The Bloody Hundredth

As soon as Masters of the Air wrapped on Apple TV+, this documentary immediately dropped on the same platform. It is the perfect complement-if not sometimes an improvement-to that limited miniseries.

For a very basic overview, The Bloody Hundredth puts real-life names, faces, and places to the events fictionally depicted in Masters of the Air. It is fascinating and emotional to see the likes of Rosie, both Buck's, Harry Crosby, and others recollecting the experiences chronicled within the series. Directed by Laurent Bouzereau & Mark Herzog, this doc is narrated by the venerable Tom Hanks and features a good deal of involvement from Steven Spielberg. In other words, pure production value and class all the way through.

Though not quite long enough (a tisch over an hour) to do this in reality, in spirit The Bloody Hundredth might actually be a little better than the series it wraps. Whereas Masters of the Air struggled a bit to form plot/character narratives over a sprawling, messy conflict, this doc doesn't have to go that route-the historical footage and interviews pretty much speak for themselves.

Overall, The Bloody Hundredth is a solid denoument to Masters of the Air. What may have been lost in that series' breadth is certainly re-captured here "in the flesh" of the real-life participants of the Eighth Air Force's 100th Bomb Group.

After watching all nine episodes of Masters of the Air, I took an extra hour to watch this well-produced documentary, which definitely complements the series. We meet several of the main characters from Masters of the Air, including "Rosie" Rosenthal, who was as fascinating a person in real life as he was in the series. There aren't really any new revelations in the documentary that aren't covered in the series, but it is interesting to see original footage from WWII, along with hearing the thoughts of various veterans in their own words. I'm grateful to Apple TV+ and the producers of Masters of the Air for producing such an excellent companion piece to the series. If you enjoyed the show, you will certainly enjoy The Blood Hundredth, as well.

Alongside the final episode of "Masters of the Air" Apple TV also released this documentary which includes real interviews with some of the actual airmen that were part of the 100th bomb group during World War 2.

During the second World War, the American Air Force establishes bases on the East Coast of England, from where they can lead bombing raids on Nazi occupied mainland Europe. Whereas the R. A. F prefer bombing raids at night, and are relatively indiscriminate with their targets, the American's prefer daytime raids on strategic targets. Whilst that tactic relentlessly damages the German War machine, the bombing group suffer severe and sometimes catastrophic losses.

Containing a mixture of stock footage, interviews and talking head opinion, the documentary retells the story of the 100th devision focusing, as the series did, on the lead airmen, Fale Cleven, John Egan and Rosie Rosenthal and navigator Harry Crosby. It's narrated by Tom Hanks, who does a fine job as you might imagine. The talking heads include Stephen Spielberg as well as historians. In and of itself it's a fine documentary.

The trouble is, we've just seen this story told in dramatic detail across nine hours, with the added drama of real actors playing the characters and full CGI recreations of the various raids and battles. The documentary can't really compete with that, and doesn't particularly try, offering no new information about the base, missions or squad other than tellings us that, pretty much whatever we saw in the series, is largely how it happened.

If the documentary was all we had, it would be fine, but it feels awfully dry against the dramatic recreations.

Meet the real-life airmen who inspired Masters of the Air as they share the harrowing and transformative events of the 100th Bomb Group.

"When we were preparing to go overseas our commanding officer called us together and said, "Look at the man on either side of you. Only one of you will be coming back. You're all going to be killed and you might as well accept it."

That was the mindset that we were supposed to take into combat. That our chances of coming back were so minimal that we should accept our fate and just do the best that we could, for as long as we could.

Facing your mortality to that degree is a very sobering and maturing experience. It was so horrific that just one mission could turn our hair white. The sheer terror that we confronted was so devastating that it left a mark on us for life." John Luckadoo.

I didn't know about this documentary until after Masters Of The Air had come out, therefore I had no idea what to expect. I am so glad I watched it first.

This documentary covered so many things, I have to limit my review.

The movie Memphis Belle articulates the 25 mission completion, then return home protocol. However what most don't know is, the Norton Bombsite aiming mechanism, was a failure. Apparently, the aiming mechanism consisted of the only straight hair of a single American Native Woman. Who am I to judge?

Anyways, I divulge. I was delighted to see, interviews with two of the Red Tails. I have watched both movies based on these brave airmen, your job is to find out who they are.

When I heard Luft III mentioned, I knew straight away, where the documentary was going, in this this particular part. For the young, and the older who have forgotten? The Great Escape.

Another documentary which name escapes me, shows the humanity of the Camp Commandant.

When he found out that most of those who had escaped, were capture and executed; he had a monument erected to commemerate them. I'll leave you to your thoughts.