World War II is unlike almost any other war in that its battles weren’t confined to a particular region. It truly was a worldwide event as its battles ripped through multiple continents. It was a war fought in the air, on the land and at sea. Over the years there have been numerous WWII documentaries. Some focus on specific themes while others try to examine the entire conflict. HISTORY’s WWII in HD is unusual in that it attempts to reduce the epic nature of the war into something quite personal as it tells the stories of a select group of American soldiers that fought in Europe, Africa and on islands strewn across the Pacific Ocean. At times it feels more like Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers than a traditional documentary.
Because the episodes jump back and forth from the European and Pacific Ocean Theaters the narrative could be confusing to those that don’t already have a sense of WWII’s timeline. However, this approach does give the viewer a sense of the chaos and massive scope of the war as smaller battles fought thousands of miles apart changed the big picture and the outcome of the war.
Like many American produced WWII documentaries, WWII in HD gives little attention to the war before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I would have preferred that the series featured stories not just from American soldiers but also soldiers from England, France, Germany, Russia and Japan. But, considering how difficult that could be, it’s hard to fault HISTORY for narrowing the scope of their series. Particularly because the series does give focus to the various relocation camps that were set up to house Japanese-Americans following Pearl Harbor.
It should be noted that while much of the program is presented in high definition the quality of the archival footage varies greatly. The film stock that was used in combat during the war wasn’t high grade. This means that even in pristine condition the picture quality would have been less than perfect. Some footage looks remarkably good, most is pretty rough but the fact that the footage exists at all is fairly miraculous. The fact that most of the archival footage is in color is almost unheard of.
The collector’s edition of WWII in HD also includes The Air War, an additional episode featuring interviews with Andy Rooney, as well as the excellent feature-length documentary The Battle for Iwo Jima. Bonus features include featurettes on the exhaustive search for the archival footage and how it was preserved. There are also character profiles for the soldiers featured in the series.
WWII in HD is a remarkable accomplishment. Its intimate approach to the material sets it apart as something different and essential when compared to other WWII documentaries.
Those looking to supplement their WWII learn experience should also consider viewing the Laurence Olivier narrated The World at War, the comprehensive BBC: History of World War II box set, Alain Resnais’ brilliant short Night and Fog and Ken Burn’s The War.