Posted on 11/24/2009 3:17:38 PM PST by Artemis Webb
My 16 year old son loves World War II documentaries so I'm looking for those or movies on DVD. Suggestions?
After all these years, “Victory at Sea” is still the best. Great footage and inspiring music and narration.
The history channel has a good collection but what ever you get him, make sure it includes a documentary on Hitler’s rise to power. After he watches it, ask him if he can draw any parallels to modern day America.
I thought the Battle 360 series regarding the exploits of the USS Enterprise was great. But I’m partial to the PTO aspect of WWII.
Start with “The World at War.”
WWII in HD from the history channel and Band of Brothers.
Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The War by Ken Burns. Then go old school, Midway, Bridge too Far, Etc.
A great documentary about the tactics of the major battles is “Battlefield”.
Get the “Band of Brothers” HBO miniseries.
I think this is out of print / production, but inexpensive sets are available at Amazon.com and / or eBay.
It is the very best WWII film I have ever seen.
Other suggestions:
“Why We Fight,” Frank Capra’s excellent documentary.
“Victory at Sea” is also highly recommended.
Also, consider “The Best Years of Our Lives.”
“Saving Private Ryan” would also be a good choice.
Don’t forget reading material: Anything about WWII by Stephen Ambrose.
And of course “Band of Brothers”. Also I would recommend “War and Remembrance” but a warning, although it was made for tv, the Holocaust scenes pulled no punches.
For old movies, we like “Battle of Britain” and “The Great Escape.”
Both excellent choices.
Patton..
“Victory at Sea” is very good. It has a newsreel feel to it because it was made in the early '50's. It's a tad jingoistic, but that never bothered me. It's very inspirational w/ a great musical score. I was lucky enough to pick up the entire series on DVD for $5 at Walmart!
He (George C Scott) captures the essence of Patton and the patriotic spirit of the US in the 1940s. The contrast between the corporatists Bradley and Ike and the warrior Patton is very clear.
schu
In the nineteen sixties there was a long television special paid for by Mead Johnson pharmaceuticals covering the activity of Winston Churchill in the Second World War. It was a superior presentation with Richard Burton narrating. If you can find it, it would be well worth the time and money spent.
I think Victory at Sea was the best ever made. I am partial to the movie Patton. It is not a documentary, but it has a lot of historical events in it.
God speed to your son, he sounds like a great conservative in the making.
I echo someone else’s comments about the WWII in HD series. It’s great! Riveting, dramatic, and so amazing to see all the color.
My favorite WWII movie is The Guns of Navarone. Although I did also really enjoy The Great Escape.
If you’re looking for something on the “light side” of the war (odd to say, but the movies are there), I just watched Don’t Go Near the Water on TCM and really enjoyed it. (It’s akin to the Operation Petticoat approach to the war.) And, because I’m a big Glenn Ford fan, I’d also have to put in a plug for Teahouse of the August Moon; even though it’s in the post-war period, it’s such a refreshing and fun movie.
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