Customer Reviews

Wartime Britain

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

 

 

3 WWII dramas of the British part of the war superbly done. One is a Masterpiece Theatre miniseries, one a PBS Masterpiece Theatre drama, & one based on the actual diary of a UK housewife. Parts fictional take a realistic view of life on England's soil during the years of the war. More important, each also delve into the thinking and emotions of citizens, English and German, and the tense relationships that occurred. Both personal and historic struggles are played out in these 3 tales of life in the 1940s.

ISLAND AT WAR
is a dramatization of the living conditions on the Channel Islands, just off the French coast, after British troops left for the mainland leaving behind tens of thousands of British citizens to face eminent Nazi occupation, landing July 2,1940.
Episode #1 introduces main characters played by a stellar cast including Sen. Dorr, the primary British citizen (James Wilby-Gosford Park) and Nazi Baron Von Rheingarten (Philip Glenister-Life on Mars-another good period DVD set). Occupation begins with a harbor bombing during attempted civilian evacuations.
Ep. #2 has a German killed. English spies arrive to collect intelligence while locals learn to accept the invading Germans, reluctantly. Bravery will be a test.
Ep. #3 finds the 2 spies forced into hiding on a coastal farm while the local photo shop once owned by J. Isaaks (Jew who escaped prior to occupation) is changed to A.&J. Mahy, daughters of a man given the shop but killed in the pier raid.
Ep. #4 One spy turns himself in & confesses to killing a German to save the retaliatory execution of 10 islanders. The 2nd spy is yet sought. Local female "fraternizing" becomes an issue, Jerry-bags.
Ep. #5 shows a tense settling of islanders to the situation, but workable relationships exist with some Germans. Spy #2, Phil Dorr, is acting handyman at the Dorr house, but seeks a way to return back to England. Jews yet on the island are identified.
Ep. #6 concludes with a flurry of activity and suspense. A few win and a few loose, but life on the Channel Islands will never be the same. This story ends before the true exit on May 9, 1945 of the Nazi occupation force.
.....An emotional, suspenseful, and riveting drama from start to finish. Another set that covers this location and WWII event is "Enemy at the Door" series 1 and 2. Excellent longer series with additional people and events about this dreadful British war situation.
.....Extras: Historic background, cast reflections, filmographies, behind-the-scenes, closed captioning. 398 min. Some nudity, execution, blood, killing, fighting, etc. Mature audiences suggested on the box.

========================================
HOUSEWIFE, 49 is a 93-minute drama taken from a British homemaker's diary. Nella Last, was played by Victoria Wood, but Wood also wrote the screenplay from the published diary of Last. Another acclaimed British cast created a thought provoking drama.
.....Lancashire's Nella Last(age 50) is having a bit of an emotional breakdown over her son's enlistment as well as her inconsiderate hubby. She begins a diary, approved by her doctor also leaving for the war. She begins volunteering with war effort groups.
.....By March '40 Nella gets braver standing up to her husband and leadership in the W.V.S. Humor is evident occasionally on the home-front war life, often suddenly tipped to horror with air raids. There's a mixing in of sentimentality too.
.....It's a powerful story of one woman's journey in the 1940s while looking for a purpose in life and self-respect. By 1943 Nella's extensive volunteering success creates jealousy in Mrs. Waite and son Cliff is listed as missing. There is a lot of soul searching by many till the end of the war comes and this tale concludes in August, 1945. Did Nella get liberated from the war experience?
.....extras have filmographies and a V. Wood interview, but alas, no CC or subtitles.

========================================
THE HEAT OF THE DAY, PBS Masterpiece T.feature length British War/Spy drama is a psychological suspense packed journey into the heads of more than one character. It is an Evelyn Bowen classic, with screenplay adaptation by Nobel laureate Harold Pinter (The French Lieutenant's Woman). It is a mystery/suspense entanglement between 2 men wanting the same woman, the proverbial triangle, but with espionage and murder woven into the triad. Suspense it is! A psychological thriller that will have you switching allegiance regularly with the superbly cast characters. Widow Stella (Patricia Hodge-Rumpole of the Bailey) has been content with her lover. Robert (Michael York), until older Harrison (Michael Gambon-Harry Potter) steps in and suggests York to be a spy. Who is the real spy? All three play head-games with each other. Who and what is genuine? Who the betrayed? Trust is tested to it's limits.
.....extras include a Pinter bio, filmographies, and SDH SUBTITLES. 106 min.

A excellent group of (3) dvds. Housewife 49 is a quiet study of a woman's life and marriage during WWII. Based on a real person who was part of a voluteer group who sent in their diary entries to a government agency to record their impressions and feelings about the war. Island at War deals with the Germans holding the British Channel Islands for the length of WWII, a little known part of WWII history. I haven't had a chance to view the Michael York movie so I am unable to review it at this time.
I bought this item on Amazon at a good price and received it promptly and in great shape. I would use this seller again.

Wartime Britain is brilliant and very interesting. My wife and I thought the acting, directing, and screen play were first rate.

The main reason for purchasing ACORN Media's trilogy package, Wartime Britain, is to obtain the multi-segment Island at War. That film is a dramatic look at a little know component of WWII: story telling ideas that appear to preceed the lovely book, "The Gurnsey Literary and Potato-peel Pie Society." The video is satisfying in nearly every aspect but one: The description at Amazon and on the ACORN video box asserts CC/closed captioning. There is no closed captioning on the Island at War disc. Hard of hearing potential customers BEWARE.

This was an excellent set of DVD's. I particularly enjoyed the Island at War series and wish that there could have been more episodes. Watching this set has crated an interest in the social history of the period and I have been pleased to find so much available from acorn media. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the fictional stories of people during the most trying of times.