War Docos
Innovative German film-maker Leni Riefenstahl's pioneering masterwork epic "Triumph of the Will" (1934) was explicitly propagandistic yet historical in its spectacular yet horrifying documentation of the Nazi Party Congress rally in Nuremberg in 1934. It was a revolutionary film combining superb cinematography and editing of Third Reich propaganda. She also documented the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the stunning film "Olympia" (1938) - with graceful and beautiful images of 'Aryan' athletes in competition. To respond to the Nazi propaganda, Frank Capra was commissioned by the US War Department to direct seven films in a "Why We Fight" (1943) series of narrated WWII newsreel-style films. The first in the series, "Prelude to War," a look at the events from 1931-1939, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1942. These and many other truely great War Documentaries, including the BBC's brilliant "World At War" series, are available by scrolling below.
Right: William Wyler's Academy Award winning "The Memphis Belle"Â
Combat at Sea: The Complete Series (1994)
6.6/10
This documentary series relives the history of naval combat, focusing on great sea battles, naval strategy, and mighty warships from great navies of t... Read more
Tora! Tora! Tora!: The Real Story of Pearl Harbor (2000)
7.5/10
Director: Laura Verklan
On the morning of December 7, 1941, a swarm of fighter planes - each bearing the fiery red sun of Imperial Japan - soared over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A... Read more
Road to Tokyo (2005)
Director: Graham Shirley
Starring: Narrated by, Jack Thompson
Narrated by Jack Thompson "Road to Toyko" is an eyewitness account of an often forgotten episode in history. By late 1944, the worst of World War Two... Read more
Islands of Death: Volume 2 (1945)
The second volume of this excellent series continues its exposition of the battle that raged in the Pacific during the Second World War. Vintage foota... Read more
Nazi Number One: Hermann Goering (2007)
Hermann Goering was the affable face of Nazism, yet he signed off on every anti-Semitic law and genocidal command, leading to the allies sentencing hi... Read more
The Last Ridge: The Uphill Battles of the 10th Mountain Division (2007)
Director: Abbie Kealy
On February 18, 1945, the newly initiated 10th Mountain Division managed what many thought impossible in the mountains of Italy. Scaling a 2000 foot c... Read more
Gallipoli: Brothers in Arms (2007)
7.5/10
Starring: Andrew Denton
Each year, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders of all ages make the pilgrimage to Gallipoli to commemorate Anzac Day. For most, it is a profou... Read more
Complete History of the Green Berets (2000)
5.6/10
JFK called their trademark beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom." One of the world's most... Read more
General Custer - The Story of Yellow Hair (1994)
George Armstrong Custer is one of military history's most colourful characters: a flamboyant and dashing commander. It is said that 'cometh the hour,... Read more
Gallipoli Submarine (2008)
8.2/10
Director: Steve Westh
An Irish skipper. An Australian submarine. A daring mission and an amazing episode in the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign that history has overlooked for... Read more