WWII in HD: Striking Distance (2009)
**** (out of 4)
Whereas the first six episodes featured quite a bit of graphic footage of dead soldiers, this one here doesn't feature a drop of blood yet it's one of the most haunting and suspenseful in the series. This time out we take a look at three different soldiers and their heroic stories. First we have Shelby Westbrook, member of the Tuskegee Airmen, who gets shot down behind enemy lines. Jack Yusen finds himself outnumbered on a ship battle when his ship is struck and sinks where the survivors are soon being stalked by sharks. Jimmy Kanaya, a Japanese-American, finds himself a POW after being part of one of the bravest fights in military history. All three of these stories are rather amazing survival stories and it really makes one respect what these men went through and even question how anyone could have the spirit to make it through these events. I think this film could also make any hard boiled racist change his ways after hearing how bravely Westbrook and Kanaya fought only to be hit with racism when they returned to the States. Westbrook, who flew nearly sixty missions, was turned down on a great job when he returned home because the CEO of that company didn't want blacks. It's also worth noting how the U.S. must have thought of their black and Japanese men because their footage, unless the rest that was shot of white soldiers, is in B&W. It really makes one wonder what was going on in this country when these men returned home. The color footage is (again) quite remarkable especially some of the footage of actual battles with ships being struck by large bombs and the various battles in the sky. The suspense to these three stories are top notch and makes this one of the best entries.
**** (out of 4)
Whereas the first six episodes featured quite a bit of graphic footage of dead soldiers, this one here doesn't feature a drop of blood yet it's one of the most haunting and suspenseful in the series. This time out we take a look at three different soldiers and their heroic stories. First we have Shelby Westbrook, member of the Tuskegee Airmen, who gets shot down behind enemy lines. Jack Yusen finds himself outnumbered on a ship battle when his ship is struck and sinks where the survivors are soon being stalked by sharks. Jimmy Kanaya, a Japanese-American, finds himself a POW after being part of one of the bravest fights in military history. All three of these stories are rather amazing survival stories and it really makes one respect what these men went through and even question how anyone could have the spirit to make it through these events. I think this film could also make any hard boiled racist change his ways after hearing how bravely Westbrook and Kanaya fought only to be hit with racism when they returned to the States. Westbrook, who flew nearly sixty missions, was turned down on a great job when he returned home because the CEO of that company didn't want blacks. It's also worth noting how the U.S. must have thought of their black and Japanese men because their footage, unless the rest that was shot of white soldiers, is in B&W. It really makes one wonder what was going on in this country when these men returned home. The color footage is (again) quite remarkable especially some of the footage of actual battles with ships being struck by large bombs and the various battles in the sky. The suspense to these three stories are top notch and makes this one of the best entries.