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Culloden / The War Game

Peter Watkins (Director) Format: Blu-ray
4.4 out of 5 stars 150
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$26.35 $39.26
Genre Military & War
Format Blu-ray
Contributor Peter Watkins
Language English
Playback Region B/2 : This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications here

Product Description

The resolution of this Blu Ray is 1080p/50i and is not compatible with all Blu Ray players and TVs. Please check your player and TV for compatibility issues before purchasing.

Culloden, Watkins’ first full-length film, a docudrama made for the BBC, portrays the 1746 Battle of Culloden which in the words of the narrator “tore apart forever the clan system of the Scottish Highlands”. The film was hailed as a breakthrough for its cinematography, as well as its use of non-professional actors and presentation of an historical event in the style of modern TV reporting.

The War Game is Watkins’ 1965 Academy Award-winning television drama-documentary depicting a nuclear war, written, directed and produced by Peter Watkins for the BBC’s The Wednesday Play anthology series. The film shows the prelude to, and immediate weeks of the aftermath, of a Soviet nuclear attack against Britain. Told in the style of a news magazine programme, the cast was made up of non-actors, with narration by Peter Graham and Michael Aspel reading quotations from source material.

Watkins is known for pushing boundaries to the extreme with his documentaries and his films continue to inspire today.

Culloden commentary by Dr John Cook
The War Game commentary by Patrick Murphy
Interview with editor Mike Bradsell (2015)
Illustrated booklet with essays and full credits

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.59 x 6.77 inches; 4.59 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Peter Watkins
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Blu-ray
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ BFI
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B017HL1X1E
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 150

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
150 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Michael A. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars 2 fantastic BBC productions from Watkins
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2024
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Peter Watkins is a very underrated director who has made some great TV and films. He was too political so that caused him to eventually leave the UK and make work in Europe. These are 2 of his early works. He often makes films like they are documentaries when they are either historical or fiction. People acknowledge the camera and are interviewed on the spot. Culloden is about the 1746 battle where the Jacobite army was defeated by the British army. The last land battle on British soil. We see the 2 sides and how one was poorly prepared and supplied. They and their allies among the civilian population pay the price. The War Game is about how a nuclear war would look in the 60s UK. Released as a film in theters when the BBC wouldn't air it as it's too intense. For an odd reason, the film got the Academy Award for Best Documentary (???!!). Similar to the latter Threads and The Day After. Watkins doesn't pull punches, no one comes off as the good guys. But people do suffer. It's old 60s TV so modern audiences might find it hard to watch but I'd recommend trying.
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David
5.0 out of 5 stars this movie is a good reminder .
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2023
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I really liked the way that the film starts out telling the story ,using average looking citizens gave it more of a real feel ,and a chilling feel it was,from start to finish, the film took the viewers on a step by step on the effects and goverment prepering of citizens giving out booklets and ration cards,and how to shelter with sand bags and firniture,what it didnt show was the effect on animals, and green life ,there was no mushroom cloud ,but there was other things that i learned that i didnot know,also was documentary which was good,i dont want to tell about the gritty details the other reviews cover them well, but the last scene blew me away.
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Peter Fleming
5.0 out of 5 stars A very powerful film about a hypothetical nuclear attack on Britain
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2021
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I saw Peter Watkins film in Los Angeles about 1970, shown on a program of films about WW III scenarios. Although it was produced for showing on the BBC, it was so shocking that the BBC dud not broadcast it until the mid 1980s. Although it is B-W, and was not made with the technological processes available in 2021, it is nevertheless a devastating indictment of nuclear warfare.
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Bill Peter
5.0 out of 5 stars Two great film from a great, but little known, director
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2019
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I first saw War Game at a 6th form film society whilst a school in the 1960s, and it's the scariest film that I've ever seen. A documentart-style fim about nuclear warfare, made for the BBC who refused to show it. They've always been good at wasting our (licence-payers) money. I've been trying to find out how "historical" Culloden is. If it's in any way factual it's the opposite of that dreadful songh "Flower of Scotland".
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Lonnie D. Halouska
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding edition of two classic '60s docudrama
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2021
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"The War Game" is magnificent. "Culloden" is even better. They are archetype examples of daring 1960's innovation in filmmaking. Watkins stages Culloden, a Titanic" struggle involving thousands, with a handful of actor- soldiers. They are exemplary European new wave films, both of them.
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ludger or ed
3.0 out of 5 stars DVD does not play on USA area DVD players.
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2022
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This DVD did not play on my USA area DVD player
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Bruce Kawin
5.0 out of 5 stars In case you haven't seen these
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2021
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Great work in great prints. Blu-ray and dvd included. UK discs.
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George Liebert
5.0 out of 5 stars Brutal
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2022
I actually saw these in 1966 as a double feature in my local movie theater in Brooklyn, NY.
They were both very graphic and disturbing. People were walking out cause they were sickened.
Yes, a double feature.
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Top reviews from other countries

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NikeX
5.0 out of 5 stars The härteste Atomkriegsfilm
Reviewed in Germany on September 20, 2023
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Wisst ihr noch? The Day After ist ein Mix aus mittelprächtigem Hollywood und Mehrfachverwertung von DokuInhalten, über die Air Force. Threads ist der härteste Spielfilm zum Thema. THE WAR GAME (Oscar 1965) ist der härteste Film dazu überhaupt. Wir sehen und erfahren dokumentatorisch, wie sich der Krieg entwickelt, was das für die Bevölkerung bedeutet, die Stimme aus dem Off erklärt, hier verbrennt eine Familie im Auto, oder ab welcher Entfernung die Augäpfel bei einer Atomexplosion schmelzen. Fakten, die wir hören, die Gänsehaut erzeugen. Laiendarsteller, Szenen, so echt wirkend. Was für ein schreckliches Mahnmal. Zu Unrecht unbekannt.
Culloden spielt hunderte Jahre zuvor, in Schottland. Ein Film von der Front, so gemacht, als ob im 18. Jahrhundert schon Kameras existierten. Diese Vision, diese Idee, sie geht voll auf. Es wirkt extrem drastisch, die Stimme erklärt, wie Zivilsten ermordet werden, sie erklärt, dass die Uniform des Feldherrn so viel kostet, wie der Jahresold des einfachen Soldaten, der hinten marschiert. Die besten Film zum Thema. Der Regisseur ein Grossmeister.
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richard shafto
5.0 out of 5 stars Just Superb
Reviewed in Australia on September 11, 2023
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This Blu-ray Two-fer presents two very good documentaries. Region B and also comes with a copy on DVD and a nice booklet that provides some background on the making of the two documentaries. there are some special features which i have not watched so cannot comment on.
Picture quality on the Blu-ray is good but not spectacular, but i think we can be pleased the films still existed to be cleaned up and remastered. the black and white footage is probably as good as it will ever look.
Both documentaries are quite sobering despite their age and make a compelling watch.
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L. Tait
5.0 out of 5 stars Do the living envy the dead?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2017
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Before I kick off with this review, I feel that I need to point out a couple of things. The first being that the rating reflects the technical aspects of 'The War Game' documentary, and its realism and not some morbid, gleeful fascination I have re the sensitive subject of nuclear war. The second, is that this is a review of The War Game and not Culloden (which I have yet to see). So, while this could be classed as a bit dated as it was made in the sixties, the statistics and information are every bit as relevant in the present day as they were back then. It is a documentary based format following the lead up to, and aftermath of a nuclear strike on Kent, where released missiles destined for London, overshoot the runway ,or miss their intended target, and instead end up destroying a rural community. Its simplicity and directness were the qualities that made it truly effective, and memorable, with the documentary presenter, armed with a camera crew, asking members of the GBP (Great British Public) what their knowledge is of such weapons, only to be met with a shocking amount of misinformation and ignorance. What is truly frightening is that these reserved individuals on the street, in the wake of an atomic bomb, will turn savage in the name of survival. Watkins does an excellent job of outlining such a scenario, and I feel that the black and white film adds to the helplessness of the populace, lending a primitive element to the proceedings. What really upset me the most was the treatment of the casualties. They are graded into three categories, in a bizarre form of triage. Those that will survive, those that might survive, and...those that aren't worth saving at all. This is a possibility that the film 'Threads' didn't cover. What's worse, is that the civil defence manual, before all the households received it for free, had to be paid for! Sixpence, no less! The description of the explosion sounding like an enormous door slamming in the depths of Hell was very well put. Worth a look, but, be warned...it'll leave you with a strange feeling, a bit like The Blair Witch Project, in that it'll make you uneasy and frightened. Just saying...
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Mr D.F. Ousley Queensland Australia
5.0 out of 5 stars Remembered from my youth documentaries
Reviewed in Australia on August 24, 2020
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Viewed the two documentaries which arrived in good condition. Both were serious documentaries in the docudrama type which were some of the first in this format. The war game showed up the inadequacies of civil defence measures for a low yield 1950s nuclear war kilotonne warheads as against the megatonne warheads of the mid 1960's. Culloden was a look at the scotckish fefeat at thie battle that led scotkland being fully part of the british crown and inclusion into the brittàn of the future.
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James
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Film Making
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2016
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This is an excellent release from the BFI showcasing the daunting talent of film-maker Pete Walker during the first half of the sixties.
‘Culloden’ is a magnificent film way ahead of its time. Filmed as ‘live’ documentary complete with a film crew interviewing participants, this format works beautifully. The film is exceedingly well made and its tiny budget does not show. For a TV programme of its time it is remarkable brutal and hard-hitting. Watkin’s polemic damns those responsible without mercy. The main focus of his odium is Bonnie Prince Charlie whose incompetence and his indifference to the catastrophe he unleased is graphically illustrated. The clan system is also damned leading to a lack of unity in the Scottish army and the callous forced use of totally untrained crofters. Cumberland and those in his army who perpetrated atrocities are exposed in some very disturbing sequences.
‘The War Game’ is a fascinating film made at the height of the Cold War shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis took the world to the brink. Watkin’s style is excellent at examining the effects of an attack from a Kent perspective. It was very shocking to graphically show how inept civil defences would be in such circumstances in additions to the horrific details of the attack’s effects. The accompanying audio essay on the film’s controversy, government t interference and its eventual ban is compulsive viewing.
The BFI has also done a very job at restoring both films to look and sound as good as possible.
Rented from LoveFilm.
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