despite having watched 100s of WWII shows.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: AnyMal

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: AnyMal
There is no value in one-sided documentaries like that. War was not fought by the United States alone, nor was every "bad guy" a bad person, just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances. A true three-dimensional picture of the WWII is yet to be made, and I'm afraid by the time someone will realize, it will be too late.

Clearly you haven't watched it are are just talking out your ass. It is in no way one-sided. In fact, the "just someone thrown in to the whirlwind of the circumstances" is the most recurrent theme of the documentary, whether they're talking about some working class family or FDR's oldest son, James, dropping behind Japanese lines at Guadalcanal.

Clearly you didn't bother reading what I wrote. I am talking about a comprehensive documentary that would reflect the POV of every side involved in the war. No such films have been made yet, unfortunately.

Damnit to hell...Ken Burns even addressed this at a Q&A which was shown on C-SPAN. He said that he would've liked to cover all the possible POVs (from different sides/countries) but that it would have become so complicated and without direction that he decided to concentrate on one persepctive.

Stop being a douche.

 

[0]

Originally posted by: KB
I have liked the documentary alot; its has a very Ken Burns style.
Unfortunately WWII documentaries are very common, just check the History and Military channels. I really want to see documentaries from the Canadian, British, Italian and German perspectives.

Burn's documentary is different than others, in that it takes a bottoms up approach. He deals very little with the leaders, generals, strategy etc, where the vast majority of other documentaries do. He instead, focuses of the people who actually saw battle, and the people at home and their perspectives.

 

[OutHouse]

Meet the last Plains Indian War Chief

He completed the four requirements of a War Chief while fighting the Germans. yes he really did steal a horse from a camp of Germans.

1. touch a living enemy soldier
2. disarm an enemy
3. lead a successful war party
4. steal an enemy's horse

Joe Medicine Crow

 

[alchemize]

Originally posted by: Citrix
Meet the last Plains Indian War Chief

He completed the four requirements of a War Chief while fighting the Germans. yes he really did steal a horse from a camp of Germans.

1. touch a living enemy soldier
2. disarm an enemy
3. lead a successful war party
4. steal an enemy's horse

Joe Medicine Crow

Wow...

So I ran up there and the German soldier was running there. We bumped heads, helmets, so I saw in my rifle and I just knocked his rifle off his hands where he was standing. All I had to do was pull the trigger. But, for some reason, I put my gun down and tore into him. Then we had it out. He had me down, but I turned him over and grabbed him by the throat, you know. I was raised to kill him. Then, his last words were, 'Mama, mama.' When he said that bad word, 'Mama.' It opened my ears. I let him go."

 

[Mucho]

I tries watching but found it really really boring. Hooray for America!