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

THE LONGEST DAY

THE LONGEST DAY - 1962

RATED - G

RATINGS - 199 Amazon (4.5/5), 193,480 Netflix (4/5), 13,712 IMDB (7.8/10).

STARRING - The list is too long. From Eddie Albert to John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, etc, there were over 40 international stars.

AWARDS - Two Academy Awards and five nominations including Best Picture. AFI Top 100 nominee for Best Thrills and Top Movies. 1963 Golden Globe nominee for Best Picture.

STORY - This is the definitive story of D-Day. It's almost beyond comprehension today to think of the scope of this mission which involved 11,000 planes, 4,000 ships and 3,000,000 men. The logistics of coordinating the attacks, keeping everyone supplied with fuel, ammunition, medical supplies, etc. is mind boggling. This film follows the day from start to finish from a number of different Allied assignments including the U.S., the English, the French and even the Irish contingent led by the ever present bagpipes. It also shows the day from the German side. You get the big picture that is not usually present in most war films. This was an incredible day in history. As big as it was, it was made up of individuals, all trying to fulfill their assignments. As we see, sometimes with humor, not all of them went well. Many ended tragically because of human error or weather conditions. There were also many, many heroes that day and we meet some of them. It was also a day that reminded us that 'war is hell'. There is no other way to describe war, even for the most noble causes-for those on the front lines, it is pure hell. We can all be grateful for the thousands of men from all countries who sacrificed their lives. One of the credits of the movie is that it is G rated and although there is plenty of war violence, it is not graphic. While some may say it is sanitized, and, therefore, not realistic, I think it allows for this film to be shown to a wide variety of audiences who will be able to better understand and appreciate the magnitude of this mission. There are plenty of graphic war films for those interested. This is a classic epic worthy of watching more than once. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/04/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB

THUNDER ROAD

THUNDER ROAD - 1958

RATED - PG for some non-graphic violence. One car is blown up & two others crash and burn.

RATINGS - 41 Amazon (4.5/5), 824 IMBD (6.7/10), 11,476 Netflix (3.4/5)

STARRING - Robert Mitchum, Gene Barry

THEMES - Justice, family, crime.

STORY - Lucas Doolin (Mitchum) returns from the Korean War to take over the family moonshine business. He hauls the stuff while his dad makes it and his little brother keeps the car running. Success in the business depends on a car that can outrun the Feds. Not only are the cars equipped with racing engines, you can turn the switch and drop some oil on the road behind you for anyone chasing to lose control. Lucas is the premier 'runner' in his territory, an area that not only are the Feds (led by Gene Barry) trying to clean up but an organized crime competitor is trying to take over. Lucas is definitely the cool dude and, apparently, this was a popular drive-in movie in the South for many years. Mother Doolin keeps the family in line and while they may make a living of crime, she makes sure they are in church on Sundays. In an early scene she & the two sons sit down to eat and they forget to pray so she asks Robin (Mitchum's son in real life) to pray. He prays, 'Thanks for the food, thanks for the meat, it's getting late, let's eat'. Furious with his irreverent attitude, she gives him a back hand slap to the head and knocks him off his chair. If you're a Robert Mitchum fan or just looking for some 'cool' entertainment, this is a classic. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 12/1/2007.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMBD, TRAILER