THE WINDS OF WAR

THE WINDS OF WAR - 1983

RATED - NR but probably PG for adult themes and some war violence.

RATINGS - 104 Amazon (4.5/5), 44,794 Netflix (4.0/5), 947 IMDB (8.5/10).

AWARDS - Nominated in 1984 for 4 Golden Globes including Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for TV. Winner of several Emmys and nominated for others.

STARRING - Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Ali McGraw, Jan-Michael Vincent, John Houseman, Peter Graves, Ralph Bellamy, etc.

STORY - Based on Herman Wouk's epic novel of the same title, this is the mini-series (15 hours) of the years leading up to Pearl Harbor and America's 'official' entrance into WWII as seen through the eyes of Captain 'Pug' Henry(Mitchum) and his family. Mitchum is assigned to the War Plans department of the U.S. Navy and sent to Germany to work through the embassy there, assessing and keeping on top of the situation in Berlin and Germany. His keen insight and analysis earn him a direct relationship with President Roosevelt (Bellamy) and entrance into the corridors of power throughout Europe and Russia , including meetings with Hitler, Churchill and Stalin. Through his eyes we see and understand the events leading up to our country's direct involvement in WWII. In addition to others, we see the Jewish persecution by Germany develop through the lives of Pug's son (Vincent), a submarine officer, and his fiance and eventual wife, Natalie Jastrow (McGraw), who is Jewish and spends a good deal of time in Europe trying to get her uncle, Aaron Jastrow (Houseman), a famous author to leave his beloved home in Italy. The acting is terrific and the story entertaining and gripping and a great way to learn more about that time in the history of our country and the world. It is part history, part drama and part war story. As close to perfection in a mini-series as you could hope for. Well worth the time and effort to watch. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lus' Reviews. 01/11/2009.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

BLEAK HOUSE

BLEAK HOUSE - 2005

RATED - NR but probably G/PG. Very family friendly but probably for teens and up.

RATINGS - 128 Amazon (5/5), 87,013 Netflix (4.2/5), 1,574 IMDB (9.1/10). One of the highest (if not highest) overall ratings I've seen.

AWARDS - Nominated for 2 Golden Globes including Best Mini-Series for TV and won/nominated for 24 others including several Emmys.

THEMES - Justice, relationships, forgiveness.

STORY - Charles Dickens is arguably one of the best at using the power of the story to attack injustice in society. The BBC is arguably one of the best at turning a novel into a miniseries for TV. Combine the two and you have BLEAK HOUSE. The injustice in this case is the legal system that was known for dragging out the settlement of wills and estates until there was nothing left for the rightful heirs. The story begins in the Court of Chancery where the lawyers would meet regularly to give the court updates on their cases and get their fees approved. The heirs would be there, also, in hopes of some good news about their case, only to hear that 'progress was being made' and here's your invoice for services. The case in the story is Jarndyce and Jarndyce, a very large estate that has been contested for decades because there is a dispute over the will. Many have been ruined by the cost of the suit and many have given up, including John Jarndyce, an independently wealthy heir. He brings into his household a young man and woman, orphans and cousins, who are heirs and still hopeful of a settlement. Along with them comes a young lady who will be their personal attendant. From there the story takes many twists and turns as the lawsuit 'progresses' and so do their lives. It takes you from the country estates of the aristocrats to the squalid slums of the homeless as the plot emerges and expands. You experience the entire social strata of England during the story and how they are affected by the law. The acting is superb as well as the costumes, the music and the sets. It is 7.5 hours long so it is a commitment to watch but yet you can hardly stop watching. It is well worth the investment of time. A great story told by some of the best in the business. If you enjoyed the high quality of the HBO mini-series on John Adams, I think you will appreciate this, also. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 11/29/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, WEBSITE