Culloden + The War Game (DVD + Blu-ray)

This is an excellent release from the BFI showcasing the daunting talent of film-maker Pete Walker during the first half of the sixties. ‘Culloden’ is a magnificent film way ahead of its time. Filmed as ‘live’ documentary complete with a film crew interviewing participants, this format works beautifully. The film is exceedingly well made and its tiny budget does not show. For a TV programme of its time it is remarkable brutal and hard-hitting. Watkin’s polemic damns those responsible without mercy. The main focus of his odium is Bonnie Prince Charlie whose incompetence and his indifference to the catastrophe he unleased is graphically illustrated. The clan system is also damned leading to a lack of unity in the Scottish army and the callous forced use of totally untrained crofters. Cumberland and those in his army who perpetrated atrocities are exposed in some very disturbing sequences. ‘The War Game’ is a fascinating film made at the height of the Cold War shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis took the world to the brink. Watkin’s style is excellent at examining the effects of an attack from a Kent perspective. It was very shocking to graphically show how inept civil defences would be in such circumstances in additions to the horrific details of the attack’s effects. The accompanying audio essay on the film’s controversy, government t interference and its eventual ban is compulsive viewing. The BFI has also done a very job at restoring both films to look and sound as good as possible. Rented from LoveFilm.

Not because it's unbelievable, but because the government advice about nuclear war really was that pathetic when I was a kid, even though I didn't know it - but the question remains why weren't the powers that be better informed, let alone the public. This should be shown again, with some kind of commentary as to the psychological impact of knowing versus not knowing, because the arguments seem to me to be as relevant today as ever - witness what's going on at the moment with the virus. Thankfully we're not being told to hide under tables, but what about these masks that are useless - sounds strangely familiar when you've seen The War Game. Culloden is an amazing piece of work, which sets the standard for docu-drama reports today. Peter Walker, you are a God . . .

Before I kick off with this review, I feel that I need to point out a couple of things. The first being that the rating reflects the technical aspects of 'The War Game' documentary, and its realism and not some morbid, gleeful fascination I have re the sensitive subject of nuclear war. The second, is that this is a review of The War Game and not Culloden (which I have yet to see). So, while this could be classed as a bit dated as it was made in the sixties, the statistics and information are every bit as relevant in the present day as they were back then. It is a documentary based format following the lead up to, and aftermath of a nuclear strike on Kent, where released missiles destined for London, overshoot the runway ,or miss their intended target, and instead end up destroying a rural community. Its simplicity and directness were the qualities that made it truly effective, and memorable, with the documentary presenter, armed with a camera crew, asking members of the GBP (Great British Public) what their knowledge is of such weapons, only to be met with a shocking amount of misinformation and ignorance. What is truly frightening is that these reserved individuals on the street, in the wake of an atomic bomb, will turn savage in the name of survival. Watkins does an excellent job of outlining such a scenario, and I feel that the black and white film adds to the helplessness of the populace, lending a primitive element to the proceedings. What really upset me the most was the treatment of the casualties. They are graded into three categories, in a bizarre form of triage. Those that will survive, those that might survive, and...those that aren't worth saving at all. This is a possibility that the film 'Threads' didn't cover. What's worse, is that the civil defence manual, before all the households received it for free, had to be paid for! Sixpence, no less! The description of the explosion sounding like an enormous door slamming in the depths of Hell was very well put. Worth a look, but, be warned...it'll leave you with a strange feeling, a bit like The Blair Witch Project, in that it'll make you uneasy and frightened. Just saying...

This is an example of British television at it"s best:controversial,groundbreaking and thought provoking.Both films were made on very low budgets,yet touch the viewer in ways that a million ponds worth of CGI effects can never do.Both are disturbing and not easy to watch.They bring home the brutality of war,man"s selfishness and the manipulation of the ordinary man and woman by those in authority.In Culloden it is in usng redcoats to commit mass genocide,in war game it is in the incompetence of cival defence and the blissful ignorance of the person in the street over nuclear weapons.These films have been remastered,look crisp and sound sharp.BFI have done a great public service in making them available.I saw the war game at a CND meeting in the early eighties and it still has lost none of it"s power.Two British classics that deserve to be widely seen.

Historically interesting, sort of like a 70's version of Blaire Witch, but a bit boring.

This Blu-ray Two-fer presents two very good documentaries. Region B and also comes with a copy on DVD and a nice booklet that provides some background on the making of the two documentaries. there are some special features which i have not watched so cannot comment on. Picture quality on the Blu-ray is good but not spectacular, but i think we can be pleased the films still existed to be cleaned up and remastered. the black and white footage is probably as good as it will ever look. Both documentaries are quite sobering despite their age and make a compelling watch.

Wisst ihr noch? The Day After ist ein Mix aus mittelprächtigem Hollywood und Mehrfachverwertung von DokuInhalten, über die Air Force. Threads ist der härteste Spielfilm zum Thema. THE WAR GAME (Oscar 1965) ist der härteste Film dazu überhaupt. Wir sehen und erfahren dokumentatorisch, wie sich der Krieg entwickelt, was das für die Bevölkerung bedeutet, die Stimme aus dem Off erklärt, hier verbrennt eine Familie im Auto, oder ab welcher Entfernung die Augäpfel bei einer Atomexplosion schmelzen. Fakten, die wir hören, die Gänsehaut erzeugen. Laiendarsteller, Szenen, so echt wirkend. Was für ein schreckliches Mahnmal. Zu Unrecht unbekannt. Culloden spielt hunderte Jahre zuvor, in Schottland. Ein Film von der Front, so gemacht, als ob im 18. Jahrhundert schon Kameras existierten. Diese Vision, diese Idee, sie geht voll auf. Es wirkt extrem drastisch, die Stimme erklärt, wie Zivilsten ermordet werden, sie erklärt, dass die Uniform des Feldherrn so viel kostet, wie der Jahresold des einfachen Soldaten, der hinten marschiert. Die besten Film zum Thema. Der Regisseur ein Grossmeister.

Peter Watkins is a very underrated director who has made some great TV and films. He was too political so that caused him to eventually leave the UK and make work in Europe. These are 2 of his early works. He often makes films like they are documentaries when they are either historical or fiction. People acknowledge the camera and are interviewed on the spot. Culloden is about the 1746 battle where the Jacobite army was defeated by the British army. The last land battle on British soil. We see the 2 sides and how one was poorly prepared and supplied. They and their allies among the civilian population pay the price. The War Game is about how a nuclear war would look in the 60s UK. Released as a film in theters when the BBC wouldn't air it as it's too intense. For an odd reason, the film got the Academy Award for Best Documentary (???!!). Similar to the latter Threads and The Day After. Watkins doesn't pull punches, no one comes off as the good guys. But people do suffer. It's old 60s TV so modern audiences might find it hard to watch but I'd recommend trying.

I really liked the way that the film starts out telling the story ,using average looking citizens gave it more of a real feel ,and a chilling feel it was,from start to finish, the film took the viewers on a step by step on the effects and goverment prepering of citizens giving out booklets and ration cards,and how to shelter with sand bags and firniture,what it didnt show was the effect on animals, and green life ,there was no mushroom cloud ,but there was other things that i learned that i didnot know,also was documentary which was good,i dont want to tell about the gritty details the other reviews cover them well, but the last scene blew me away.

Viewed the two documentaries which arrived in good condition. Both were serious documentaries in the docudrama type which were some of the first in this format. The war game showed up the inadequacies of civil defence measures for a low yield 1950s nuclear war kilotonne warheads as against the megatonne warheads of the mid 1960's. Culloden was a look at the scotckish fefeat at thie battle that led scotkland being fully part of the british crown and inclusion into the brittàn of the future.