Rich-315 Reviews

The Nazis: A Warning from History (1997)

How could it possibly have happened?

[10/10 · 4 April 2001]

An evocative series which rather than investigating the Second World War as a whole, looks at how it could have happened. How did anti-semitism permeate throughout Germany society? How did people feel about having to murder civilians in cold blood? Anyone who believes in the ultimate goodness of humanity will be left with the shivers after watching interviews with ex-Wermacht and SS soldiers who took part in massacres. The sheer indifference of one individual who clearly has never even heard of the concept of guilt never mind considered it is horrifically compelling. This is a man who could appear as a harmless grandfather, still harbours no regrets about his role and claims that his very short prison terms alleviates him of any responsibility for the taking of innocent lives. This series is fundamentally important history as it illuminates what humanity is capable of when all normal controls are removed and men are invited to behave in a lawless manner. Furthermore, with recent history in Rwanda and the Balkans leaving many people shaking their heads at what could motivate such savagery, this series offers a potential cross-referenced explanation.

Watch it; you'll be compelled to try and understand why and how.

Battlefield (1995–2004)

The world's greatest battles explained

[4 April 2001]

For too many years battles have been described in vague form with little heed to tactics, weaponry or the men involved. This series seeks to redress that with an overwhelming concentration of what happened within the battle and why. Pivotal battles such as Stalingrad or Normandy are well analysed and explained in laymens terms so that you do not have be a military nut to understand the events. The series assumes that its audience does not have a military background and so gives a run down on the military hardware used and the consequences of that. There is no distraction with first person testimony or an attempt to shock the viewers with horrific images and narration as that was so well done by The World At War. Instead we are offered an insight into the tactics and thinking of the military commanders and politicians with the use of computer graphics and maps. Having said that there is little on offer here for people with only a passing interest in history. The slow methodical pace does mean that it is unlikely to appeal to anyone outside of the history sector. Still, if you are interested you will emerge from the programme having learned something.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Comedy, Adventure, Romance; what else could you ask for?

[8/10 · 4 April 2001]

After the disappointing Temple of Doom, which involved too much screaming and not enough gung-ho adventure, Spielberg and Lucas refound the magic of Raiders. They took the "buddy movie" concept away from cop films and based the film on the hugely funny Indiana-Dad relationship. Sean Connery and Harrison Ford positively spark on screen as the combative Jones'. The Nazi element which makes sure all the cinema-goers will boo in unison means that the "baddie" is as bad as they can get. Basically Indy and the armies of darkness are involved in a desperate quest to be the first to locate the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus Christ used at the Last Supper. His old friends Marcus Brody and Salah - wonderfully played by Denholm Elliot and John Rhys-Davies - are back and this gives the idea of a trilogy being completed and thus is the end of the saga. I am not sure that resurrecting the series for a 4th film so many years after The Last Crusade is a good idea, just look at Blues Brothers 2000!

The World at War (1973–1974)

The war documentary to end all war documentaries

[10/10 · 4 April 2001]

Utterly brilliant. Powerful and evocative. The most compelling documentary series ever made concerning war. It's tone offers a stark contrast to the often gung-ho attitude towards World War 2 that the media exhibits. Rather than opting for screaming about the horror of war, it allows Sir Laurence Olivier's quiet voice to take a back seat to the true images of war: corpses everywhere, explosions, terrified citizens and soldiers, broken men, indifferent politicians, mistakes that cost thousands of lives, the suffering of the innocents. Most of all it truly brings home that mankind is capable of when all normal rules of "civility" are removed. There is something distinctly Hobbesian about man in a true state of nature, he will return to a more beastly form capable of crimes that will still shock and fascinate 60 years on. Perhaps there could be a follow up series called "The century at war" for the twentieth century was truly the century of horrors. I feel it is an irony of immense magnitude that it took an event which caused the death of 50 million people to produce such a compelling and excellent series such as this.

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the cinema...

[1/10 · 7 December 2000]

Dear God. Dreadful. Awful. A dire film whose association with the 1975 classic only goes to emphasise how bad this really is. How did the plot synopsis get past studio executives: "Well this time the shark (forgetting that the previous three in the saga have been blown up, electrocuted etc and therefore would have no knowledge of the Brody family) targets Chief Brody's wife after killing her son. She flees in a plane to Bahama and the shark follows thereby leading to a showdown which not only defies belief but also treads on territory that even comedies would not dare to offer. What was Michael Caine thinking? He is so much better than this dross. Avoid like the plague. Rent the original.

Jaws (1975)

How can a 25ft plastic shark called Bruce be scary? Get Steven Spielberg to direct.

[7 December 2000]

This is no less than a cinematic classic. An adrenaline-pumping, nailbiting, scaring-the-living-hell out of you film. How does Spielberg make a plastic fish seem scary? Simple, you don't see it until half way through the film. John Williams' threatening musical score takes your imagination to new levels as you see everything but the beast that is devouring swimmers left right and centre. I heard that Paul Newman amongst others were up for consideration but the casting is perfect. You believe Shaw and Scheider not only are their characters but that people like that exist. Dreyfus is wonderful and almost steals the film from "Bruce" the mechanical shark. If films like Hook made you doubt the directing talent of Steven Spielberg, watch this film and cower in shame at ever daring to doubt his talent for excellent direction.