Rent World War II in Colour: Collection (2010)
4.1 of 5 from 52 ratings
10h 50min
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- Synopsis:
Nugus Martin Productions has accumulated the best collection of rare and unseen footage of World War II in the world. By using the very latest colorization techniques it is now possible to show the full story of World War II as it has never fully been seen before. With the very latest satellite delivered terrain mapping and state of the art graphics this story can now be told with access to information which was not previously available to other older series. View this epic struggle as never seen before.
1. The Gathering StormThe series starts with that great paradox. How could the settlement at the end of World War One - the "war to end all wars" - lead to an even greater conflict just a few years later? This film shows how the Great Depression sapped the will of the democracies of the West to face up to a new and disturbing political phenomenon.
2. Lightning War
This film shows how the Nazis developed a terrifying new military tactic - Blitzkrieg - and how it caught first Poland and then Britain and France utterly unprepared. It charts the fall of Poland and how Hitler then conquered France in just a few weeks, an achievement that had eluded Germany throughout all the four years of World War One.
3. Britain at Bay
In June 1940, Britain stood alone against the Nazis. Hitler was convinced that it was only a matter of days before it sued for peace. He had more troops, a better air force and the better weapons. This film shows how close Britain came to defeat, as its exhausted air force struggled to fight off the German Luftwaffe.
4. Hitler Strikes East
When Hitler expounded his intention to invade Russia his generals looked at him in horrified silence. The Soviet Union was vast and had matchless resources. Hitler's whole plan depended upon striking a swift and decisive knock-out blow. This film takes in Stalingrad and the battle of Kursk, the biggest tank battle in all history.
5. Red Sun Rampant
December 7th 1941 is "a date that will live in infamy" proclaimed President Franklin Roosevelt. That was the day that Japan entered World War II, with its surprise attack upon the US Fleet in Pearl Harbour. Japan swiftly followed this up with the defeat of a huge British army in Singapore. For a while Japan was rampant in the Pacific.
6. The Mediterranean and North Africa
Mussolini's ambition had always been to recreate the old Roman empire. The trouble was, militarily, he was a disaster. This film tells the extraordinary story of the war in North Africa and features the heroics of the tiny island of Malta as it withstood wave after wave of Nazi assault.
7. Turning the Tide
Both the Allies and the Nazis were always looking for a single knock-out blow to end the war. Britain's Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris thought the answer might lie in "strategic bombing". The idea was to blow the hell out of Germany's infrastructure and cities.
8. The Soviet Steamroller
By July 1943, the full extent of Hitler's failed gamble in the East had become clear. After failing to deliver knock-out blows at Stalingrad and Moscow, his army was now at the mercy of the vast Soviet war machine.
9. Overlord
Today it is easy to see D-Day as inevitable - a straightforward victory against a German army that was already all but defeated. This film explodes that myth. It charts the careful planning of the campaign, the development of specialised equipment needed for the amphibious landing.
10. Closing the Ring
In 1944 American and Britain in the West and Russia in the East began to close their pincer around Germany. But even now, the outcome was in the balance. The film explores the Allied disaster at Arnhem and the tragedy of the Warsaw uprising, when Polish freedom fighters were abandoned to their fate by Stalin.
11. The Island War
Since December 1941, a vicious war against Japan was being waged in the Pacific. The Japanese were driven back across the ocean, island by island, in savage hand-to-hand fighting.
12. Victory in Europe
The months of the war in Europe were shocking and desperate. This film follows the British and Americans as they cross the Rhine and the Russians as they push through Poland into Germany itself.
13. Victory in the Pacific
The end of the War in the Pacific is one of the greatest and most terrible tales of modern history. US Air Force command tried bombing Japan into submission. Over 200,000 people died. In the end, President Truman decided to go nuclear and the fates of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were sealed.- Actors:
- Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Paul von Hindenburg, Kai-Shek Chiang, Zedong Mao, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Benito Mussolini, Haile Selassie, Stanley Baldwin, Francisco Franco, Joseph Stalin, Hermann Göring, Neville Chamberlain, Kurt Schuschnigg, Emil Hácha, Charles de Gaulle, Philippe Pétain, Erich von Manstein, Gustaf Mannerheim, Karl Dönitz
- Directors:
- Various
- Producers:
- Nick Davidson, Philip Nugus
- Voiced By:
- Robert Powell
- Narrated By:
- Robert Powell
- Writers:
- Jonathan Martin
- Aka:
- WWII In Colour
- Studio:
- Demand DVD
- Genres:
- British TV, TV Documentaries
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Reviews (2) of World War II in Colour: Collection
Historical masterpiece - World War II in Colour: Collection review by JD
5 stars may seem a bit much for an 11 hour history lesson on the second world war but this is the best history lesson I've had. Having read books that send you to sleep and accounts with a strong bias or focussing on one aspect this is completely different. You may not have the stamina to watch on a single week-end but I promise you it is 11 hours that will keep you going. Why did Stalin change sides? What drove the Italians to invade Ethiopia? Why did the Americans take so long to join the Allies again? The footage is not for the faint hearted but the terrible, soulless, immoral acts of intense violence need to be remembered so that they are less often repeated.
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World War II brought to life - World War II in Colour: Collection review by RR
These 4 discs gave a wide and graphic take on the War. The colour brought it to life. Very comprehensive. Sadly it made me more aware of the huge loss of life on all sides - I had not realised. Not just the horrors of the Holocaust but thousands and thousands of soldiers. Some were put into situations where death was inevitable.
A sober lesson and worth watching.
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