The World At War: The Ultimate Restored Edition 2010 [DVD]

There are really two main considerations you need to balance over whether the new restored version of The World at War is worth purchasing on Blu-ray - on the one hand is the question of it being pan-and-scanned to fill 16:9 televisions, on the other is the fact that it is one of the most important and brilliantly-made documentary series you'll ever see.

On the question of the reformatting of the original 4:3 picture to widescreen, well the justifications made by the DVD distributor are spurious. If people really want to see the image fit the screen, let them do what they already do themselves and stretch it to fit. It's a horrible distortion of the image, but apparently a lot of people can't even notice the problem and don't particularly care. For those who do care, the cropping the top and bottom of the image by the DVD producers is nothing less than vandalism. Admittedly, before watching the new widescreen presentation, assured that it was carefully handled, I was prepared to make an exception to the Original Aspect Ratio only rule. After all, this is a series that consisting largely of talking heads and documentary footage that was hardly cinematographically composed. Well, I was wrong - the cropping is obvious and blatant, cutting the tops off buildings and heads. Framing isn't carefully done and it can't be. When there are captions on the screen (the original shaky captions, which suggests moreover that it's the original video masters that have been restored rather than the series being remastered from the original source materials), the image tilts down to the lower part of the screen, causing severe cropping at the top. The attempts to re-frame are obvious and obtrusive, the movement noticeable even as it tries to take in the credits at the end of an episode.

On the other hand, does any of this really take away from the quality of the series? The image has certainly been butchered, but that shouldn't prevent anyone from watching one of the most important documentary series ever made. Spread across 26 episodes, on 9 Blu-ray discs, The World at War is an extensive, comprehensive and accessible look at one of the most defining events in the history of the modern world, one that captures the scale of the whole undertaking, looking at the underlying causes, the social and political context, and also the almost inconceivable cost of the war in monetary as well as in human terms. But it also reminds us that there was much more to WWII than the Holocaust and the war in Western Europe, and that the impact was far-reaching, and still has an impact on many aspects of the world we live in today - for better and for worse.

There are certainly gaps and questionable editorial decisions that place curious emphasis on some aspects and cause omission and imbalance in others, but this is a war that can be viewed in many different ways, and it will no doubt be constantly re-evaluated with the passing of time. What makes The World at War so important however are the first-hand eye-witness accounts of many of the key figures still alive around the time the series was made in the early seventies, testimonies not only from important political players, but also from ordinary people from all parts of the world who had to endure something that we can now scarcely imagine. As the years go by, that testimony is invaluable, as is this documentary into the defining years of the 20th century, which should be compulsory viewing for everyone, politicians and world leaders included.

The restored series looks exceptionally good on Blu-ray, at least as well as the quality as the original source materials allow. Those materials however have not been re-sourced - a meticulous reconstruction of such a huge series would obviously be impractical and costly - but the original series masters have clearly been extensively cleaned-up and they look quite good. It's pleasing also to see that the whole series has been given optional English HOH subtitles. The original materials perhaps don't quite have the full High-Definition resolution to merit a Blu-ray release, and consequently I doubt that there's a significant difference in quality between this and the standard DVD edition. It is worth having however for the extra materials and features that are included on the set.

One of those extra features covers the restoration and a great deal of care and attention has gone into making the series look as good as it possibly can, but there is no justification for the cropping of the image. While that decision is regrettable however, it doesn't unduly ruin the series or its purpose. If you're concerned about the messing around with the aspect ratio and the pointless surround remix, go back and look for the original DVD release, but whatever you do, you should own this series.

I have been a fan of the series World at War since I saw it first and have a copy of the Special Collectors Edition before I received this edition through being a Amazon Vine reviewer. This edition has received criticism from a number of persons because of Freemantle's decision to change the viewing aspect, from the original 4:3 ratio to the now more common 16:9 aspect of widescreen television. I wish to criticize those persons in return, you should never judge something without knowing what you are doing. In any case I went to do the impossible and that is to watch both series in turn, the older DVD transfer and the new edition. I say impossible for it was very time consuming and after the first 7 episodes I selected my favorites from the rest but feel I can make a fair comparison.

The World At War
This is a monumental television series produced by Thames Television. It took many years to produce and was an extremely ambitious undertaking. Putting the entire conflict into 26 episodes this is cannot cover every single aspect of World War 2 and early on the focus was on 10 major turning points of the war as battles were concerned but included were other episodes that covered the civilian experience and one of the most effective episode is about the holocaust. So for anyone interested in World War 2 history this series has become something of a holy grail, setting a standard that every thing else is measured against and will always come on top. All footage is from archives taken from diverse sources but there is one thing that makes the series timeless and it is the interviews with so many of World War 2 lead persons, such as Admiral Dönitz, Albert Speer and O'Connor. People that have now passed away. And not only these but also harrowing memoirs from everyday ordinary people. If it were possible to pack the experience of World War 2 into 26 Episodes World At War did that. A television series worth of being called a Landmark series.

Extras
Actually the extras are the same as with the Special Collectors Edition and include a few more shows using left over footage that didn't make it into the original series. Of good quality and worth a watch but not to the same standard and of course the touch of Lawrence Olivier is missing. The real package is the original series, but the extras are nice touch. The only new part is an episode about the restoration for this series and a nice appearance of Jeremy Isaacs.

The Ultimate Restored Edition
Freemantle has the copyright of World at War and they to published the Special Collectors Edition. There are several different features that have been restored from the previous edition:

1) The menu has had a face-lift and is more appealing for the eye, but not much new here and it remains the same throughout the episodes, like if you select episode rather than play all you get the same change and the same man in a gas mask. A little more effort here, like using different footage for each DVD would have been welcome but the menu is a menu and not the important part.

2) The film has been cleared up and restored and you can see it has been done with loving care and to the highest standard. This is even more clear with the colour footage that the black & white footage. It makes it run a little more smoothly (for indeed the Special Collectors Edition was fine as well) but as said before, in many palces the colours have become easier on the eye and the images more pristine. As for the change of aspect look at that part of the review below.

3) The sound. For me this is the most important restoration. Again the difference is subtle but to here Lawrence Olivier through my sound system through the restored version is almost like having him in the room rather than in the television as before. The sound is both a little clearer and smoother.

The question of Aspect Ratio
Here we enter into the seemingly main debate, and the charges of sacrilege. The original show was done in a 4:3 aspect and is now a 16:9 aspect. This means you will loose footage. Why? In the episode about the restoration the producers simply tell you that they decided after testing and debating that the restored series should be made to the standard of the prevalent television and Blue Ray format. I have had a wide screen television since 2002 and to be frank it never bothered me that my older special collectors edition had black lining to the sides in the 4:3 ratio. But the new version does fill the screen and is easier on the eye, but as said the original aspect never bothered me one bit.

Lost footage!!! you will here someone scream. Well, ok yes there is lost footage. But with actual combat footage the restored version is actually a little better, since the battlefield scenes were taken with various methods and were certainly edited for the original series the focal point is now usually clearer. They have just taken out the excess sky or ground and frankly nothing is lost, it can be argued it is a little better and since the restoration is done with loving care it isn't a simple cut from top and bottom but now the view focuses on the action as if the cameraman had followed the action, rather than a technician at a later day moving the frame to follow the action rather than a simple universal cut. It is well done and as said in many places looks a little better. Funnily it is the interviews where you start to have problems. They were taken to fit a 4:3 frame and as one of the production persons says, it becomes a question of how much of a persons chin or forehead you want to see. In some places it is frankly bad and a little annoying especially when the frame just fits the persons name and role (burned into the original footage) while the forehead disappears almost completely. Frankly not the best and here you can clearly see that the aspect has been changed. In some places it is ok and you get used to it after a while. My conclusion is that on the whole it makes no big difference, either way had to be picked and keep in mind this is no movie or directors art that was adjusted, but a television series using footage from various sources.

The last question, if I have the series already on DVD do I need to upgrade the series?
I remember when I first bought a DVD player and went from VHS tape to DVD's. That was fantastic. Blue-Ray from DVD does not have the same feel, its just a little better and only if you are watching on a very very large screen or projector are you even likely to notice the difference and sometimes it becomes to clear to be real. This is the same. The film is a little more pristine and the show has a general face-lift but the Special Collectors Edition is good enough. Only when it comes to the sound is the Ultimate Restored Edition clearly superior but again by a small margin.

I would recommend newcomers to this edition and first time buyers, but for you who already have a good DVD edition I don't think and upgrade is called for.

ALL IN ALL

The World At War is fully worth 5 stars and even more. The new Ultimate Restored Edition has been done with loving care and even if the aspect ratio has been altered it is an excellent production and I would recommend it to first time buyers. For those who already own the series on DVD I think the changes are too minor to justify an upgrade, but I leave that with you.

The series opens with the shocking history of the destruction (or martyrdom) of the small French town of Oradour-sur-Glane on Saturday 10 June 1944 by Der Fuhrer Regiment of the 2nd Waffen-SS Panzer Division Das Reich. The reason for the brutal murder of 642 men, women and children is unknown and, after all this time, will probably never be known. Even the handful of survivors (estimated at around 20 people) and the few remaining troops were unable to give a reason for the butchery.

The series, however, isn't just the victors crowing over the losers, or an exercise in the Allied forces placing all the blame on the Axis forces, it is an attempt to fairly depict the history of the war; the good and the bad. It takes the known history of the time and attempts to produce a fair and even-handed visual and auditory history. Unfortunately, the known history was (and to an extent still is) limited. As the years have passed since the making of the World at War (1973) more documents have been declassified and so more detail is known, although many more documents are still classified.

The first 7 discs in the set contain the episodes. These are:

A New Germany - 1933 - 1939
Distant War - Sep 1939 - May 1940
France Falls - May - June 1940

Alone - May 1940 - May 1941
Barbarossa - June - Dec 1941
Bonzai! Japan - 1931 - 1942
On Our Way: USA - 1932 - 1942

Desert: North Africa - 1940 - 1943
Stalingrad - June 1942 - Feb 1943
Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic - 1939 - 1944
Red Star: Soviet Union - 1941 - 1943

Whirlwind: Bombing Germany - Sep 1939 - April 1944
Tough Old Gut: Italy - Nov 1942 - June 1944
It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow: Burma - 1942 - 1944
Home Fires: Britain - 1940 - 1944

Inside the Reich: Germany - 1940 - 1944
Morning - June - Aug 1944
Occupation: Holland - 1940 - 1944
Pincers - Aug 1944 - Mar 1945

Genocide - 1941 - 1945
Nemesis: Germany - Feb - May 1945
Japan - 1941 - 1945
Pacific - Feb 1942 - June 1945

The Bomb - Feb - Sep 1945
Reckoning - 1945 ... and After
Remember

Each episode averages around 52 minutes. Laurence Olivier narrates with little emotion, and this is not a bad thing as it adds to the verity of the programmes. It must have been very difficult to read some of that narration with such a personal understanding of what had happened (Olivier served with the Fleet Air Arm - though he never flew in combat situations he lost several friends and family members).

The remaining 4 discs contain "Special Presentations"

Secretary to Hitler - 23 minutes
From War to Peace: An interview with Professor Stephen Ambrose - 23 minutes
Warrior - Reflections of Men at War - 51 minutes

Hitler's Germany - People's Community (1933 - 1939)
Hitler's Germany - Total War (1939 - 1945)
Two Deaths of Adolf Hitler

Final Solution - Auschwitz - part 1
Final Solution - Auschwitz - part 2

Making of the Series - A Retrospective
Experiences of War
Restoring The World at War

The series shows the devastation and destruction that war brings, and does not glorify battle, death or destruction, but rather shows that regardless of which side you are on (victor or loser) its effects are massive.

It was broadcast from 1973 to 1974 and it does show its age a little. In saying that, it is still widely regarded as the definitive history of WW2 and, in my opinion, well worth watching.

I cannot comment on the presentation as half the discs I have received don't have the correct fascia on them, and I never received the box or booklet so I cannot comment on the design or information given.

There are a number of extras on the first seven discs:

- Imperial War Museum Photographs - there are only a couple per episode and many of the iconic images from the war have not been included;

- Speeches and Quotes - the problem here is that you don't get the whole speech, the menu jumps into the place in the episode where the speech or quote is mentioned, and then you are left in the middle of a programme you have already watched rather than listening to the entire speech or quote;

- Songs and Poems - these are the snippets in the relevant episode - as with the Speeches and Quotes you are transported to the point in the episode where the brief fragment is played;

- Maps - again you are simply transported into the middle of an episode where the requested map features;

- Footage - once again you are taken to the relevant area within the episode;

- Tales of War - you jump into the episode again.

Didn't the company think that people (especially those who were alive around the time) would like to listen to the entire Song, Poem, Speech, etc, rather than a small snippet? It was a great disappointment to find that a fraction of the song, etc, had been included and not the whole thing.

When I selected the "Maps" and discovered that rather than look at the map of a particular battle I was again thrust into the middle of an episode. I ended up having to pause the DVD during the episode to look at the map in detail.

The worse thing was to discover that the "extra" had merely been a scene selection choice, rather than the entire item.

- Brief History of the World at War - is identical throughout the discs
- Biographies - are identical on each disc

It is a shame that the extras (A Brief History of the World at War and Biographies) were only available in text form on the disc - no consideration has been given to those who have problems with their sight or reading ability. It would have been nice if the makers could have put an optional audio track on these text items, especially considering this edition is advertised as "Ultimate".

There are text descriptions of each episode. Again there is no audio option for the visually impaired.

There are English subtitles on the main episodes and the documentaries on the last 4 discs; and all the discs are Region 0 (playable in any region).

The World at War has been chopped top and bottom to fit the widescreen format. This corruption of the original format shows in a lot of scenes, for example, when someone is being interviewed and the top their head is missing from the picture; and when the planes are in battle the tracer rounds or other planes are missing from the footage.

I will admit that the soundtrack has a lot less hiss than it did have.

The pictures have less snow but the cleaning of the images has left them looking washed out. It would appear that the cleaning has removed the depth of colour, which is unfortunate as when you look at burnt out and bombed buildings the fire and smoke damage does not seem to be as bad as it obviously was.

It is a shame that they decided to chop the image; I personally don't think it was necessary; especially as I have just watched several episodes of the original format next to the new cut version. Regardless, I found the series extremely interesting.