The focus of this series is supposed to be the historical footage, but the makers seem to resent the aspect ratio that was historically used, so all the footage is crudely stretched and everything in it is made to look thicker. The end result is that the movie is better viewed in 4:3 so that the contemporary footage would be distorted instead.
The most accurate description of the narration is that it's overacted. The makers seem to have been aiming to give the series a dignified overall feeling, but it ends up feeling more cheap instead. The result would have been significantly better and more respectful of the actual history if they took a more hands-off approach and just presented the historical footage and the interviews without as much editing, editorializing and remastering.
The most accurate description of the narration is that it's overacted. The makers seem to have been aiming to give the series a dignified overall feeling, but it ends up feeling more cheap instead. The result would have been significantly better and more respectful of the actual history if they took a more hands-off approach and just presented the historical footage and the interviews without as much editing, editorializing and remastering.