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
The War of the World: A New History of the 20th Century (2006)
7.5/10
Starring: Niall Ferguson
Acclaimed historian Professor Niall Ferguson presents this six-part documentary proposing an explosive challenge to common assumptions about the 20th... Read more
Great Blunders of World War II (2006)
Tragic mistakes that changed the course of WWII. 'Hitler's Luftwaffe': When the Russians pulled their industry back deep into their heartland, the Luf... Read more
Crossing the Line (2006)
7.5/10
Director: Daniel Gordon
Witness the stories of four US army defectors who abandoned their homeland to seek out a new life in communist North Korea in this fascinating documen... Read more
Entertaining the Troops (2006)
8.3/10
Starring: Bob Hope, Rita Hayworth, Dorothy Lamour, Mel Blanc, Humphrey Bogart, Marlene Die...
A star-studded document of army entertainers during World War Two. As men and women were stationed in far-off lands for years at a time during the '30... Read more
The Time of Our Lives (2006)
8.1/10
Director: Gaylene Preston
In this touching documentary director Gaylene Preston and musician Dave Dobbyn join 32 war veterans on the road as they travel to London for the dedic... Read more
Return To Kirkuk (2006)
Director: Karzan Sherabayani
Twenty-five years after being tortured by Saddam Hussein's secret police force, Kurdish exile, activist, and actor Karzan Sherabayani returns to his h... Read more
Nukes In Space: The Rainbow Bombs (2006)
7.6/10
Director: Peter Kuran
Starring: Narrated by, William Shatner
A follow up to Peter Kuran's award-winning film 'Trinity And Beyond' this is a spell-binding look at the development of missiles and space-based nucle... Read more
Submariners: The Complete Series (2006)
7.9/10
Director: Hugh Piper
A six-part expository-style documentary series following the crew of HMAS Rankin, the newest of Australia's Collins Class Submarines, as they undertak... Read more
Suicide Killers (2006)
6.5/10
Director: Pierre Rehov
An in-depth documentary that attempts to unwind the psycho-pathology behind suicide bombers, and more specifically Palestinian suicide bombers. Filmm... Read more
Trenches: Battleground WWI (2006)
7.6/10
In the early years of the 20th century, the world was undergoing great political change. Old empires were breaking down and newly-formed countries wer... Read more