The glut of World War II documentaries from places like the History Channel has long provided easy dad-joke punchlines. But, as is the case with any joke, there's a little truth in it.
It's hard to stand out in the sea of WWII docs, especially with many using similar stock footage and telling variations — important though they may be — on the same story. While the new Martin Sheen-narrated documentary The Green Box: At The Heart of War may not distinguish itself through production quality alone, it succeeds in the way many of the most effective entries in the genre do. Through first-person experiences, it makes a sprawling war with unfathomable casualties feel personal. It’s an increasingly difficult task. With the war now more than 80 years in the rearview mirror, there is a rapidly dwindling number of people who experienced it first-hand.
The Green Box has a first-person account, but it's structured as a journey of discovery for the family of WWII airman Robert Kurtz, based on the book by his son Jim. Kurtz was an airman in an Aug. 3, 1944 air battle over Austria. Though it was brief, 31 Americans died. Kurtz survived, but he and others were taken to the Stalag Luft III prison camp, which he also survived. Kurtz died of a heart attack seven years after the war, when Jim was just a baby. What Jim's father endured and what happened in that air battle were not discussed at home. However, after Jim opened a green box in the family attic, his father's story began to come into focus. That process is enriched by Gerd Leitner, who saw the air battle as a child in Austria and later brought survivors and families of airmen together in the city where the battle took place.
The documentary follows this journey of discovery through Austria, where Jim sees plane wreckage rusting on the mountainside, and through the prison camp, walking the spaces where Kurtz would have showered and slept. Through all of this, what resonates most is the personal nature of the story, and how it connects to so many familiar aspects of WWII. It’s a feature that could be especially useful for educators or librarians looking for focused narratives that still illuminate broader themes of the war. Not only was Kurtz in an air battle and a prisoner-of-war in a well-known camp, but the story also explores the emotional toll of leaving home, what it was like for citizens of occupied nations, and touches on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of primarily Black military pilots who lived and operated separately from other U.S. military units.
Where the documentary distinguishes itself from more routine, lower-tier WWII entries is in its sincerity and narrative focus. Rather than relying solely on archival footage and broad historical framing, it builds a clear emotional throughline that gives viewers a reason to stay engaged. Even when some production elements feel modest, the film maintains a sense of purpose that many similar documentaries lack.
In that sense, it shares clear thematic ground with Dear Sirs, another film centered on a son uncovering his father’s WWII experiences. The Green Box offers a similarly accessible and personal entry point into questions of memory, legacy, and rediscovery. Its straightforward approach makes it especially appealing for audiences or library patrons looking for a concise, human-scale story that still connects to broader historical themes.
At the same time, its relatively straightforward structure and limited scope keep it from reaching the depth or cinematic polish of higher-tier documentaries in this space, which ultimately accounts for its more moderate rating. It’s also grounded in a sense of hope, as Jim traces his journey from not knowing his father to uncovering a rich, sometimes sad, but often meaningful history where his father emerges as a man who risked his life to save others during a battle that rarely receives this level of attention.
Should public and academic libraries add this World War II documentary to their collection?
It’s a personal story with a lot of heart, and while some production elements feel modest, they rarely detract from the emotional core. Between the distinctive angle and Sheen’s narration, there’s a compelling and accessible piece of history that could benefit libraries and patrons, particularly in public library settings where viewers may be drawn to its human focus and then explore the book on which it is based.
Academic libraries may find it more limited in scope, as it centers on a single story rather than offering a comprehensive analysis of the war. Still, its focus on survival, memory, and the lasting impact of wartime experiences across generations gives it value as a complementary resource, and it would pair well with titles like Dear Sirs to provide multiple perspectives on personal storytelling within WWII history.
Hollybstadtler
Education Brochure March 30 - The Green Box (2)
Enjoyed this review? Subscribe to Video Librarian today for access to over 40,000 pages of film resources tailored for librarians, educators, and non-theatrical audiences.