Product Description

World War 1 in Color is the definitive history of the First World War seen now for the first time ever in color and narrated by the highly acclaimed actor Kenneth Branagh. World War 1 in Color uses rare archive footage from worldwide sources including Russia, Germany, France, Italy, the USA and Britain’s own Imperial War Museum. This six part landmark series brings to the viewer the gritty reality of life in the trenches during the First World War.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65019 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-05-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 377 minutes

Amazon.com
With all the incredible World War II documentaries out there, it is pretty amazing how few World War I documentaries there are, let alone quality ones. Part may be from the minimal amount of archival footage, much of which is really rough, and the fact that most of the veterans died before having the chance to tell their stories on color film. But as Ken Burns has taught us, none of these elements are necessary to create great documentaries. All you need is a little creativity, scholarly and dramatic content, and a sharp presentation. World War 1 in Color is one of those documentaries. Narrated by Sir Kenneth Branagh, World War 1 in Color does a great job presenting this important time in world history in a way that is both academic and heart wrenching, with a modernized presentation. Lasting from 1914-1918 and involving 68 million soldiers, WWI was the first modern war and set the historical course for the entire 20th century. On one hand, it ended many old concepts of battle and gallantry that existed in Europe for centuries. On the other hand, it introduced many modern elements of war including grand multinational involvement and technological innovation including the use of submarines, air warfare, trenches, and chemical weaponry. The big selling point of this DVD is obviously the colorization of the archival footage, which is fascinating and does bring a shocking realism to the war. But it is important to note the colorization never comes off as a gimmick, nor does it overshadow the high quality of this documentary. World War 1 in Color is broken up into six episodes; "Catastrophe" (the cause and start of WWI), "Slaughter in the Trenches" (the great stalemate of the German, French and British ground troops on the western front), "Blood in the Air" (the story of the introduction of air warfare), "Killers of the Sea" (innovation in sea battle including the use of the submarine), "Mayhem on the Eastern Front" (the political and military chaos with the Germans, Austrians and Russians), and "Victory and Despair" (1918, the costliest year of the war; America's involvement; the end of the stalemate on the western front; the end of the war; and the Treaty of Versailles). If you are looking for a strong overview and starting point to learn about WWI look no further than World War 1 in Color. It is quite impressive. --Rob Bracco

Customer Reviews

Thumbs up
WWI in Color is not simply a hodge-podge collection of colorized WWI footage. While the colorization is certainly muted and tasteful, the color is, in fact, the least significant aspect of the series. Had the footage been entirely in black and white, the documentary would still be a superb visual introduction to the conflict.

Clearly, several episodes are not enough to cover every detail of WWI, but major battles, strategies, and technologies are covered nicely. The series devotes separate segments to trench warfare, the air war, the conflict at sea, and the eastern front. A background introduction to the conflict takes up the first episode and the sixth segment presents the conclusion of the war. Two bonus segments round out the series -- a discussion of tactics and strategy and a "making of" piece.

Of course, WWI in Color contains copious footage (for the time) that gives the viewer an invaluable visual sense of the conflict. Many of the film clips are stunning and unforgettable. Yet the series also interviews the few living veterans of the war and asks military historians to expound on various topics. The well-paced narration provides numerous and interesting details.

All in all, a fine and worthy effort that deserves to be viewed.

Excellent and historically accurate history of WW1
Some of the best historians of the Great War have contributed to this feature, Gary Sheffield and Norman Stone are among the finest in all of military history.
The colorization process is excellent and the historical accuracy is even better.
This is not a day by day running of the war but is rather more of an overview. This is essentially a true account of how the allies came to win the war. It is not however the accepted 'schools' version of events and is in my view all the better for that.

Superb series...wonderfully comprehensive!
This is perhaps one of the most enjoyable documentaries I have seen in recent years. Do not be put off by the colorization process used to tint the existing archival footage; indeed, it actually improves upon the viewing experience and compliments Sir Kenneth Brannah's lucid and absorbing narration. Everything is included here and covered with enough detail to satisfy and entertain either the armchair historian or the seasoned PhD. It is good to see that more high quality documentaries are being made about WWI--in many respects a war that was truly the world's first "modern war" that changed the map of Europe forever.