The Winds of War and Remembrance
calvin
first two episodes of the much longer War and Remembrance,
(both directed by Dan Curtis) a few comments:
It's evident that the success of the first miniseries supplied
the makers with a much bigger budget for the second.
The replacement of Ali MacGraw and Jan-Michael Vincent
with Jane Seymour and Hart Bochner made a big reduction
in the irritation factor from the first series.
Though John Houseman was fine in the first, I think John
Gielgud is better in the second as the Jewish writer
struggling (stupidly) with getting free of his danger.
Also, the actor playing Hitler is better in the second, but I
haven't decided yet about the new Churchill.
I think that primary screenwriting being taken over by others,
instead of Wouk doing it all, is an improvement, though that
really remains to be seen.
The horrifying sequence of murder of Jews at Auschwitz
appears to have influenced Spielberg, at least in the matter
of the little girl.
The excellent second episode of War and Remembrance,
even including the Doolittle raid on Tokyo, bodes well for
the remainder of the series, I think and hope.
Beezle Bub
I saw 10 minutes of this and nearly puked.
A.Gerard
> Having watched the 6-disc The Winds of War, and so far the
> first two episodes of the much longer War and Remembrance,
> (both directed by Dan Curtis) a few comments:
>
a day.
> It's evident that the success of the first miniseries supplied
> the makers with a much bigger budget for the second.
WoW was made for $40 Million (and I felt the budget clearly showed).
REMEMBRANCE was made for $110 million, at the time the most expensive
mini-series made for television.
>
> The replacement of Ali MacGraw and Jan-Michael Vincent
> with Jane Seymour and Hart Bochner made a big reduction
> in the irritation factor from the first series.
That is always a compliment given to REMEMBRANCE. However, I can't
help feeling Seymour lacks MacGraw's toughness (though she is the
better actress). Bochner and Seymour were also in TV's EAST OF EDEN
(as mother and son) and THE SUN ALSO RISES.
>
> Though John Houseman was fine in the first, I think John
> Gielgud is better in the second as the Jewish writer
> struggling (stupidly) with getting free of his danger.
>
Yeah, Gielgud stole the show, although I think Topol also deserves
some credit as being a major heart of the series.
> Also, the actor playing Hitler is better in the second, but I
> haven't decided yet about the new Churchill.
Some people feel the opposite, saying Berkoff is too mannered,
nullifying Hitler's magnetism and charisma. Then again, this is based
on Wouk. Through the POV of General Von Roon (played by Jeremy Kemp),
Hitler changes from this genius leader (when he was winning the war)
into this raving lunatic when the tables are turned (Wouk's argument
being that Hitler was nothing but a madman, and the Germans blinded
themselves until the war was lost).
Robert Hardy also portrayed Churchill in the BBC serial WINSTON
CHURCHILL: THE WILDERNESS YEARS.
>
> The horrifying sequence of murder of Jews at Auschwitz
> appears to have influenced Spielberg, at least in the matter
> of the little girl.
>
Just wait till episodes 7 and 11. I find it funny that a lot of people
praise SCHINDLER'S LIST for opening America's eyes to the Holocaust,
when TV movies like HOLOCAUST, PLAYING FOR TIME, and WAR AND
REMEMBRANCE (especially) already existed and were more forward with
the graphic violence of this catastrophe. Curtis was given carte
blanche by ABC to be honest with the Holocaust sequences.
> The excellent second episode of War and Remembrance,
> even including the Doolittle raid on Tokyo, bodes well for
> the remainder of the series, I think and hope.
IMO, you shall be rewarded.
ralph
endurable. In his last major performance, and the largest “film” role
of his long career, I defer to Eric Bentley who in his collection of
theatre criticism “What is Theatre?” captured Sir John as “an
incomparably graceful scythe.” It's his sleek, razor-sharp urbanity,
his devastating economy as an actor that wins us over time and again,
because he's rarely more than anything but himself. But oh, what an
elegant, immaculate blade! Sir John has no bag of tricks, which makes
his “big screen” performance here all the more powerful. He attains
greatness in scenes that would otherwise humiliate a lesser actor: one
in which he's being kicked repeatedly in the abdomen, another in which
he bribes Nazi commandant Robert Stephens with diamonds to spare Jane
Seymour's life. And when he is hurried into the gas chambers: nude and
amidst the screams, there's a look of both fear and resignation in his
eyes -- of terror so hurting and poignant as to be chilling, as if
Thespis resurrected. With voice-overs used as linking device, when he
departs Theresienstadt, the “showplace” concentration camp, to board
the train to Auschwitz, Sir John recites verbatim Wouk's most moving
passage of text. (It's the conclusion of Chapter 89 in “W & R.”)
Readers as well as viewers wonder what's to become of “A Jew's
Journey,” which he hid behind some books at Theresienstadt before
departing.
calvin
Nice post, but you should have put the word SPOILERS
at the beginning of it. I didn't want to know all this yet.
There was suspense in the matter of Jastrow and Natalie,
though I would have guessed that it went the way you
revealed.
calvin
> ...
> That is always a compliment given to REMEMBRANCE. However, I can't
> help feeling Seymour lacks MacGraw's toughness (though she is the
> better actress). Bochner and Seymour were also in TV's EAST OF EDEN
> (as mother and son) and THE SUN ALSO RISES.
I watched East of Eden last year, and thought it was great.
Jane Seymour was truly frightening. A better job might
have been done with Timothy Bottoms' aging, though. It
was impressive that the matter of 'timshel' was so well done,
in fact surprising that it was included at all, considering the
usual dumbing down that is done for TV. Soon-Tek Oh was
touching in his portrayal of Lee, the heart of the family.
The 80s were the golden age of the mini-series, I guess,
and I don't understand why the form has not continued, since
there are so many long books that would justify such extended
treatments.
Mack A. Damia
Glorified soap operas. That's why. Many people lose interest becaue
of the added filler that needs to be included to make them fit the
time slots. Usually bedroom scenes.
Last one I can remember enjoying was "The Thorn Birds", and that's
only because Rachel Ward was in it.
calvin
> ... Many people lose interest becaue
> of the added filler that needs to be included to make them fit the
That makes no sense. The rest of your post was
just you seeing a glass half empty instead of
half full.
Mack A. Damia
And that's only your uninformed opinion.
Mack A. Damia
If you read up on the subject, you'll see that a lot of mini series
came under criticism because they were boring.
That was fucking obvious.
Howard Brazee
<mybaco...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Glorified soap operas. That's why. Many people lose interest becaue
>of the added filler that needs to be included to make them fit the
>time slots. Usually bedroom scenes.
Mini-series have an advantage in that unlike regular TV shows, and
even movies, they don't have to be a particular length. They don't
need fillers to be the "right" length. At least compared to TV shows
and movies.
>Last one I can remember enjoying was "The Thorn Birds", and that's
>only because Rachel Ward was in it.
I tend to watch mini-series on disk, so I don't see them the same time
as others. The last one I saw broadcast was "Caligula". The last
one I saw recorded was "The Singing Detective". I enjoyed Neverwhen
and Gormenghast, neither of which I thought of as soap operas.
--
"In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found,
than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace
to the legislature, and not to the executive department."
- James Madison
Pjk
> On Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:43:42 -0800, Mack A. Damia
>
Two veery good books. Kind of like reading Michner on WW II.
Pjk
calvin
> <cri...@windstream.net> wrote:
> >On Mar 8, 10:43 am, Mack A. Damia <mybaconbu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >> ... Many people lose interest becaue
> >> of the added filler that needs to be included to make them fit the
> >> time slots. ...
>
> >That makes no sense. The rest of your post was
> >just you seeing a glass half empty instead of
> >half full.
>
> And that's only your uninformed opinion.
Yes. My informed opinion is that you're an idiot.
Mack A. Damia
<cri...@windstream.net> wrote:
>On Mar 8, 11:10 am, Mack A. Damia <mybaconbu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> <cri...@windstream.net> wrote:
>> >On Mar 8, 10:43 am, Mack A. Damia <mybaconbu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> >> ... Many people lose interest becaue
>> >> of the added filler that needs to be included to make them fit the
>> >> time slots. ...
>>
>> >That makes no sense. The rest of your post was
>> >just you seeing a glass half empty instead of
>> >half full.
>>
>> And that's only your uninformed opinion.
>
>Yes. My informed opinion is that you're an idiot.
That's what happens when your advisors are Goofy and Minnie the Mouse.
Invid Fan
<87563a0b-7725-477b...@t15g2000prt.googlegroups.com>,
calvin <cri...@windstream.net> wrote:
> The 80s were the golden age of the mini-series, I guess,
> and I don't understand why the form has not continued, since
> there are so many long books that would justify such extended
> treatments.
They started not making money. The huge cost required large ratings, so
as those dropped you started seeing budgets fall and fewer and fewer
mini-series made. I think by the end you only had Stephen King
adaptations and two part Hallmark fantasies.
Also the entire idea of doing a one off production to be shown during
sweeps week instead of your normal lineup slowly died. Better to do
something that can be renewed for a second season.
--
Chris Mack "If we show any weakness, the monsters will get cocky!"
'Invid Fan' - 'Yokai Monsters Along With Ghosts'
Mr. Hole the Magnificent
HBO and Starz along with PBS's airings of British imports seem to be
the only ones making miniseries now days.