Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting look at escape attempts from Colditz,
This review is from: Nova - Nazi Prison Escape [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I was channel-surfing recently and came across this episode of NOVA on PBS. It was all about the attempted prison escapes from the Nazi prison camp at Colditz Castle. It outlined the various methods devised by the POWs which were used in their efforts to escape from the high-security prison. Some of the highlights of the show were the explanation and re-creation of some of the devices used in the prison, like the gelatin-laden mimeograph (used for replicating maps) and the glider (originally planned for escape use). It was truly amazing to see the ingenuity of the prisoners in their destitute situation. They made rather intricate devices out of the simplest of materials -- scraps of wood, metal, and other items they could get their hands on. The most impressive device was the "Colditz glider", which was re-created and actually flown in the air to show that it really worked! Another interesting feature was the series of interviews with people who were prisoners in Colditz during WWII. Some of their stories and recollections were quite touching and helped sustain a piece of history. Their descriptions of the conditions of the prison and the various escape attempts were informative and not embellished to any great extent. NOVA also included staged reproductions of a few of the escape attempts that were most entertaining, especially when a POW named Sinclair attempted to escape by impersonating a Nazi General (unfortunately if failed in a rather tragic way). The hidden workshops and other activities were also reproduced. In spite of the highlights I have mentioned above, there are some things I did not like about the show. First, the title is "Nazi Prison Escape", but from what I could tell, there were actually very few successful escapes, usually involving one person who snuck out at night or hid in a transport. The glider, for example, comprised a large portion of the show, but it was never even launched! After the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III (and the new order to execute escapees), the glider idea was abandoned. While it was interesting to learn about the glider and other ingenious escape methods, it is somewhat disheartening to hear that the vast majority of them failed. So this was a downside to the show, because I was expecting an impressive successful escape story to be told, but unfortunately none was to be had. Overall, "Nazi Prison Escape" (a somewhat misleading title) was a decent documentary that explored aspects of prison life at Colditz and how POWs came up with ways to try to escape and return to freedom.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing look into the lives of WWII POW's,
This review is from: Nova - Nazi Prison Escape [VHS] (VHS Tape)
As a teacher, I use a lot of NOVA programs in my classroom. With the materials and companion web site for this production, this is a great adventure into the depths people will go to seek freedom.
There could be a better title, and I can think of a few myself, however, the program itself is excellent. The details about Colditz, the conditions and the life challenges inside Colditz are very interesting and lend themselves to the overall production quality. While in Germany, I had the opportunity to visit Colditz and some other historic POW prisons and concentration camps. Colditz is an amazing place with an amazing story. I feel that the overall program of "Nazi Prison Escape" does an excellent job in setting a scene that helps us understand what was happening to the POW's and the German command up through the end of the war. My only criticism of this production is that it is still only offered on VHS and not DVD.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
