History, documentary. The most famous documentary from the series "Why we Fight", consisting of seven films released during the Second World War by the Office of Strategic Services (American Intelligence) commissioned by the US Department of Defense, directed by the talented Frank Capra. Yes, the same Frank Capra who will shoot one of the best American films in the history of cinema "This Wonderful Life" in 1946. This was already an occasion to watch this documentary. And I am absolutely delighted with her. And here's my brief opinion - the Great Patriotic War through the eyes of Americans. I will say right away that there are no minuses in the picture, but there are comments that I will write in a separate paragraph, but for now let me finish with the introduction and tell you about the advantages of this documentary.
So, here they are:
1. Scenario - the picture tells about the history of Russia, which has been attacked by aggressive neighbors more than once. About the courage and steadfastness of the Russian people, who every time drove the hated conquerors from their native land. It tells in detail about the economic potential of Russia, its riches, industry, the diversity of the peoples who inhabited it and who inhabit it now. Details are given about the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War: the preparation of Germany, its successes in Europe, the terrible blow of June 22, 1941, the battle for Moscow, the siege of Leningrad, the Battle for Stalingrad are considered in detail. We have not forgotten about the monstrous atrocities of the fascists in the occupied territory (these shots make one shudder and tears flow by themselves). The German and Soviet military doctrine and many other things are considered in detail. We forgot to mention the supply of cargo and military equipment from the United States and Great Britain. In the documentary there are such newsreel shots that I had never seen anywhere before, even in domestic pictures about the war. All the information is presented briefly, concisely, but succinctly and intelligibly, for which I express my great gratitude to Frank Capra, our former compatriots Anatol Litvak (the author of the script) and composer Dmitry Temkin for the well-chosen music.
2. Visibility - the maps and animations are made at the highest level (the maps were provided by the Ministry of Defense, and the great and terrible Evil Corporation itself was responsible for the animation (and then the Walt Disney Studio)). Clearly and intelligibly, the viewer is shown how the battles were prepared and conducted, the plans of the parties. Here you can definitely feel the tentacles of the fascist hydra, which swung at Russia, and how these tentacles are cut off one by one with a steel sword. This visibility is the moment for which this documentary can be set as an example to follow, because there are practically no jambs. Yes, schematically, yes a little cartoon, but clearly conveys the idea of the difficult struggle of the Russian people with the German invaders.
3. Russian Russians have the right accents - the creators of the documentary truthfully and honestly tell about the struggle of the Russian people against the fascists, show the strength and courage of Russian people, not only soldiers, but also ordinary residents who stood at the machine tools, dug trenches, fought in partisan detachments. The authors sincerely sympathize with the grief that has befallen our great country and try to help as much as they can. It was for this sympathy and the truthful script of Anatole Litvak that the "McCarthyists" pursued after the end of the war. Only Dmitry Temkin and Frank Capra were not touched, apparently for past merits.
And in the Russian version, the voice of the announcer is duplicated by our wonderful artist Vsevolod Kuznetsov.
Now about some remarks. They did not mention the "Ost" plan, they did not devote time to the border outposts that took the first blow of the fascists, and in general the documentary is filled with inaccuracies and strong generalizations, although I will not scold the creators much for inaccuracies and generalizations, because these are Americans, and the documentary itself was made for the American viewer, although it was shown since 1944 and in the Soviet box office. Therefore, it can be forgiven.
It is precisely such documentaries that should be shown on television, and not "Zoya" or "Devyataevs", who denigrate the glory of Russian weapons and the bright memory of those who died in that terrible war, for the victory in which we paid a high price. For me, as a person familiar with the history of this period, all the information was not new, but it will be very useful for a wide range of viewers. This can and should be shown in schools, along with documentaries such as:
1. "Ordinary fascism" 1965
2. "The Great War" 2010-2012.
After watching them all, viewers will get almost a complete picture of the course of the Great Patriotic War and its role in the history and fate of the modern world, which has never been the same after this colossal event.
As a result, we have an excellent documentary about the most difficult period of the Great Patriotic War, with an excellent script, great music, visual demonstration and a truthful look at those events.
My rating is 9 out of 10 and my recommendation for viewing!
