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Movie Reviews
| The Perilous Fight: America's World War II in Color. Prod. by Martin Smith. KCTS/Seattle Public Television, TWI Archive (London, Eng.), and Carlton Television (London, Eng.), 2003. 240 mins. (PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314-1698; 800-344-3337; <shop@pbs.org>; <http://shop.pbs.org/education/> [Sept. 15, 2003])
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| This ambitious four-part documentary is, as the subtitle indicates, composed solely of color film footage, much of which remained undiscovered until film holdings from World War II were turned over to the National Archives in the 1970s. While astute viewers may recognize some sequences (such as excerpts from John Ford's award-winning 1942 documentary, The Battle of Midway), most of the footage is, as advertised, "never before seen." Though the nature of the project necessarily shaped (and limited) its contents, The Perilous Fight offers an admirably comprehensive and often compelling visual chronicle of the wartime experiences of Americans both at home and abroad. The narrative in this documentary is advanced both by a narrator (Martin Sheen) and by excerpts from the writings, memoirs, and letters of individuals, prominent and otherwise, who participated in the conflict. |
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