![]() But, if anything, this was what made Generation War great narrative drama. With the attractiveness of the actors and the almost sepia-toned quality of some of the shots, there was a tendency towards "Mad Men go Gestapo". But is it possible that one of them could have behaved in this way? Yes. Were all leaders of Polish partisan groups sadistic and antisemitic? Certainly not. There are accounts of such unlikely friendships. Was it implausible that four childhood friends would have been casually hanging out with a Jewish mate in 1941, especially when one of them had just served in the army in Poland? Possibly. On the panel show Generation War: Fact and Fiction, the series producer Benjamin Benedict mounted a spirited defence of the extensive research behind the programme. But, over all, it used its narrative freedom wisely and creatively. From the start, the "five friends" set-up was way too chocolate-box. Yes, there were moments when I thought: "Well, that just wouldn't have happened." Especially when the surviving friends just happen to turn up at exactly the same time at the bar where they partied four years previously. And still we could not bring ourselves to hate her. Likewise Charly, the volunteer nurse who betrayed a Jewish colleague at the earliest opportunity. The moral collapse of Nazi officer Wilhelm Winter (the Don Draper of the piece) was brilliantly captured: it's rare for an audience not to know how to respond to a character but there was a fantastic ambiguity to his downfall. But I also thought it was one of the most interesting and moving things I have seen on television in a while: superbly acted, gripping and challenging. The strange thing for me is that I agree with most of the criticisms of Generation War. Martha Kearney, presenting Saturday's night's postmortem panel show, used the words "five hours of self-pity". The Spectator dismissed it as "cheesy hackwork". When, in November 2013, plans were announced to air the series here, Polish protesters gathered outside the BBC under the slogan: "Stop Nazi Propaganda." They were incensed by the depiction of Polish partisans as antisemitic. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |