I hope I'm not being naive, but I don't think much of the battle scenes were staged (Alexander Nevsky & Peter the Great excepted). Where/how did the filmmakers get the footage, so quickly and from both sides? The earlier films as well.
What organization to pull off these films!
Much of the footage in the previous four films was readily available from Axis powers propaganda footage which wasn't exactly in short supply, and Capra just recontextualized it to promote the cause of the Allies. The animated portions of the films were produced by the Disney studios – with the animated maps following a convention of depicting Axis-occupied territory in black. Most of the videos are made from stock footage collected by the government and granted for use in the film although some parts are re-acted for the film if there is none to show the topic. So it wasn't really a matter of the filmmakers going out to get this footage, these docs were funded by the War Department and are a government propaganda project through and through.
When you think about it, Capra deserves a great deal of credit as an influential pioneer of many of the documentary montage editing techniques that are commonly used today, and many of these films are more detailed and informative than most of what the History Channel produces today and they aren't too shabby with this sort of thing either.
But as for this particular episode, it is rather astonishing how they gained access to so much Soviet combat footage, although I think this is the weakest of the series, all-too-conveniently avoiding the name "Stalin" and the word "Communism" for the full 81 minutes.
Never make forecasts, especially about the future.
Interesting. Thanks.
shareBut as for this particular episode, it is rather astonishing how they gained access to so much Soviet combat footage, although I think this is the weakest of the series, all-too-conveniently avoiding the name "Stalin" and the word "Communism" for the full 81 minutes.
I think this is because it was before the Cold War, so it wasn't necessary to bash the Soviets being savage and ruthless. The truth is that the Soviets acted JUST LIKE AMERICANS, or any other nation would if the war was on their soil.
shareThe truth is that the Soviets acted JUST LIKE AMERICANS, or any other nation would if the war was on their soil.
Yes they did, you are just indoctrinated with racist, imperialist propaganda that has killed millions of people around the world. You are an idiot :)
shareThe Soviets raped and pillaged parts of Europe when they spread westward and treated the Jews horribly after liberating Poland. And their "scorched Earth" tactics are uniquely Russian and quite unlike anything we've ever seen in North America. Soviet generals were completely ruthless and did not treat their soldiers particularly well either.
If I could drop dead right now, I'd be the happiest man alive.
Yes, war means soldiers, and all nationalities can and do commit atrocities that horrify us civilians in peace-time. However it is documented that on their way to Berlin the Russian Army committed two million rapes. Of course we do not know all the horrible things they felt they were avenging, but it seems likely that their victims were female civilians of all ages & probably all races, as the Russians may not have known or cared how to tell them apart. Nothing could justify this, if the soldiers were even half-sane.
Anyway, the point is: - I think it's pretty clear that such behaviour isn't "just like Americans", regardless of the provocation involved. I would venture to say that even 70 years ago, soldiers from USA, Canada, England, Australia & New Zealand would not have the stomach or even the inspiration for such widespread evil acts. But then we are the result of peaceful & privileged upbringing, by comparison (I am, anyway!), and we did not grow up right next door to the Nazis, with parents who reminded us daily of World War One's evil legacy.
lmao ah yes documented by one raving lunatic, and trumpeted by idiot propagandist who are stunningly artless and naive
shareAs a history grad and a former veteran I can tell you that much; if not most of what we see when it comes to this sort of thing; are rehearsals of troops made prior to real attacks. Some of the films we see are actual but that tends to be only the artillery firing. Much safer in the rear.'
It is usually what we see when it comes to WWI film as well as WWII. All sides used film crews within their military ranks and it provided something for the folks back home to see and to get them to support the war effort. In Russia, it meant justifying the hardships on the home front. The same for the rest of the govs.
As rgrc175 mentioned, most countries has combat cameramen by WWII, including the USSR. And some footage is of training excercises. As for getting the Russian footage out, we had supply routes to them through Iraq and Iran (and elsewhere), so the film could have easily come out that way.
share