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Forgotten Men
R2 - United Kingdom - Studio Canal Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (6th June 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** FORGOTTEN MEN is a unique documentary about the First World War, with footage produced in 1934 before the outbreak of the Second World War. Presented by historian Sir John Hammerton, this extremely rare account of the horrors of the First World War combines original footage and pictures taken by official photographers between 1914-1918; intertwined with interviews from a number of ex-Servicemen who describe their own personal experiences whilst fighting on the western front – less than 20 years after WW1 ended. A powerful and haunting account of the horrors of war, FORGOTTEN MEN is a vital historical document, reminding us today, in this centenary year, of the many brave men and women who risked their lives to fight for their country’s independence in one of the deadliest conflicts in history.
Video
Studio Canal's giving the world war documentary "Forgotten Men" its first DVD release in the United Kingdom (and, as far as I can tell, the world). The transfer uses the original full screen aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and, as expected for an eighty year old documentary using footage as old as a hundred years, it's a mixed bag. Although there isn't a single moment that is damage free, it is still quite a remarkable transfer at times. The interviews with various soldiers from different nationalities are the best looking scenes included here, with just a few nicks here and there, and some light scratches. The war footage doesn't fare as good. The majority has a lot of scratches, not to mention excessive dirt, but when you bear in mind this footage was taken during war without the technology we have today, it's certainly watchable without hesitation. Detail can be surprisingly strong at times, especially around the 61:50 mark where the waves of the sea look remarkable when you take the circumstances under consideration. I have no doubt this transfer could be better, but it would take a lot of money and effort, perhaps not available for a release of this degree. As it is, I was happy with the transfer we have been given on the centennial year of the first world war, but not particularly impressed. The feature is black and white, PAL, and runs 75:21.
Audio
Studio Canal have included a single audio track for this release; English Dolby Digital 2.0 Dual Mono. It should be noted that a screen comes up at the beginning of the film that sound effects were added to the scenes of war during the documentary's post production, so it's unsurprising that the depth of some of the war sounds is reasonably good. At times, dialogue can feel slightly muffled, but still easy to understand (even if it does come across as flat), despite the occasional scratch. There are no obvious drop outs included, and there are no signs of background hiss. The audio is good for a documentary of this age, but not great. English subtitles have been included for the hard-of-hearing.
Extras
The sole extra on this release is an interview with historian Max Arthur which lasts 11:54. Arthur is a military historian who specialises in first-hand recollections of the first and second world wars, so the perfect man to be interviewed about this documentary. He does well in giving us a little more detail about the forgotten men, and some of the events of the war. A little short, but a welcome extra.
Overall
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