World War II - The Lost Color Archives

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In the 1980s determined researchers began scouring the world for color film shot during World War II, and the result of their quest is spectacular. Seeing the war through the ubiquitous black-and-white footage has always made the experience somewhat distant, but in clear, crisp color, the enormity of the war and its horrors is startling and dramatic. Films of Nazi rallies are all the more disturbing; a viewer seeing the scene in color realizes the massive crowds saluting Hitler are no longer gray and faceless masses, but gatherings of well- dressed civilians. Color combat footage, from across Europe and the Pacific, is frighteningly immediate, and some of it, showing the wounded, the dead, and even prisoners being executed, will no doubt be disturbing for many viewers. Violence and destruction on an unimaginable scale is vividly put on display, as are smaller moments of soldiers smiling for the camera or liberated prisoners from the concentration camps staring in pained bewilderment. The episodes, produced by the History Channel, are introduced by veteran journalist Roger Mudd, and the narration for each individual segment typically contains excerpts from letters and diaries describing events close to those depicted in the film footage. The footage used is of a surprisingly high quality (much of it was shot and stored away, virtually unseen for decades), and it provides a stunning look at how the war appeared to those fighting it. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews:

World War II - The Lost Color Archives.......2007-07-30

History and war buffs, rejoice. Just when you thought you'd seen every World War II documentary, from "The World At War" to "Victory At Sea", this set appears. While you may not glean a wealth of new information or insight into the period, the color films imbue the war with an immediacy you've never experienced before- unless of course, you were there. This alone makes the DVD a worthwhile investment of time and money. Bear in mind this is all bona-fide color footage-nothing has been colorized. The effect is spellbinding, almost miraculous- as when Judy Garland as Dorothy first lands in Oz.

Good, not great.......2006-07-05

Based on reviews I'd read beforehand, I expected something big with this 2-disc set. To its credit, it runs 2 hours and 51 minutes. But it's on the pricey side and a lot of what's shown here has been on other more recent (and less expensive) DVD's, like "Hitler, in Color," which is really outstanding. I also expected this DVD set to be better than "World War II in Color, the British Story." On the contrary, the latter costs less than half of this one, ran over an hour longer and had more unique footage and commentary. The "British Story" is all on a single, collector's edition, digital disc.

For those building a DVD library on World War II, especially color features, this 2-volume set belongs in your collection. For those operating on a budget, choose the two DVD's noted above, first. Then, consider "Visions of War, Vol. 2--Hitler, in His Own Words," and various pieces on Winston Churchill, for greater value.

the lost archives appear to be still lost.......2004-02-25

The footage in this film is fantastic but in no way whatsoever does justice to what the individuals who participated in the war experienced. Unlike the Land of the Czars or other films produced this production does not provide enough detail for any of the events listed in the contents. It is almost like fast forwarding through the war. There is no way i would subject my students to this film. I would be boring them to death and I would here about it.
The purchase of this dvd was a total waste of money. I would sooner use many of the dusty copies in our library.
pjk

My comment.......2004-01-11

It is fascinating and exciting to see World War II not in black and white, as we are used to seeing it, but in color. Its kind of like how it was for theater audiences of the day. Most movies of the day were in black and white, but those that were in Technicolor were absolutely stunning, and still are. Unfortunately, that's what the problem with these tapes are. Even though the colors are realistic, the picture is quite grainy and the image suffers from poor contrast, muddy blacks and blurred colors; it is very slow and sometimes fringing becomes apparent. The reason for this was because it was shot on nonprofessional 16mm film, separated into negatives and then blown up onto 35mm. The best examples of color film remain the old Technicolor movies from the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s, not Kodachrome films like these. Unfortunately, we can't see World War II in Technicolor, because it would have been way too expensive and out of bounds to shoot in it, but nevertheless the picture would have been much better.

Very Good Documentary Even if it Were Not in Color.......2003-11-08

Apart from the obvious important issue of color, "Lost Color Archives" is different from many other documentaries dealing with World War II. The emphasis is much less on causes and facts than it is on the impact of the war on society and individuals. Its use of personal observances is remeniscent of the way Ken Burns used eye witness accounts in "The Civil War" to make more of an impact on the viewer.

Evenso, from a historical perspective, "Lost Color Archives" does deserve high praise as a solid explanation of the war as a whole. Because it is told largely from the eye witness point of view, the viewer has a sense of the impending conflict, then the endurance through the war, and finally, the exhausted conclusion. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the war was over, but that much of the world had been destroyed and that the effects and rememberance of the war would linger on.

Add color to all this and the documentary clearly stands above anything else I've ever seen about the war. Some of the images are average, some are stunning, some are beautiful, some are horrifying, but all are in color.

The combination of the color video and the first person narratives often sent chills down my spine.

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