Academy Awards, USA 1965
| Nominee Oscar | Best Documentary, Features Jean Aurel |
The Rank Organisation
Directed by Jean Aurel
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Gaumont)
Informative French documentary on WWI, utilizing actual film footage spiced up with sound effects and narration. Starts with the assassination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand and explains how Europe's existing alliances directly led to the war. The Germans joined with Austria-Hungary and Italy against the other alliance of France, England and Russia, and eventually the United States. German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm carelessly decides to invade neutral Belgium and then sets his sights on Paris. The French hold them, but the two sides get bogged down in trench warfare for many years. Meanwhile, Stalin organizes the Russian revolution and gives up, allowing the Germans to concentrate on France. The Americans arrive in full force just in time, overwhelming the Germans with personnel and tanks. A great introduction to WWI, with just the right amount of detail to not overwhelm the viewer.
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