Product Details

• Actors: Ian McKellen, Peter Vaughan, Michael Aldridge, Robert Ashby, Sean Barry-Weske
• Directors: Patrick Lau
• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Goldhill Home Media
• VHS Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004TCDX
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #66,612 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The days leading up to World War II's beginning in Europe, specifically the diplomatic maneuverings that preceded Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, are portrayed in this British production starring actor Ian McKellen as Hitler. The video takes an unusual approach, relying on the text of private letters, official records, and diaries of major participants, including Josef Stalin, Neville Chamberlain, and Benito Mussolini. While the actors playing the major characters, as well as minor figures such as diplomats and military commanders, are accomplished, the results are uneven. The sparse stage sets, occasionally stark lighting, and the use of odd camera angles don't always serve the material well. The script is, to its credit, factual, and while it may not always make for the most compelling drama, it does manage to convey a good sense of the diplomatic intrigues that decided the fate of the world. The level of detail included in this production proves to be a double-edged sword. Some of the greatest events in human history are seen to have hinged on the wording of particular diplomatic letters, such as a missive sent by Hitler to Stalin, but the writing and sending of a letter, while it had profound historical significance, doesn't necessarily make for the most compelling drama. --Robert J. McNamara

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A pleasing film, July 23, 2000

By A Customer

Although it may seem somewhat dry this film gives a pretty good idea what happened in the 1939 negotiations of the nazis, the soviets and the british.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, informative, superbly reenactment., August 6, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Count Down To War is a 78 minute, live action drama of World War II that is complex, intriguing, horrifying, and totally engaging. A true story with real players and showcased with all of its incredible drama and incorporating dialogue taken from unpublished private letters, official records, and diaries, we see Europe's most powerful leaders desperately plot strategies, outguess allies and enemies, and through private meetings, personal battles, and hidden agendas, draw the world into a global conflict that would change the face of history down to the present day. Count Down To War is an enthusiastically recommended acquisition for personal, school and community library collections.