The Battle For Warsaw (Documentary)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: B-
As a companion to his terrific look at Operation
Barbarossa (reviewed elsewhere on this site), writer/producer/director
Peter Batty also focuses on the triangular battle between enemy Nazis, somewhat
friendly Soviets and Polish A.K. (Army Of Krakow or Armia Krajowa)
resistance in The Battle For Warsaw (1978). Though not as graphic as some tellings of the story are, the film
still offers rarely seen footage, as this is a battle not discussed as much as
it should be.
Sadly and disturbingly, most World War II series, stories
and documentaries in the United States are about how the U.S. won the war. This is too often at the expense of the
total picture, the total truth. Being
as old as it is, this program, which sadly runs under an hour, stops at the
point where the U.S.S.R. rebuilt and owned the country. It was over a decade before the collapse of
that government.
Despite that, all the stories and footage are consistent
and vivid enough to show the progress of The Nazis and how Hitler wanted to
level the entire town as punishment for even showing resistance and how
surprised they were Poland showed any resistance at all. They actually drove away Nazi troops. This may skip the darker details of what
followed that, but it is still a good start to tell this vital chapter of
history.
The full frame 1.33 x 1 image is not bad for its age, but
the footage is still varied in quality, as one would expect from a documentary. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also not bad,
especially considering the age of its source.
There are no extras, but the main program is a chance to see this
footage, so be sure to catch it.
- Nicholas Sheffo
