World War II – The Home Front (WGBH Set)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Film: B-

 

 

WGBH has decided to make pairing of People’s Century documentary programs with pertinent dramas they have also previous issued and this one is paired with the Nazi Occupation drama Monsignor Renard, boasting John Thaw as the title character.  The People’s Century installment here covers the 1939 – 1947 period and is entitled Total War – WWII & The Home Front, which you can read about in our previous review at:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4129/Total+War+–+World+War+II+&+The+Homefront:+1939+-+1947+(People’s+Century/WGBH)

 

 

As for Monsignor Renard, it runs 232 minutes and sometimes drags and other times is just not strong enough in showing the brutality and ugliness, no matter who hard it implies what the Nazis were doing when they invaded France.  Acting is decent from Thaw all the way down, including Dominic Monaghan, but the scope of its ambitions are not always accomplished despite a smart teleplay.  It is worth a look at best, but cannot compete with the other disc in the box.

 

It is letterboxed 1.78 X 1 and has basic Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo to offer.  Like so many of these WGBH DVDs, it has a website link only, but no DVD-ROM printable materials for educators.  Fortunately, the People’s Century documentary does, so that fulfils the minimum of extras.  The similar WGBH WWI set is better, which you can read about at:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4409/World+War+I+–+The+Killing+Fields+(WGBH+Set)

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo