The best series about World War II: rating and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

This article offers readers a rating of TV projects, which includes the best series about the Second World War. They reflected not only heroic sagas with self-sacrifice and exploits of ordinary people, but also battalion canvases telling about numerous battles and battles. Some of the viewers' favorite WWII series are quiet melodramas that tell poignant, soul-stirring stories. But no matter what genre the World War II military series belongs to, it is certainly an outstanding project.

Let's get acquainted with the rating of the best tapes, allowing us to learn more about the monstrous catastrophe that occurred in the 20th century.

Translator

Four episodes of this film, released in 2014, begin our list of the best TV shows set in World War II. They reflect the story of how an ordinary, unremarkable person became a real hero.

TV project tells about a simple teacherChemistry - Andrey Petrovich Starikov, to whom the nickname "Charlie Chaplin" stuck. This completely ordinary person lives in an old well house with his mother and wife. His neighbors, with whom he is friends, are a motley international composition. Among them are Jews and Ukrainians, Armenians, Tatars and Russians. However, the usual and measured way of life dramatically changes the arrival of the Germans…

Remembering the most memorable series about the Second World War, we can make an unambiguous conclusion that this project is not like most of them.

The protagonist of the film "Translator" is not a super-soldier of the Soviet army. He is an ordinary teacher who is forced to work for the Germans. The film does not feature traditional military scenes of shootings. At the same time, the main character does not perform a top-secret command task.

If you watch various Russian TV series about the Second World War, it is worth noting that this one remains in your memory for a long time. The first feeling that the film evokes is confusion. After all, for many, especially for the younger generation, the Second World War is a beautiful story, and its central image is a soldier who proudly and confidently carries the banner of the coming Victory.

However, the authors, who undoubtedly created a new movie, introduce their audience to the tragedy of the 20th century, presenting it without any embellishment. This allows us to understand what was scary to people not only on the battlefields or when receiving intelligence data. They were faced with a dangerous choice, and in what seemed to be theeveryday regularity.

The protagonist of the film "Translator" - Andrey Starikov - spoke German well. During the war, he stayed in his hometown of Taganrog, which was occupied by the Germans. Soon the Nazis offered the teacher a job as a translator at the headquarters. To refuse her for Starikov was tantamount to suicide.

It would seem that a simple chemistry teacher continued to live his measured life during the war. He, despite the occupation, has a good job. However, he is ready to give a lot (but not his life) to give it up. And this is despite the fact that Andrei's "colleagues" are not stupid at all, and sometimes benevolent people. However, Starikov understands that under no circumstances will they become his like-minded people. And this quiet man is kept at work by his family, in which replenishment is expected. And the translator of the German headquarters does not know how much longer he will be able to rejoice at the fact that his loved ones are next to him. Of course, at once he undertakes everything to continue to live, as before. However, the war requires to take the side of either white or black. She does not tolerate any halftones. Sooner or later, war forces a person to take a stand. But sometimes before that he has to pass serious tests.

The film clearly shows the ambiguous attitude of the local population towards those who cooperate with the new authorities. And this applies not only to adults, but also to former students of Starikov. And in this regard, the authors of the TV project successfully conveyed the psychological atmosphere that has developed around a person who once made children laughCharlie Chaplin's walk. A whole chain of tragic events leads Andrey to the understanding that he simply cannot stay away. A very appropriate detail of the plot was the trap that suddenly snapped shut on the interpreter's leg. A very competent and artistically bright idea of this mini-series was the way of turning a little inconspicuous man into a real hero.

Reviews of the film "The Translator" also touch upon the theme of the music that sounded in it. It is sometimes called avant-garde and well conveys the naive and sincere character of the hero, as well as the mood of the whole picture. Sometimes light music seems to be trying to move into a march. This only confirms that the war that came to the city is not at all for the hero of the film. He simply participates in it, since there is no other way out.

In general, according to film critics and viewers, the authors of the film successfully coped with their task. They made every person participating in viewing their picture relive the story shown, feeling every moment of it.

This military series about the Second World War was a wonderful TV debut of director Andrey Proshkin. This project is based on the plot of the French film "The Old Gun", which tells the story of a raging intellectual. The main role in the film was played very convincingly by Vitaly Khaev. According to the reviews of viewers and film critics, this actor brilliantly coped with his dramatic role.

Battalions ask for fire

In 1985, a Soviet mini-series about the Second World War was released. The list of the best of these TV projects is impossible to imaginewithout this movie. After all, it is distinguished by a unique cast and large-scale scenes that impress the viewer.

The film "Battalions Ask for Fire" can confidently be in the ranking, which includes the best series about the Second World War. Indeed, at the heart of its plot is one of the most decisive stages of hostilities. The series tells about the crossing of the Dnieper by the troops of the Soviet army. The action takes place in 1943. Two battalions are given the task of getting to the bank of the river, occupied by the Germans. The purpose of this disastrous breakthrough is to divert enemy forces for the successful throw of the division to a strategically important point for our army - the city of Dneprov. At first, the command assured the battalion fighters that they would be supported by air and artillery fire. However, suddenly the offensive plan has undergone significant changes.

Many serials about World War II were adaptations of literary works. This television project was no exception. It was filmed based on the novel of the same name written by Yuri Bondarev.

The mini-series "Battalions ask for fire" was the first in the national cinema to raise a problem, the discussion of which continues to this day. It touches upon the need for the colossal human losses of the Soviet people that occurred in this monstrous war. Or maybe they should have been avoided by showing literacy and sophistication in planning military operations? And our army would have come to victory if the generals had not looked at the soldiers as "cannon fodder" or as cogs,thoughtlessly carrying out the most ridiculous orders of the commanding staff? This issue was raised by the hero of Alexander Zbruev - battle captain Ermakov. He miraculously survived, having gone through a bloody meat grinder in a fight with significantly superior enemy forces. The captain, who lost many of his comrades, boldly threw in the face of the division commander, who sent them to certain death, cruel words about his indifference to people and callousness, adding that his immediate commander could not be called a decent officer.

At one time, Bondarev's novel was ranked as a special literary trend, which has the derogatory name "trench truth". Critics believed that one should not rely on the opinion of a simple soldier who knows nothing about the far-sighted and wise plans of the command. However, what would the plans of military officials be worth if the personnel did not show real heroism and courage?

Before the audience of the film "Battalions ask for fire" is a whole series of unforgettable and vivid images of officers and soldiers. At the same time, each person is endowed with his own zest, his own unique character traits. By the end of the film, not all of the characters will be alive. And this is the harsh truth of a brutal war, which is skillfully and honestly shown in a film directed by Alexander Bogolyubov and Vladimir Chebotarev.

Pacific Ocean

Continues our rating of the American TV series about World War II. He was released in 2010 and told the audience about the battles that the US Marines fought in the Pacific Ocean, namely on the islands of Okinawa and Iwo Jima. In front of themthe task was to protect Australia from Japanese attacks.

"Pacific Ocean" - a series about the Second World War (USA), which reflects the life of the characters before and after the outbreak of hostilities. The film vividly shows the characters of the characters, their inner world, and describes the way of life familiar to soldiers.

Like many series about the Second World War, the picture makes you worry about the characters as for very close people.

According to the opinions of many viewers, after reading that the film was made by Americans, there was no particular desire to watch it. After all, the opinion of this country about participation in the Second World War is different from ours. And these fears were confirmed in the first series of the film. In them, as expected, the brave heroes of the war proved the indestructible power of the American army. However, with the development of the plot, the viewer begins to immerse himself more and more in the atmosphere of the events taking place, thinking less and less about small details. In some places, the series does make you surrender to the events that take place on the screen, empathize and sympathize with the characters, while being horrified by the sensations of a terrible war. The apotheosis of the described events comes in episode 9, which looks in one breath.

The series is worth studying from two sides. Only in this case can we talk about the completeness of the picture. On the one hand, the film describes American everyday life, which is not only boring for the viewer, but also has no semantic load. On the other hand, the authors of the picture can be praised for the excellently filmed military operations, whichamaze with their scale and cling to the soul. There is a sea of blood and clods of dirt flying after explosions, chic scenery and stray bullets. All this deserves the highest praise.

Directors D. Podeswa, K. Franklin and D. Nutter were able to convey the spirit of the army and the atmosphere reigning in it well. The melancholy of inaction, rare moments of fun, sadness from parting with their home, as well as the cohesion and unity of the team, which does not get tired of throwing endless barracks jokes. And superimposed on all this is the true horror of war, the complete insecurity of a man standing just a step away from his death. The film clearly reflects both the fear of the unknown and the endless horror of death on both sides. The face of the war in the film is shown so clearly that the viewer looks at some events as if being in the trenches with the heroes and overwhelmed with emotions from the surging wave of fear.

Major Sokolov's getters

Considering the most popular Russian military series about the Second World War, it is impossible not to mention the film directed by Bakhtiyor Khudoynazarov. He filmed the story of the confrontation between the villain with the nickname Cross (played by Philip Yankovsky) and the major of the Soviet counterintelligence Sokolov (actor Andrey Panin).

The action takes place in September 1939, when World War II began. Major Sokolov arrived in the Crimea to identify the agent network of the anti-Soviet terrorist organization (ROVS). This Russian All-Military Union is headed by Staff Captain Semyonov (Cross).

When-then the main characters of the series were white officers. But in 1917 their paths diverged - Semyonov and Sokolov found themselves on opposite sides of the hostilities. Of course, they know each other, they know that each of them is an opposing organization. However, despite the desire to end the enemy, they are in no hurry to carry out the sentence. Both Sokolov and Krest are very gamblers. They build a complex game to bring the entire enemy system to death. The chances of both are almost equal. Sokolov puts a female reconnaissance group, assembled from inexperienced girls, against a well-established ROVS intelligence network.

According to film critics, the creators of the series simply show their viewers everything that happened in those distant years. There is no imposition of opinions in this film.

This was Andrey Panin's last painting. This Actor from God did not have time to shoot in the series due to his death. That is why the plot of the film was slightly changed by the authors.

Submarine

If we consider foreign TV shows about the Second World War, then the list of the best must certainly include a film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. This film is made in Germany, Great Britain and France.

The project adorns those films-series about the Second World War that tell about the everyday life of sailors. The action takes place in a German submarine during the confrontation between the Kritomarin and the British fleet. The authors vividly show the viewer the life boiling inside the submarine, its close-knit and courageous male team, its battle with the elements and the constant threatdeath carried by British destroyers.

According to film critics, the film "Submarine" was a full-fledged television version, fully and brightly covering the theme of military submarines. No wonder the series was nominated for an Oscar six times, including for excellent cinematography (the dynamic action of the six-hour movie takes place in the narrow space of a boat under water).

In 1983 the film was banned. For some time he did not appear on the screen for ideological reasons. The fact is that the series showed its German heroes as ordinary sailors used as "cannon fodder", and not as evil fascists.

Apostle

Very interesting and exciting are many series about the Second World War Russians. One of them, of course, is The Apostle, filmed in 2008 by directors Yuri Moroz, Nikolai Lebedev and Gennady Sidorov.

The plot of the film begins with a story about how at the beginning of the war there was an unsuccessful landing on the territory of the USSR of a German spy. The saboteur, captured by the NKVD, is killed while trying to escape. The German spy turned out to be a Russian thief in law, who accidentally stayed in the occupied territory. The NKVD is faced with the task of uncovering the enemy's intelligence network. To do this, the Chekists turned to the twin brother of the thief in law - a simple village teacher. He took the place of the deceased and began to carry out a deadly task.

The series became a benefit performance for Yevgeny Mironov (he played both brothers). At the same time, critics point outimpressive viewer double entry as diverse twins. Decorated the series and the game of Nikolai Fomenko, who created the image of the captain of the NKVD, as well as Alexander Bashirov, a Russian defector.

The whole plot takes place against the backdrop of the ongoing World War II. However, he seems to be detached from her. The series tells the story of a separate group of characters. That is why critics attribute the picture to the historical, detective genre, pointing out that this is also a real spy thriller. There are many conspiracies and intricacies in the film, so that the viewer almost until the very end does not understand which of the characters is a friend and which is an enemy.

Mussolini and I

This series describes the story of the collapse of the dictator of Italy, which was told by his daughter Edda. The film clearly indicates the position of Mussolini, which, during the dramatic events that happened, separated him from his family. The dictator is supported only by his devoted wife, as well as a young mistress. At the same time, Mussolini feels the hatred of Edda's daughter, whose husband became the main reason for the arrest and fall of the fascist protege.

In June 41st

There are serials about the Second World War (Russian and foreign), the plot of which is based on a love story. These films include the film “In June 1941”, which was released in 2003. The dramatic story she told the audience about unfolded in the very first days of World War II.

Then Rose Ashkenazi, a young twenty-year-old American woman, came to her parents' homeland ina small Belarusian village. She decided to prepare musical material from local folklore that would be useful in the creation of a Broadway musical. On June 20, 1941, the girl arrived in Zhdanovichi. Two days later, the Nazis, having captured part of the territory of Belarus, herded the population of the village to the synagogue and burned the helpless people alive. Rose miraculously escaped death. Together with the officer of the Soviet army Ivan Antonov, who survived the defeat of his battalion, the girl makes attempts to catch up with the front retreating inland. True love breaks out between the characters…

The film was directed by Mikhail Ptashuk. This is a joint production of Russian and American filmmakers.

New movies

The 2016 World War II series set a whole new level of coverage of the tragic events that took place in the 20th century. Low-quality films have become increasingly rare on the screens.

Series about the war have recently been more popular with viewers than film projects about policemen and bandits. And this is no coincidence. Military series are heavily budgeted for the use of real technology, authentic items and costumes.

One of the most interesting novelties of 2016 is the series "The Order". Its plot covers the events of 1945, when the country is celebrating the Victory, and some territories of China and Manchuria continue to remain under the rule of fascist Japan. The soldiers of the Soviet army, true to their allied duty, enter the battle witha cruel and very strong enemy.

Another interesting series is The Last Frontier. It is dedicated to the 71st anniversary of the Victory. The film is dedicated to the feat of the Panfilovites. These young soldiers, newly recruited into the ranks of the Soviet army, must defend the Volokolamsk Highway to prevent the Nazis from reaching Moscow.

Documentary

In 2008, a picture shot jointly by Polish and British filmmakers was released. This is a documentary series about World War II. The cycle, called "The Second World War: Behind Closed Doors", told the audience the true story of how Stalin clashed first with the Nazis, and then with Roosevelt and Churchill. At the same time, the authors brightly highlighted the topic of the huge impact of these events on the course of the Second World War and the fate of the states of post-war Europe.

Viewers of the series get acquainted with the unimaginable tragic facts that were taken from archival materials. The events that influenced the fate of the post-war world are also vividly revealed.