Arguably the most controversial British film ever made, Peter Watkins' 1965 The War Game was commissioned by the BBC but then banned from broadcast for 20 years. It did, however, find its way into theatrical release and won the Oscar for Best Documentary (although its reliance on staged sequences clearly blurs the line between fiction and nonfiction). A stunning “what if” look at life in Great Britain following a nuclear attack, The War Game still resonates with horror: scenes imagining the deprivation, widespread suffering, and breakdown of law and order are riveting thanks to the cinéma vérité filmmaking style and Watkins' refusal to soften the shock of what would likely occur in the aftermath of the bombing (the sight of British police executing food rioters in close-range firing squads is still jolting). At 48 minutes, the film packs more power than similar films of greater length, including Watkins' own earlier Culloden, also featured on this DVD. Made for the BBC in 1964, this straightforward “you are here” dramatization of the 1746 Scottish-English Battle of Culloden is a perfectly fine recreation of 18th-century warfare as viewed from the perspective of the lowly foot soldier. But it's more of an intellectual exercise, lacking the visceral energy and emotional depth of The War Game, which is a cinematic wallop to the solar plexus. DVD extras include audio commentaries by film scholars on both films, as well as a 12-page booklet featuring an essay by Patrick Murphy on The War Game. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)
The War Game/Culloden
New Yorker, 121 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 21, Issue 5
The War Game/Culloden
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