Finest Hour – The Battle Of Britain (PBS/Frontline)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: B
An
excellent production up to PBS’ greatest standards is a two-part Frontline piece on Britain taking on the Nazis before
American help in Finest Hour – The
Battle Of Britain (2000), how Britain mobilized as the U.S. election year prevented FDR from
intervening. This should not be confused
with the famous Guy Hamilton WWII British airplane battle film The Battle Of Britain (1969), which
happens to be very compatible with this show just the same.
We get
detail and eye-witness accounts like never before, mixing some vintage footage
with all-new interviews and stills of photos and documents. It is better researched than usual for such a
television production, showing that PBS can go many rounds with the many fine
cable networks that would not exist without its precedents. It shows that they are still on the cutting
edge, never selling out to commercialism or news as entertainment.
The DVD
says that the image is a full screen presentation, but the program is actually
16 X 9 throughout and sadly is not anamorphically enhanced. This likely originated on digital High
Definition. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
has some Pro Logic surrounds, but they are mostly for moments of music, which
is not often. Will Lyman is the
exceptional narrator in this recent
recording that offers the clarity of such, but obviously some audio is
monophonic due to its Documentary nature.
There are no extras.
What is
also striking is the Isolationist arrogance Americans had before we went into
WWII, something covered up these days by politics. That Churchill stuck to his guns no matter
what, no matter the naysayers or the persons who wanted to give up, or those
who wanted to strike an insane peace accord.
We have a free world today of it.
It also proves why they were they used to be the world’s top power until
the United States took over. This is what knocked Britain out of the top, but it is the
reason why ever since so many love Britain, even if they do not know this
history. Finest Hour – The Battle Of Britain is must-see history viewing.
- Nicholas Sheffo
