robertmaybeth
"Apocalypse: WW1" brings the war to life in a way never seen before. This Canadian documentary adds modern sound and music with the crude film of the era in a perfect blend of drama and poignancy. We are shown the roots of the war; the contemporary European peace that existed on the continent from 1871-1914 along with the simmering tensions among the major European powers of the age. Done in a way that is never trite nor dull, "Apocalypse" explains what happened in the first "great war" of 1914-18: the clash of ideologies, the futility, the mass deaths in the new age of conscript soldiers, and the ultimate futility of it all in a world war that left 10 million soldiers dead. Probably the penultimate World war 1 documentary. Don't miss it.
bobdecob
Of the many film documentaries of the First World War, this is by far the best. I have seen nearly all available film material about the war and shows the quality of production that can be achieved when dedicated professionals are attached to a project. I teach a college-level course on WWI and use excerpts from this series to help the students get a better feeling for the century-old conflict that shaped our modern world. All had positive comments about the film. This series includes film I have not seen previously and the use of colorization along with modern frame-timing make it much more agreeable to twenty-first-century eyes.
jlthornb51
Stunning imagery highlights this very good documentary and as an introduction to World War I it is strongly recommended. The history of the era is presented accurately and the narration is well written. The major flaw in the presentation is the odd choice of narrator. A stronger voice would have served the subject better and been far more effective. One recalls Robert Ryan's splendid and memorable narration in the CBS series on the First World War, produced in the 1960's, as well as its magnificent musical score. That production, while not colorized, is highly recommended indeed. Here, the viewer is distracted by a emotionless, drab speaker who sounds like a school boy. He simply lacks the gravitas, the authority required. Quite disappointing and even distracting at times. However, as stated previously, for those who are not familiar with the time period and the horror of this terrible conflict, this series serves the purpose well.
jamescalen
I found this series playing on American Heroes Channel one evening and after watching the first five-minutes of the show I was hooked. The storytelling combined with the real colorful images via archival footage was amazing. Even the soundtrack was too-notch and added extra life to the scenes.Extremely well done, and I would watch again just to try and absorb all the information that is presented. If you didn't know much about WWI and all it's its main characters and events - you certainly will after watching this. WWI was a horrible event that had many differing components, but also should not be forgotten for all the sacrifices that were made. This show definitely does the era justice in a good way! Highly recommended historical viewing!