Courtesy: History Channel/A&E Home Video
History Channel’s latest WWII documentary, WWII From Space is a good jumping off point for anyone that has ever had any interest in the…well…history of World War II. Much like last year’s release of History of the World in Two Hours, this documentary is not intended to go into the massively in-depth discussions of perhaps Vietnam in HD or WWII in HD just to name a couple of other History Channel war documentaries. Rather, this feature scratches the surface in the war’s history. It does so over the course of roughly an hour and a half. And it does so largely thanks to its mass of CG based visual aids employed throughout the presentation.
Some audiences have criticized WWII From Space because of its use of CG based visual aids. The reality is that this is not such a bad thing. Rather, it along with the feature’s relatively short run time that is solidly segmented makes it a wonderful addition for any high school and entry level college history course. The CG based maps of the earth present the movement of both the Allied and Axis forces throughout WWII. It also employs the use of what would be the equivalent today of military spy tech to present the different movements and weaponry of forces on both sides of the war. It’s like something out of the recent Iron Man movies. And keeping this in mind, it is sure to entertain not just younger audiences, but older audiences, too that are enamored by the ever changing scape of technology.
The CG based maps make for excellent visual aids in following the course of the war. Adding even more interest to this feature is the use of CG based graphics to illustrate the battles both on the land and in the air. One good example of this would be the comparison of U.S. forces killed in Pearl Harbor as compared to Japanese forces that were killed. Audiences learn the massively wide ratio of U.S. forces killed in comparison to Japanese dead. It uses helmets highlighted to show each side’s dead and points out the ratio clearly on screen. This is just one time that this strategy is used. It is used throughout the course of the program. Again, there is nothing wrong with such a method being used. Instead of simply filling people’s ears and minds with facts and figures, these illustrations help to drive home the sheer magnitude of the seemingly overwhelming odds that Allied forces faced over the course of the war.
The CG based graphics are the biggest part of this introductory level WWII documentary. Those behind its creation should also be applauded for touching on more than just the facts and figures of the war’s numbers in terms of casualties and force sizes, etc. Throughout the feature, audiences will notice the constant subtle note that the war was largely economic both in the Pacific and European theater. It takes the time to note that it was in fact an embargo on Japan that eventually led to the island nation’s military forces to attack American forces in Pearl Harbor. Anyone that has any interest in this side of the war would be well recommended to read author Evan Thomas’ book, Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941 – 1945. This book clearly notes the effect of the embargo on Japan and how it led to the decision by the Japanese government to attack U.S. forces in Hawaii. Even more interesting to learn in reading this book is something echoed by actor/director Clint Eastwood’s 2006 WWII foreign language movie, Letters From Iwo Jima. This movie, much like the aforementioned book actually points out that not all Japanese citizens wanted to go to war with the United States, nor did certain members of the Japanese government and military. Again these much more in depth discussions are all started by History Channel’s WWII From Space. So it proves just how valuable this documentary is even at an introductory level.
While the program and those behind it are to be applauded for their work providing introductory information concerning the economic influences of the war, there are other factors that are left untouched. For instance, the late mention of Truman making the call to drop the atomic bombs on Japan was more than merely Truman making the call. As anyone that has seen any of History Channel’s other documentaries will recall, Truman didn’t merely make the call. He offered Japan more than one opportunity to surrender before making the call. What’s more Truman took over during the course of the war after Roosevelt died. History Channel’s multi-disc set focusing on some of our nation’s most well-known presidents goes into depth about this very subject. Again, this goes back to the importance of this feature as an introductory level feature.
That WWII largely takes an introductory level is a very good thing for audiences of all levels despite what some might want to believe or say. It doesn’t attempt to go into too much depth. And yes it does move at a relatively fast pace. But it also is segmented as if it was a televised feature. There are breaks throughout the course of the documentary that will allow for audiences to stop, take breaks, and come back to the show at their own pace. This is especially helpful both in the living room and in the classroom as teachers won’t be forced to decide where to stop for the sake of class time. And home viewers can simply take the program at their own casual pace. What’s more, the Blu-ray presentation of WWII From Space will allow viewers to stop the program, take it from one Blu-ray player to another and bring it back to the original player, and pick it up from where it was stopped on said Blu-ray player if so desired. This is a minor detail on the surface. But in the grand scheme of things, it proves to be one more nice addition to the overall presentation. It prevents audiences from having to go through the scene selection menu on the main menu or from even having to search through the program to get back to where they originally stopped. Again, this is subtle but impressive. And combined with everything else already noted concerning this feature—from its CG based visual aids, to its introductory level information about the war, and its segmented presentation—it proves to be a great feature both for teachers and home viewers at any level and an enjoyable watch for anyone that has ever had any interest in the history of one of the world’s biggest conflicts. It is available now in stores and online. It can be ordered direct online from the History Channel store at http://shop.history.com/detail.php?p=450976&SESSID=30040cc7fc45da7ca4832f41ee690e27&v=history.
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