If you're going through your decaying collection of VHS tapes or DVD's, this is worth a final decay! I have seen thousands of documentaries and am a huge fan of the genre. Recently a friend offered me a pile of DVD's from her collection and as I can only remember my Belgian (Ghent) grand-mother's stories of this war I was hoping for some more information. I guess I feel a bit more informed but at a cost. This is precisely how a documentary should not be made! Focussed on sensation and drama, with plenty of full moon shots, candle lights and flames throughout the series, not to forget explosions. The worst is the soundtrack, never ceasing dramatic music every single second. It only stops briefly during some interviews with unidentified people. Judi Dench's voice is completely drained in it. Furthermore I am wondering how she felt about what she was reading out loud... Bad, a waste and a totally missed opportunity!
Review of The Great War: 1914-1918
