sackville-77871

A wonderful documentary. I am a life long student of the First World War and highly recommend this study. One can only marvel that so much film has survived over a hundred years. A fairly even handed treatment of the history, the narration is good along with the music. The films are priceless, bringing this cataclysmic event to the eyes & eyes of modern, sometimes forgetful people. It was a world war that truly changed the world in near countless ways. We are still struggling with its outcome.

McQueen was totally miscast in this otherwise good film. He is inelegant, bouncy and fragmented. The famous chess scene would have been marvelously played by Lee Van Cleef who could use his face better than any actor in the sixties. He was also elegant, authoritative and would have played the part with more detachment & class. He would have been a perfect match for the gorgeous Faye Dunaway, a woman who could bring even the intense Van Cleef to the bedroom. Too bad they never worked together--what a match. Paul Burke was terrific and the camera work was excellent. The music, however, dated the film as did McQueen wearing those awful sneakers when he left the house at night. All told, McQueen was entirely too shallow to play a bored millionaire.