Apocalypse World War II

Conceived by French documentary filmmakers Clarke and Costelle, Apocalypse: World War II is a gargantuan project that involved viewing over 600 hours of material over three years to show much of the conflict from a civilian perspective. Using much never-before-seen, restored footage shot by soldiers, civilians, and journalists, Apocalypse highlights not only the big battles but also the immense human cost on the average citizen. Divided into six episodes, Apocalypse takes the viewer from the beginnings of Hitler's rise to power through the end of the war in the Pacific. Perhaps owing to the filmmakers' background, coverage is skewed toward the European war. Differing from many recent World War II features, this film eschews interviews and reenactments. Its most controversial aspect, however, is the use of colorization. All of the footage is colorized except scenes relating to the Holocaust. In all but a few instances, the restored color footage is stunning and adds a new dimension to footage we are accustomed to seeing in black and white. Although the narration is well done in general, this reviewer would have liked to hear some guest voices when reading important quotes. Bonus features include a making-of featurette and additional raw footage. This film depicts the full brutality of the war and as such includes some very graphic scenes not appropriate for children. Highly recommended for World War II history buffs and general viewers.-Rod Bustos, Augusta State Univ. Lib., GA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.