Customer Reviews

Modern Marvels - Maginot Line (History Channel)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a good effort. Visually, the editors had obtained a fair selection of contemporary film using the Maginot Line, and have interspersed this with modern visuals of restored and maintained sections. The on-screen commentators were generally well-informed and clear and the editorial voice did a fair job of placing the Line in the context of politics and military theory between the World Wars. The "context" film--scenes of late WWI or of rearmament--sometimes subverted the voice-over, but that's a minor quibble. I was pleased I bought the DVD,and would happily buy a longer one by the same people on any subject that interested me.

THIS WAS A VERY EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTARY OF THE MAGINOT LINE. IT DOES A GREAT JOB WITH VINTAGE CLIPS AND MAPS TO SHOW WHAT THE MAGINOT LINE WAS LIKE, THE REASONS WHY IT WAS BUILT AND THE REASONS WHY IT "FAILED". I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE MANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT IT. I USE CLIPS OF THIS IN MY CLASSROOM WHEN BEGINNING WWII. THERE'S JUST ONE BIZARRE PART OF THE VIDEO: ONE OF THE "EXPERTS" ON THE MAGINOT LINE IS A YOUNG FRENCH KID. HE'S EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE, THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE. HE DOES THE INTERVIEW AND COMMENTS ON THE MAGINOT LINE WHILE WEARING A "BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN" T-SHIRT. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IF ONE WAS TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THE HISTORY CHANNEL, YOU'D THINK THE KID WOULD HAVE DRESSED UP FOR IT? IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THEY JUST GRABBED SOME LOCAL PASSER-BY AND STARTED ASKING HIM ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MAGINOT LINE! I KNOW, I KNOW, IT'S NITPICKY, BUT C'MON.............THE KID'S KNOWLEDGE WAS GREAT THOUGH, DON'T GET ME WRONG. I HOPE HE'S TEACHING HISTORY SOMEWHERE NOW, OR HE'S A CURATOR OF A MUSEUM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT......

This is an excellent introduction to the Maginot Line. The authors understand that the line worked, in fact it worked so well the Germans had to avoid it.