The present century will likely be remembered for the frequency of its armed conflicts and the ferocity of the "total war" which often resulted in the destruction and displacement of innocent civilians. The Archives of War is a four volume series which compiles documentary, newsreel, and other war footage from World War I to the Cold War. Volume 1 (World War I and the Interwar Years) offered a grab bag, beginning with a short 1925 silent British film "The Battle of Ypres," which has never been publicly exhibited in this country. The film, which concerns a series of bloody trench battles fought in WWI Belgium has little dramatic interest, but it displays excellent production values and a gritty realism that even Saving Private Ryan director Stephen Spielberg might envy. Following this is a brief silent British documentary on "war neurosis" which unintentionally exposes that era's naïve attitudes about the possibility of quick "cures" for combat trauma. There are also snippets showing Emperor Hirohito and Fascist dictator Mussolini, dramatic footage of cities being bombed in the Spanish Civil War, and Japanese soldiers waging war in China. The most interesting newsreels depict the infamous Nazi book burning rallies and a hero's welcome for Hitler, but the drama is undercut by a lack of subtitles. Ultimately, the scattershot approach of The Archives of War will frustrate most students and armchair historians. This collection seems appropriate only for large academic collections. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
The Archives of War
(1998) 4 videocassettes, approx. 120 min. each. $19.98 per volume; $79.98 set. MPI Home Video. Color cover. Vol. 14, Issue 2
The Archives of War
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