Watchable and informative, "The First World War" chronicles what was then the greatest war known in terms of scale and consequence. Well narrated and presented this 10 part series chronicles the war's turbulent origins in Europe to its world-changing end highlighting the important events that shaped and affected the conflict. Making good use of historical footage from the time and images with a stirring soundtrack the era comes to life onscreen. Martial aspects like Gallipoli, the Somme, trench warfare and the revolution in war like poison gas, the flamethrower, aircraft and the tank are ably touched on. The documentary rightly focuses on the worldwide reach of the war giving just due to the struggles in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The lives of civilians are adequately shown from the untold sufferings people had to endure and their resilience in seeing the war through. The political and economic machinations are given their proper notice highlighting the crucial importance these play in global affairs. From the conversations of historical figures like Kaiser Wilhelm to the diary entries of French soldier Paul Truffaut and the memoirs of British nurse Vera Brittain to the opinions and recollections of individuals from the highest ranks of power to the humblest worker all are given voice providing a broad and sweeping picture of the lives involved in the great conflict. Unfortunately one of the few flaws in a film about war is the handling of war itself. The military aspects of this most carnage-ridden of clashes are missing in a number of parts like the failure to detail the Battle of Mons and the unpardonable omission of the American side in the nitty gritty of battle itself. While slow going in parts especially the first half the film is overall well paced in its depiction. Concluding convincingly that the war was not the senseless bloodbath it's commonly known as but a war that ushered change both good and bad, "The First World War" shows us the fragility of everything that we strive to uphold and the necessity of humanity to basic morality and vigilance in preserving civilization and peace.
Review of The First World War
