Product Details

• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Mpi Home Video
• VHS Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Run Time: 123 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 6305298467
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #457,924 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This first installment of a video collection focusing on 20th century warfare takes a decidedly eccentric approach by using as its centerpiece a British theatrical release shot in the 1920s. This sounds quite odd, but it does make some surprising sense, as the silent film, The Battle of Ypres, was produced to resemble a World War I documentary, though it employed actors dressed in uniform. This innovative film, which was said to have been a success in Britain, was apparently never released overseas, so it will be something new to American viewers. Though shot a decade after the fact, it does tell the story of the continued action around Ypres, which was a virtual slaughterhouse and set the startlingly lethal tone for much of the rest of the war. Following the presentation of The Battle of Ypres, the video presents an eclectic mix of newsreels shot in Europe and Asia that show how the stage was being set for World War II. Some of this material is puzzling, especially as it is presented in their original languages with no translations, but the footage itself is often fascinating, and packaging this material does present an unusual look at how people around the world could see the clouds of war forming on the horizon. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Battle of Ypres": a silent screen classic!, February 14, 2007

By 

Student of History (La Grange, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Archives of War, Vol. 1 - World War I and the Interwar Years [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video features a full-length silent feature produced in 1926 that, until now, was never released in the United States. "The Battle of Ypres" is an outstanding military drama, made at the apex of the silent film era. Also included in this reel is some truly heartbreaking footage of WWI soldiers suffering from "shell shock."
In addition, some very interesting news reels from the 1920s and 1930s cover the Spanish Civil War, pre-World War II air raid drills, etc. A fine collection for anyone interested in military history.