Churchill

The life of Britain's great wartime leader is examined from a particularly personal perspective in filmmaker Lucy Carter's three-part PBS-aired biography. The first segment looks at Churchill's early life, including his political successes and failures through 1939; the second deals with the years 1939-1943, when as prime minister he endured both victories and disappointments; and the third covers the triumphant conclusion of the war and Churchill's later years, which are often given short shrift elsewhere. What sets each of the three hours apart from previous documentaries are the observations offered by Churchill's own descendents, including his granddaughter Celia Sandys, as well as excerpts from interviews with individuals who worked directly with the great man--a secretary, for example, or a White House staff member who can testify to particulars regarding his relationship with Roosevelt and Truman. Staged interludes of Churchill's boyhood isolation and of the grown man writing in his office (cigar and whiskey always at hand) don't integrate very well with the authentic footage and interview material, but this doesn't seriously detract from an otherwise instructive, well-made portrait. DVD extras include program outtakes and an interview with the director. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)