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This half--11.5 hours--aired on ABC in May 1989, six months after the first half. Unfortunately there is no kinetic battle sequence like the first half's Midway clash to absorb the viewer. Director Dan Curtis relies more on newsreel footage (and the sometimes heavy-handedness of narrator William Woodson) to cover large events. To compensate, the filmmakers give inordinate screen time to the conspiracy to kill Hitler (Steven Berkoff) by his inner circle. Like in Herman Wouk's novel, Hitler's decision to eliminate the Jews is the backbone of the entire series and the film's steely reenactments of these events--an amazing achievement for network television--is quite harrowing. Authenticity (filming at Auschwitz) plus ace performances (Seymour has been rarely better, Gielgud is outstanding) combine for a powerful statement, although the whole production is sometimes weighed down by the soap-opera elements of the Henrys' lives. The original Winds of War miniseries had a higher caliber cast, which is missed here. However, a few actors shine in their atypical performances, including Barry Bostwick (who tied with Gielgud for the Golden Globe) as a flamboyant submariner and David Dukes as a desk side attaché who reaches new depths in the war. Although admired and very watchable, the series did not impact the industry as much as its predecessor or sweep the award circuit as other miniseries (Roots, Holocaust, etc.) did, although it did take home the Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries.
The 7-DVD set contains an informative booklet, a CD soundtrack, and a disc of extras. Dan Curtis makes comments over 70 select minutes of the series (shown out of context), hitting the highlights of filming, a nice way of letting the filmmaker talk without searching for the commentary throughout the various discs. There's a new 30-minute feature combining new and old footage on the making of this massive production, and a 15-minute featurette on composer Bob Cobert. --Doug Thomas
| ACTORS: | Robert Mitchum |
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| MANUFACTURER: | Mpi Media Group |
| MPAA RATING: | NR (Not Rated) |
| FEATURES: | Color, Box set, Miniseries |
| TYPE: | Feature Film-drama |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| # OF MEDIA: | 7 |
| UPC: | 030306724294 |
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Customer Reviews of War and Remembrance - The Final Chapter
No other war story except Pvt.Ryan is as impactful as W&R The War and Remebrance/Winds of War video productions are a high water mark of the docu-drama of WWII. The thing that impressed me most regarding these episodes was the director's skill at imparting the sense of drama, despair, the feeling that must have pervaded peoples minds that were in the war. I cannot find the words to describe the the sense of historical impact I felt this production delivered.
Finally, the whole thing available in one place!
I found the prequel "Winds Of War" in a video club mailing, "Part 1" at an area video store (after a humongous phone search), but I didn't track this part down until I got a cheaply-printed flyer from a mail-order joint with a 1-800 customer service number. Now, years later, they're all right here, only a mouse click or two apart. And they say computers are only a way for Big Brother to keep an eye on us! Those who ducked the saga when it showed on TV, as well as those who can't stand miniseries, also blew the chance to see what Robert Mitchum really was capable of as an actor. Nothing, zilch, zero else he's done comes up to this! Mitchum's other work shows him to be a competent if somewhat generic macho actor, but it's as if Herman Wouk mentally pictured him when he thought Pug Henry up. There are problems, to be sure. Like Polly Bergen's "Rhoda" not being quite the airhead you see in the book. Two different "Natalies" (Ali McGraw died, replaced by "Dr. Quinn's" Jane Seymour). Two different Aaron Jastrows (John Houseman died, John Gielgud took over). Two Byron Henrys (I guess Jan Michael Vincent just tired of the role but Hart Bochner is a bit too dreamboat-ish). But Ralph Bellamy is a brilliant FDR! David Dukes does Leslie Slote as insecure as the book portrays him. Victoria Tennant is delightfully feminine as new love Pamela Tudsbury. If you have the bread, do like I did. Buy all three, view them in order. Unlike me, though, it won't take you for freakin' ever to track the whole thing down!
A small correction to the previous review
Like the other two reviewers of this mini-series, I found this to be an excellent, moving, gripping history of World War II. This series, as well as the previous series, Winds of War, should almost be required viewing for today's generation of high schoolers. I would also like to point out a mistake in the otherwise fine review by the fan from Brockport, NY.: Ali McGraw is not dead! The actress who played the first Natalie is very much alive. I will refrain from making a joke about Ali McGraw's character dying in "Love Story," because how can anyone mention "Love Story" and "War and Remembrance" in the same sentence?