The Winds of War Reviews

• The definitive mini-series-- Outstanding!

  
  By AHKOPVTQ3IEBL on 2000-10-03
  Herman Wouk wrote an absolute masterpiece. Winds of War is without a doubt the very best historical novel in the war genre. Dan Curtis equally directs the benchmark that mini-series will be measured by for years to come.

  Casting for Winds of War was perfect when it came to matching Wouk's characters. Despite the age differences Ali McGraw and Jan-Michael Vincent were absolutely perfect as the independent and fickle Natali Jastrow and the bull-headed Byron Henry. Robert Mitchum is the glue that holds the story together in a flawless performance as Victor "Pug" Henry, the man that meets everyone that is anyone in his role as a Naval Attache stationed in Berlin in the pre-World War II years. One of the best ever ensemble casts include stand-outperformances by Polly Bergen as Pug Henry's hard-drinking wife Rhoda, not to mention Topol, David Dukes, Victoria Tennant and John Houseman.

  Winds of War has become a semi-annual event for our family. It is simply so entertaining that it never grows tiresome. The historical value alone makes it worth having in your home library.
  
  

• A great min-series that stays true to the book.

  
  By A1VTV7GXWSGJ3E on 2000-03-24
  I first read The Winds of War by Herman Wouk back around 1972. The book just absolutely grabbed me. When I heard that ABC was filming a mini-series I was a little skeptical. Very few "made for TV" movies from books really capture the true feel of the original work. THIS ONE DOES! First of all it has a great cast. Robert Mitchum was just awsome as Comander Pug Henry. Both Jan Michael Vincent and Ali McGraw were credable as older actors playing young adults. Polly Bergen, John Houseman, and Peter Graves round out an exceptional cast. The fictional account of a family caught up within historical events continues to draw my attention, even though I have watch this many times since it originally came out. Some of the many highlights include the special effects of the bombing of London, the Japanesse attack on Pearl Harbor, and the wonderful re-creation of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Hitler by Ralph Bellamy and crew. In comparing this series to War and Remembrance, which was the sequal in both book and mini-series, I would have to give the nod to this as the better. If you're looking for an accurate and riviting account of the early years of WW II, then grab this up. Yes, the cost is high but it's well worth it.
  
  

• Well done, Paramount

  
  By A38XOBYNKF9OZB on 2004-07-06
  Paramount deserves major congratulations for doing right by The Winds of War with their DVD release.

  I was anxious to make sure this DVD measured up, so I watched it with my old VHS playing at the same time, and switched back and forth occasionally on the remote to see the difference. It's nothing less than astonishing. The old Winds videos look unwatchable when compared to the new image, which probably looks as close as possible to the way it was shot.

  This is, of course, a TV miniseries from 1983, long before anyone imagined the resolution of DVD, so it's not going to look perfect. Still, almost every time I switched to the VHS, then back, I literally said "wow." Colors are distinct and deep, details are sharp and the variously-colored hazes that afflicted most of the VHS are gone. Having only seen the series this way, the DVDs were a revelation. These discs represent what is best about DVD and its success, bringing a long-quiet catalog title back to life.

  Although Paramount usually mixes new 5.1 audio tracks for their old films, with 15 hours of film here, they can't be blamed for leaving the existing mono tracks, which are certainly decent and don't detract at all from viewing the film. (I can't understand the other reviewer who gave the DVD set one star, largely because of the audio. Doesn't he understand how prohibitively expensive a new sound mix of that length, for such a complex series, would have been? We're very lucky with what we've got.)

  Paramount also fixed some framing mistakes on the VHS edition. Large portions of episodes 5, 6 and 7 were noticeably off-center when compared to the re-aligned DVDs. This had never caught my attention before, but when flipping back and forth, I could see that the tops of people's heads were actually lopped off quite frequently on the VHS.

  I've read horror stories of missing scenes when TV shows find their way to DVD, so I was especially anxious to be sure that wasn't the case. Rest assured, every moment of the VHS version is here. The only difference is that the commercial break spots have now been lengthened to about five seconds, where they were almost instant cuts on the VHS. This gives more of a breather between acts, which I totally approve of. (As for the other reviewer who found scenes that were not on their old VHS, I can't imagine what they were watching, but it wasn't the official Paramount 7 VHS set, which was identical to this new DVD in film content.)

  The extras are also pretty thorough for a title that's clearly not going to sell millions of units. There are a series of featurettes that actually run into a pretty comprehensive feature-length documentary. Almost all the surviving cast and crew are interviewed, with the standout being series producer/director Dan Curtis. Just what a labor of love the series was for him is quickly apparent, and he has wonderfully clear memories of the production, which he is given ample time to share.

  Bravo, Paramount, for giving this landmark miniseries the careful treatment it deserved.
  
  

• The first half of Herman Wouk's story of the Henry family

  
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2004-01-30
  Herman Wouk's "The Winds of War" is based on the conceit of the Henry family, who manage to be in most of the "right" places as the United States heads for Pearl Harbor and involvement in World War II. Rugged "Pug" Henry (Robert Mitchum) travels with his flighty wife Rhoda (Polly Bergen) to Berlin where he is assigned as the military attaché to the American Embassy. Because of an acquaintance with Brigadier General Armin von Roon (Jeremy Kemp) of the Germany army, Pug has the opportunity to learn enough about what the Nazis are doing to make an official report predicting that Hitler is going to make a pact with the Soviet Union. Because he is right, Pug is summoned to Washington, D.C. to meet with Franklin Roosevelt (Ralph Bellamy), and becomes an unofficial envoy for the President. Meanwhile, son Byron (Jan-Michael Vincent) is in Europe working as an assistant to the scholar Aaron Jastrow (John Houseman), son Warren (Ben Murphy) is training as a naval aviator, and daughter Madeline (Lisa Eilbacher) ends up getting a job working on a radio show. With these relatively few pieces Wouk covers the invasion of Poland, the German attack on the Soviets, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

  Wouk wrote the script for the 1983 mini-series, directed by Dan Curtis, and one of the major strengths of "The Winds of War" is that it takes its time in telling the story of the Henrys and the Second World War (this would be even more true in the sequel, "War and Remembrance," which it seemed every episode had a great set piece). For example, in the second episode there is an extended sequence in which several main characters are caught up with American embassy personnel fleeing Warsaw during the German invasion. They are brought by the Germans to a warehouse where they are fed, then lined up, and told to identify their Jews. Diplomat Leslie Slote (David Dukes) refuses and tells the SS they should consider all the Americans to be Jews because Americans do not make a distinction. One woman immediately complains that she is not a Jew, and the SS officer asks HER to identify the Jews in their party. The scene is very intense and works without explosions or special effects, just with the knowledge of what is going to happen to the people who are separated from the others.

  The storyline goes back and forth between the soap opera lives of the Henry family and the start of the war in Europe. The defining plotline of this mini-series is Byron's involvement with Aaron and his niece, Natalie (Ali McGraw) in terms of getting the Jastrows, who are Jewish, out of harm's way, which is to say, out of Europe. Of course, Byron falls in love with Natalie and it is there relationship that will end up providing the final scene of the Wouk's massive saga in "War and Remembrance."

  The other key soap opera element is the relationship between Pug and young Pamela Tudsbury (Victoria Tennant), the daughter of a renowned British radio commentator. As unlikely as it might seem, until you get sick and tired of Rhoda, Pug and Pamela become attracted to each other and fall in love, but if you think our hero is going to do anything about that when he is still married, then you have another thing coming. But fate is going to keep throwing these two together around the globe until something changes as Pug follows FDR's instructions and keeps finding the front seat of the war.

  "The Winds of War" provides a sense of people living through the history. Despite the soap opera elements, Wouk provides a sense of history. Wouk's script ran 962 pages, contained 1785 scenes, shot in 267 locations, in six countries and on two continents, to end up with 15 hours of air-time. This is not to say that this mini-series is without its flaws. Mitchum has a commanding presence and you certainly buy the idea that he is a career naval officer, but his acting range is extremely limited and your ability to buy the romance between his character and Pamela is up to you. However, I do not think you can blame him for his interest.

  However, the embarrassment in this cast is Ali McGraw. It is not that the actress was in her 40s when she played the part but just that she is such a bad actress. Add to that the fact that her character is either stupidly stubborn or stubbornly stupid, a trait inherited from her uncle's side of the family, and you spend most of this mini-series hoping that she gets killed so that Bryon can get home. However, the Jastrows are obviously fated to go to a concentration camp, and since Natalie and Byron drive by the Polish town once called Auschwitz by the Austrians in the first episode, you even know which one it is going to be.

  All three of the main actors involved in the Jastrow plotline would be replaced in "War and Remembrance," and this last time watching "The Winds of War" I tried to think upon how things might have worked if Jane Seymour had been playing Natalie from the beginning. I have to say that it is McGraw's performance that is the problem and not the character as written. Seymour could play stubborn without seeming stupid. But in the end it is clear the Henrys and their acquaintances are just minor figures caught up in a war that is about to involve the entire world. No wonder that I think some of the best work ever done on television has come in the form of the mini-series.
  
  

• Uneven but still magnificent

  
  By A2WLZD9BY669HY on 2000-12-10
  Despite staggering flaws in the casting of this epic drama, Robert Mitchum saves the day and dominates this brilliant series. Anyone who has read Herman Wouk's book probably cringed when picturing Mitchum as the short, 50-ish Pug Henry and he is physically all wrong for the part. But you don't care once he sleepily walks onto the screen and gives one of the most understated and "I don't give a damn" performances of his career. Is Mitchum too old for the part? You bet. Could he have shown a bit more emotion, especially in the love seens? Undoubtedly. Does it compromise the series or detract? Absolutely not.

  The problems with this drama emanate from the other cast members. Ali McGraw as Natalie delivers one of the most wretchedly acted performances in all of TV history. Her over-acting, melodramatic pauses and pacing of her lines is simply atrocious. It's impossible not to laugh uproariously at her silly attempts to project human emotion in any form. Jan-Michael Vincent is similarly bad and completely outclassed by everyone else in the production (except the insipid Ali McGraw). Their scenes together are well-written but spoiled by two actors who should have pursued a different profession.

  John Houseman and Polly Bergen are outstanding in their roles. Watch Houseman, a brilliant actor, in his scenes with wither Vicent or McGraw. You will cringe when you see his majestry and their weak, vain attempts to try and act on the same stage with this master! One does wish, however, that Aaron Jastrow and the endless wrangling with his passport would end. They draw this plot line out to insufferably long duration.

  The best parts of the mini-series are undoubtedly the romance between Mitchum and Pamela Tudsbury. Even though their chemistry seems strained, what woman wouldn't pursue Robert Mitchum across the globe and back, even when he is pushing 70? Buy me a ticket.

  For anyone who loves World War II and a classy production, this is your baby. I've watched it a dozen times and never weary of it. Highly recommended!
  
  

• The Winds of War Soar
  By A9L6L5H9BPEBO on 2006-09-29
  Because I read the book years before this became a production, I waited with anticipation. This time the author Herman Wouk made sure that the book was faithfully recreated. I found the result and the theme music immensely pleasurable in spite of some critics who labelled it "World at Bore."
  
  The story centers on one family just before the start of World War II when Victor "Pug" Henry is assigned as a naval attache to Berlin. The events of the world swallow up this navy family as the reader follows the other family members around the world at war. You learn about the people they meet, political and personal.
  
  The acting and character roles are an excellent match from A to Z with the exception of the letters A and M for Ali McGraw. Although she fits the description of Natalie Jastrow, her acting requires someone behind the curtain with a very long cane. Truly, she pulls off one scene so poorly, it will give you the chills of embarrassment. Her redemption comes in the form of the other actors such as Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Victoria Tennant, and John Houseman. These actors play their characters superbly.
  
  This story, book or DVD is an epic. For this one, you turn off the phone, turn down the lights, get the popcorn ready, and get set to be entertained. It would help if you have a healthy love and knowledge of history, particularly World War II.
  
  Your only disappointment may be the realization that the end leaves you in mid plot, and you will have to get the sequel, "War and Remembrance" if you want to find out what happens to everyone.
  
  This is a stunning sweep of history, time, people and events. The Winds of War Soar.
  
  
• A rarity: great TV adaptation.
  By A2K4RNOAD5J3WB on 2001-09-02
  This mini-series, together with its second part "War and Remembrance," may be the best TV adaptation of a book you will find. Even though the casting could have been better, and several main characters end up being played by different actors in the second part, "The Winds of War" follows very closely what Herman Wouk wrote on his novel of the same name. The TV adaptation is by Wouk, and Curtis' direction is magnificent. Curtis is responsible for the total immersion of the viewer in the era portrayed, as well as for the cinematic look of this series that is far above most TV of this or any day.
  About the cast I would have chosen another actress for Nathalie Jastrow and not Ali McGraw, but the series does not suffer with her. I have always liked Robert Mitchum, so it did not matter to me that he was too old for the part of Victor Henry: the late Mitchum is simply great in a rôle that, although not written for him, he made his own. The young Jan Michael Vincent is convincing as Byron Henry, even if his romance with Nathalie, due to casting, fails to convince me. Victoria Tennant as Pamela Tudsbury falling for Victor Henry is a bit of a stretch but, again, the overall story and performances are powerful enough to let you go with it.
  This is TV at its best, presenting a very good work of fiction based on history. It's long, but that is part of the point: the attention to detail is quite commendable. This kind of TV is very rare. We will get to see more in "War and Remembrance," but no more after that. I know of no other adaptation that is as close as this one, and where money and talent really worked together to produce a total as good as the novel that inspired it. Finally, I must recommend both books by Wouk. If you have read "The Winds of War," you will appreciate what a great transition from print to screen has taken place here. And do not expect solved issues at the end of the last tape: this one ends right after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. In order to find out what happens to the characters, you must read "War and Remembrance" or watch the second mini-series or, better yet, do both.
  
  
• Winds of War
  By AEYMPMVF4HP3B on 2000-03-17
  Winds of War is the first part of a series on WWII, a television mini-series first broadcast in the 1980's on US prime time TV. The second part is War and Rememberance. The Winds of War deals with the years preceeding WWII and the events that shaped the US involvment into the war. War and Remembrance deals with the war years. The entire series centers around the Henry family- the father-Victor Henry, a US naval officer, his two sons, one-Byron, who is a "renegade" of sorts, on a break wandering thru Europe. He eventually marries a Jewish girl (an American girl also in Europe) and she gets trapped in Europe fleeing the Nazis the entire series. Byron eventually becomes a Naval submarine officer in the Pacific fighting the Japs. The submarine scenes/encounters with the Japs are very well done. His other son is a Navy fighter pilot also involved in the Pacific War. The "father" Henry holds posts such as the Naval Attache in Berlin prior to the war so you get to see what pre-wartime Germany is like thru his eyes, as well as other posts which enable him to travel to key areas where historical events are taking place in Europe and the Pacific. His wife has an affair with a guy involved in the Manhattan project and he has an affair with a young English girl globetrotting with her father who is a British radio war correspondent which is convenient for romantic rondevous. This series, in my opinion is the best TV mini-series ever done. The acting is superb. The war scenes are fantastic, especially the graphic, horrifying scenes in the concentration camps depicting how inhumanely cold and calculating the Germans were in deciding how they were going to dispose of the Jews. I am not a history buff, but this series certainly turned me into one. I learned a lot about WWII watching this series. It starts off a little slow and is not as action packed and fast moving as many Hollywood action movies today. For this reason, young kids may not be much interested in the entire series and may get bored with it quick. But for the more mature person who likes a good story with good character development interwoven with an excellent historical look at WWII, this can't be beat. It has my highest recommendation, and that is saying a lot. I think it should be moved to a DVD format though. I hope this happens. Although this series is long (Winds of War and War and Remembrance) I have watched it 3 times now and enjoy it much each time. For those war buffs out there, North and South, starring Patrick Swayze, was done similarly with a big series that took place in the years preceeding the US Civil War and the followed by another series with the same characters, only taking place during the Civil War. I highly recommend that series also.
  
  
• Move Over, Spielberg...Wouk's here.
  By AK7IDQJN31163 on 2002-11-09
  When I first sat down to watch "Winds of War," I was sure that I would be disappointed. After all, how many movies and television series live up to the book? The only example I've ever come across is Larry mcMurtry's "Lonesome Dove." However, with the exception of a few casting errors, "Winds of War," is the perfect example of how a powerful story can correct all other blunders. Some complain that the movie is too long, but I feel this only adds to it's authenticity and attention to detail. Thank God Herman Wouk had a hand in writing the screenplay. Michem plays the character of Pug a little too flatly, but he gets the job done. I agree with those who say the parts of Byron and Natalie weren't cast very well, but again, the story drowns out all flaws. The best trait is that the series is very faithful to the book. Several reviewers have complained that many issues go unresolved in this story. Obviously, these people wrote their commentary before viewing or reading the sequel, "War and Remembrance." This is a beautifully krafted masterpiece and it is far superior to most other popular works of WWII fiction.
  
  
• The Winds Of War
  By on 2004-03-08
  Five Star ***** TV mini-series about the buildup to WW2 and the effect it has on one family. Robert Mitchum is a career Naval Officer with Polly Bergan as his wife. Prequel to the mini-series War & Remembrance. This is an outstanding TV miniseries! Don't miss it!
  
  
• below average, though has moments of excellence
  By A2FTHCGH06O4Y5 on 2002-08-18
  There are seven tapes in this series, all lasting about two hours (the last one a little more). We are told the story of the Henry family in the days before WWII, through the beginning of that conflict, and up until just after the attack on Pearl Harbor (shortly after which the series closes). Although there are some good scenes and elements, I would characterize this on the whole as an unrewarding 14-hour slog that will try the patience of even the most ardent WWII-movie buffs. Why?

  1. The chief focus of the plot is on the soap-operatic elements of their characters' lives; never anything deeper. It seems that there is only one member of the Henry family who's not involved in some sort of love triangle or other. Criminally, these triangles are wholly uninteresting and left unresolved at the end of the series! And as if that isn't bad enough, the principal actors seem a little old to be engaging in such unprincipled philandering (e.g., the sprightly Ali McGraw turned 44 during filming).

  2. On the whole, the characters are flat and uninteresting, even stereotyped. A possible exception to this could have been the pre-submarine Byron, who apparently slacked a rebellious swath across Europe despite a promising mind and family connections. Why? What was his personal philosophy? What was he thinking? But this was never explored.

  3. Mitchum is a totally one-note actor with zero depth, at least here. He reassures Victoria Tennet of his passion in the same flat tone he uses to apprise the president of the German threat. We admire his character, sure, but that's not enough to carry us through 14 hours of him!

  4. The movie's device of following the Pug character through the various theaters of war (the better to grasp the immensity of the thing) worked well in the beginning, but it soon became strained and gimmicky. The next thing we were expecting was a personal interview with Hideki Tojo during which it would be revealed that Pug speaks (surprise, surprise) - halting Japanese! Having him go to every theater of war was certainly stretching things a bit.

  5. When subtitles are given, they are printed in white, which frequently makes them illegible.

  6. Aaron Jastrow's passport woes form just about the worst sub-plot I've ever encountered. It's so boring, it's infuriating. I mean, it goes on and on for several episodes. In the end you just wanna smack Natalie and that airheaded Jastrow for not getting out when the getting was good, and it's not like they didn't have several warnings and opportunities! Personally, I found Natalie's stubbornness and mindless shuffling back and forth to and from Europe highly irritating, yet Dan Curtis seems to imply that her uncle not getting his transit visa through Zurich is more worthy of our tears than hundreds of thousands of deaths occurring that moment on the eastern front! To top it off, at the end of the series, the whole passport issue is left maddeningly unresolved. They board ship for Turkey, which is a long way from the States. And we don't even get to see the ship leave. So did they get home safe or not? And now that I mention it, we never learn if Jastrow's precious MS was ever recovered from the hotel, either!

  7. Apparently "World War II" wouldn't look like "World War II" unless we smeared a gallon of Vaseline on the lens throughout the entire film, even during the non-romantic scenes. Was this really necessary?

  8. None of the major characters die, or even get shot. (Although Pug's other son does receive some facial scratches when he is "shot down".)

  9. The Pearl Harbor scene. It was a disaster, right? Yet this movie seems to imply it was a stirring victory merely because Byron Henry managed to transfer 26 torpedoes out of a doomed warehouse. And God forbid one shows up for Pearl Harbor without a babe in tow! (Apparently the producers felt that every single scene had to have a woman involved or they would lose their distaff viewers.)

  For all this silliness, the movie does have its strong points, I'll be the first to admit. For example, although the characters themselves aren't very interesting, the predicaments they're put into on occasion result in some very well-done scenes (in particular Natalie and Byron in Poland, and "Pug" in the bombing run over Germany). But the special effects budget was not tremendous, so the movie's at its best when it's exploring the emotional lives of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations.

  Also, the portrayals of Roosevelt and Hitler stand out as especially convincing. Many of the other shortcomings of the series are more than made up for by an energetic cast, especially Ali McGraw.

  In the end, not a complete disaster. But I'm not quite sure it's worth all that money.
  
  

• An epic saga to remember.
  By A3C825W6AX5HJK on 2003-02-27
  This is a wonderful film. Not just for the all star cast, but also the minute details the director included. The film centers around a family. The father is in the military. Within the first hour, he and his wife are sent to Germany to be ambassadors. They see the effects of Nazi Germany in the way that the Jewish servants are treated. The Winds of War details Hitler's obsession to open the concentration camps and how the Jewish community reacts. Meanwhile, the two sons choose to go their own way, one follows his fathers' footsteps and enters the military, and the other travels to Italy to study under a prestigous professor.Each are placed in different parts of the world and which enables us to see how the world was responding to Hitler's position. As we follow this family, we see them fall in love, marry, and gather together to face the coming war. The Winds of War takes us to Pearl Harbor when talk of war ended and active participation begins. I would seriously recommend this to anyone who has never seen the effects of Hitler's butchery. It will put your problems into prospective to see how the Jews survived and thrived through one of the darkest times in history. You will be irrisitibly drawn to the story of Byron and Natalie and if you are a war buff, you will also be drawn to the main plot, which is World War II.
  
  
• Winds of War: Viewed it 4 times...let me tell you about it..
  By A15P22HUDX1HV9 on 2004-03-12
  I'm a great fan of the Winds of War and War and Remembrance Series. I can say I viewed the total series at least 4 times. What I could say about W of W is all the actors are great, love R. Mitchum in the role, and all his sons. Polly is great as always (she always reminds me of my own wife) The only things I would have to say is the actor playing Hitler is nothing close to the actor in War and Rem. You'll see, when in 1941, Germany is taking over France, when Hitler walks to the railcar to sign the documents, it's a bit "Charlie Chaplin" style...not really good take for the quality of the production. But overall, this movie is one in movie wars. I recommend it! I'd like to get your comments too, please don't hesitate to do so! ... Happy viewing! R.
  
  
• Ali McGraw is responsible for WW II
  By A2TEU5J5T3XZML on 2004-10-17
  The Winds of War is a well done, workmanlike mini-series that offers the viewer hours of entertaiment along with a history lesson on the characters and events conspring in the lead up to WW II. Robert Mitchum is superbly cast as the Naval Attache in Berlin on the eve of war. Ralph Ballamy's Roosevelt is utterly believable, as our most of the other performances.
  
  The weak link is Ali McGraw, who gives a breathtakingly idiotic performance, never breaking out of her "I'm reading aloud from the phone book" monotone -- even during the bombing of Warsaw! She sucks the life out of every scene that she's in. As a performer, she is blissfully uninvolved with her character. That said, if you can get past her sleep walking, it's -- other than that --a fine film.
  
  
• If only we had Jane Seymour instead of Ali McGraw
  By A3ITL5EYKTZTF0 on 2006-09-15
  I am watching Winds of War AFTER War and Remembrance, which I think may be the greatest mini-series ever made. At the moment I'm only halfway through it, and find the story itself gripping, although not up to par with W&R.
  
  But I can barely stand to watch Ali McGraw. Did she still think she was playing Love Story? What a one-dimensional, pouty, condescending, full-of-herself, unlikeable character she plays....it's hard to understand why Byron falls in love with her (and indeed Jan-Michael Vincent is not the greatest actor himself -- fortunately, both were replaced in War and Remembrance). This mini-series would be excellent if it weren't for her sophomoric acting constantly bringing it down to the level of a B- movie.
  
  Many people have criticized the casting of Jane Seymour in War and Remembrance, and indeed Seymour plays the role so differently she is really an entirely different character. Gone is the feistiness which Ali McGraw displays -- and indeed Seymour could have been a little feistier in the part. But nevertheless, Seymour comes from her heart, is far more genuine than McGraw, and is also a superb actress.
  
  For those of you who watch Winds of War, I recommend fast forwarding through the Ali McGraw scenes....... and getting the most out of the political story itself rather than seeking to warm up to the characters. And then move on to War and Remembrance - you will have superb characters, acting, story (with chilling realism, especially in the concentration camps) and gripping political drama there, without having to put up with one nauseating actress.
  
  
  
• ONE OF THE GREATEST MINISERIES THE 80-IS HAVE TO OFFER
  By A21899Q1U6VK73 on 2007-01-17
  Herman Wouk's book `Winds of war' became a bestseller upon its publication, just like its sequel `War and Remembrance' a few years later. These thick books, joining the fictional and historical events during Second World War, provided the subject matter for one of the greatest achievements in the history of the TV miniseries. This 6-DVD set covers the first book, with an 18-hour series shot in 1983.
  
  The plot concerns a military family named Henry, scattered and absorbed by the winds of war. We follow the patriarch Victor `Pug Henry (Robert Mitchum), an experienced military officer who in the spring 1939 is appointed to be a military attaché for the USA in Berlin. He is accompanied by his dotty and yet quite likable wife Rhoda (Polly Bergen). Their children include an oldest son, the flyboy Warren (Ben Murphy), another son Byron (Jan-Michael Vincent) who is in Italy and falls in love with a bit older Jewish girl Natalie (Ali McGraw), who is the niece of the famous American-Jewish writer dr. Aaron Jastrow (John Houseman). The daughter Madeleine (Lisa Eilbacher) is the youngest of the three and works as a radio girl. In Berlin Pugh gets the hint of the atmosphere in the Nazi Germany of that time (like the fact Jews are treated second-class) and predicts the upcoming pact between Hitler (Günter Meisner) and Stalin, both of who he gets to meet during the series. Byron and Natalie witness the first days of war, being caught in the midst of Warsaw, where Natalie followed her fiancé, the American diplomat Leslie Slote (David Dukes). The series mixes the lives of the Henrys with the historical events of the war (the occupations of Poland and France; the blitz in London; the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union; the beginnings of the `Final Solution' behind the lines of the occupied Russian territory; the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to name a few). The last episode of this first part of the story ends with the aftermath of Pearl Harbor: The German offensive is halted on the outskirts of Moscow, Pug goes to command a battleship and fight in the war, unsure of his feelings for the beautiful daughter of an old friend (Victoria Tennant), Byron fights in the submarine, while in the meantime Natalie, who fell in love with Byron and bore him a son, is left onboard a ship in Naples which is awaiting to live for Palestine, since she and her uncle could not find their way out of Fascist Italy, due to his passport complications.
  
  The above is just the basic description of the series and despite of what it may seem, it is not a soap opera, but rather an interesting chronicle of the war and a family influenced by its impact. Pug Henry gets to meet all the important players of the war (Churchill, Hitler, Roosevelt, Stalin...) and in this respect is somewhat similar to young Indiana Jones. The war itself is shown from these two viewpoints: the Henrys and the rest of the fictional characters vs. the historical ones (Hitler and his generals etc.)
  
  There are many things that make this show one of the miniseries highlights of its time. One of them is the excellent casting. Robert Mitchum brings his renowned charisma for the character of Pug and he does it in an excellent way. Ali MacGraw's headstrong Natalie makes a fine contrast to Jan-Michael Vincent's younger Byron. The historical characters are done more than convincingly. Thusly Ralph Bellamy is the definite FDR (a role he had an opportunity to play years before in the theatre) and Howard Lang makes a believable Churchill. One must make a special reference to Günter Meisner and his portrayal of Adolf Hitler. As it will be seen in the sequel, the director and producer Dan Curtis wanted Hitler to be overplayed. The reasons remain unknown and one can only guess that he wanted to make it less human in this way. Günter Meisner, the late German actor who played Hitler few times during his career, although a bit too old for the role, managed to keep things under control, so despite the fact his Führer is stiffed and not altogether perfect, he manages to give a hint of the evil personage Hitler was. This is important to note, since his successor to the role for `War and remembrance', the British actor Steven Berkoff, was awful, playing the character as a total one-dimensional yelling buffoon. The role of Hitler is a hard and yet manageable task for an actor who can make a character, as shown by Bruno Ganz in the recent movie `Downfall'.
  
  One of the other appeals of the show is the fact it was shot on location, with attention put to details that make the historical accuracy. Most scenes were shot in my hometown Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, then still part of ex-Yugoslavia. The producers managed to use Zagreb's past as one of the former Austro-Hungarian capitals to recreate Berlin, Lisbon, Warsaw, etc. The scenery and the costumes evoke the era perfectly, thus making the whole thing believable to the viewer. Other locations included USA, Italy and some more. But the greatest asset is without the doubt the interesting plot which doesn't let go for a moment.
  
  It is also noticeable that some of the mistakes that were made in the sequel, `War and Remembrance', (the narrow scope of the victims of the Holocaust being one of them) are not present here. One can only get a hint of some of the future slips here, for example, the subtle message that all the Germans are bad and all Americans good.
  
  This DVD collection of the series deserves A+. Seven DVDs come packed in a nice sleeve. Besides the series, there are several interesting extra features: through the interviews with the cast, crew and Herman Wouk we learn about the process of adaptation, casting, shooting and the problems they all encountered while making this epic peace. Some of the footage includes things shot during the work on location in Zagreb.
  
  For anyone enjoying modern history, an excellent miniseries with the interesting plot or is simply interested in Second World War, this is a must-have. Highly recommendable.
  
  
• YES FOR DVD!!!!!!!!!!
  By A25G4IR1XSSNCY on 2001-12-31
  Like Jeff from Atlanta, I hope someone is astute enough to realize that their is definitely a market for both Winds of War and War and Remembrance to be sold in DVD format.
  I would also be VERY interested in this purchase if the cost is any where near being reasonable.

  Larry from Missouri
  
  

• It's windy, all right
  By A1ZV7E1PX6430N on 2000-03-16
  Highly problematic but ultimately engrossing mini-series about the travails of a military family in the days leading up to WWII. Robert Mitchum is too old for the lead and often seems disinterested. (Although he does have a couple of terrific scenes on the Phillipine Islands near the end of the saga. They remind you of what a fine actor he could be.) Victoria Tennant -- she of average looks and below-average ability -- is inexplicably cast as Pamela Tudsbury and lends no credibility as Mitchum's would-be paramour. However, she's Meryl Streep when compared to Ali MacGraw's Natalie Henry, which is one of the most inept performances in the history of the mini-series. MacGraw apparently took Acting 101 at some point, and seems quite proud of the one or two mannerisms she displays throughout.

  On the other hand, you get an outstanding performance by Polly Bergen as Rhoda Henry (who always seems far too formidable the milk-faced Pamela), and solid work from Topol, Jeremy Kemp, and David Dukes. Jan-Michael Vincent grows on you, after a shaky start. Plus, the era and story are undeniably fascinating, and director Dan Curtis keeps the complicated narrative organized and moving forward. The set pieces are generally well-handled, and I'd say that the location work is unbeatable, except that he beats it in "War and Remembrance."

  So, if you can overlook the miscasting of key roles, "Winds" is definitely worth the investment. I must admit that I watch it every year.
  
  

• One of the best pieces of motion picture ever!
  By on 1999-06-04
  The Winds of War is by far one of the finest pieces of motion picture ever! It is the story of a U.S. Naval family blown across the world "like a family of tumbleweeds" by events leading up to and into World War II. Robert Mitchum, cast as Pug Henry, does a fantastic job portraying the character from the book. It's a shame more mini-series aren't made today in the same style and flair as this. Before Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List there was the Winds of War. A must see....
  
  
• Impressive Acheivement
  By A3N0QXCNIZNXZL on 2005-12-29
  There are a few things to love about this ambitious World War II epic, many things to like and one thing to loath.
  
  In terms of production values, scale, scope and sweep, "Winds of War" and it's sequel "War and Remembrance" are unparalleled. WoW consists of two compelling narratives: The larger back story of WWII itself (propelled by the leaders of the era, Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill, et al), and the smaller, personal stories of the Henry family and friends. The former far more interesting than the latter.
  
  These two story threads are seemlessly woven together by the Henry Patriarch, Victor 'Pug' Henry (Robert Michum) who conveniently Forrest Gumps his way into a half dozen major policy meetings of both the Allies and Axis powers. Believing that a Navy captain could (in the span of 2 years) befriend Roosevelt, chat up Churchill, negotiate with Hitler & Mussolini and toast Stalin...is a bit of a stretch, but here, it works. This is due in no small part to the credibility Robert Michum brings to the role, carrying himself with the kind of dignity and charisma that could indeed curry the respect of these world leaders.
  
  Scenes set within the upper eschelons of power (White House, 10 Downing, Wolf's Lair, etc) are far and away the best of the series. While Roosevelt, Churchill and Mussolini all receive effective portrayals, the interpretation of Adolf Hitler by Gunter Meisner tops them all. Balancing the cagy, political brilliance of Hitler with the twisted, maniacal evil has always been a challenge for actors, but Meisner pulls it off nicely. Yes, we see screaming, red faced rants, but they are usually accompanied by creepily engrossing soliloquies (outlining his rational for invading France, and later the USSR) that add depth and dimention to the madness.
  
  The story of the Henry family is only interesting in so far as it connects to the larger WWII narrative. Seeing the direct, human impact that Hitler's aggression and tyranny has on the Henry circle is effective and instructive. However, almost every other aspect of their family story is inconsequential and trite.
  
  Which brings me to the loathsome of WoW: Ali MacGraw. As Natalie Jastrow, the love interest for Pug's son Byron (Jan-Michal Vincent), Ali delivers quite possibly the worst acting performance ever filmed opposite Jan-Michael (and yes, I am including the Airwolf helicopter). Her performance manages to be both bland and shrill, sucking the life out of every minute she's on screen (which, when added up, sadly accounts for about 1/3 of the 15 hour running time). Watching her slack-jawed, one-note performance, I felt pity for the other actors dragooned into her orbit and mourned for the movie that could have existed in her absence. For a glimpse of that movie, you need only rent "War & Remembrance" where her character was thankfully recast with Jane Seymore.
  
  However, one long, grating, bad note cannot spoil what is still an impressive acheivement and worth the investment in time.
  
  
• A treasure! The complete miniseries, beautifully done.
  By A2XRMQA6PJ5ZJ8 on 2004-06-14
  Thank goodness that "The Winds of War" is finally available on DVD. I missed the original presentation of TWOW when it was first shown on television, but later bought the videocassete version, which was enjoyable enough. Unfortunately, I did not realize (until I got the DVD version) that the VHS version omitted a great many scenes of the original miniseries. This DVD version appears to present TWOW in its entirety, as far as I can tell. Wonderful!

  This is a very well-done presentation of Wouk's masterpiece--essentially tracking an American Naval family through pivotal events just prior to America's entry into the Second World War. The viewer is introduced to prewar Nazi Germany, the Nazi invasion of Poland, Britain's early struggles against the Nazis, issues surrounding President Roosevelt's attempts to prepare America for its inevitable entry into the War, and its aid to the British. As other reviewers have mentioned, the casting is fabulous. Robert Mitchum is perfect as Victor Henry, Jan Michael-Vincent is a great Byron Henry, John Houseman is wonderful as Aaron Jastrow, Victoria Tennant is magnificent as Pamela Tudsbury. All of the leads do very well in my opinion. Further, the script is very faithful to the novel, rarely deviating from it, and this is a plus, because the novel moves at a steady pace with a solid storyline. The result is that this is a miniseries that does not feature much in the way of draggy pointless interludes the way so many miniseries sometimes do. Every minute of TWOW is enjoyable and worth watching, which is why I am so pleased that this DVD version is uncut, presenting the entire miniseries.

  This is a wonderful value and a fabulous viewing experience about one of the very best novels dealing with World War II.
  
  

• Good series; Ali MacGraw pitfiful
  By A3BGZHVSC9C8AD on 2004-11-21
  I really liked the series, but the cast from War and Remembrance was so much better. Ali Macgraw was so annoying as Natalie Henry. Most of all, Ali Macgrew as about 10 years too old to be playing the 30ish Natalie Jastrow. Who else agrees? And Jan Michael Vincent was 10 years too old to be playing 22 year old Byron Henry.
  
  
• A Great Story--but an Absolutely Terrible Transfer to DVD!
  By on 2004-05-30
  While the story is magnificent, this is the absolute worst conversion from film to DVD that I've ever seen! There are big clumps of dirt visible throughout the movie, presumably from a dirty transfer mechanism. Parts of this movie are so grainy that you would think the film was originally done on 8mm! Paramount should be ashamed for releasing this putrid transfer and ruining a fine saga.
  
  
• Outstanding except film quality
  By A3J7O5WBF6SM80 on 2004-09-14
  "Winds of War" is THE best WW-II series ever produced for TV. The acting, directing, and editing are outstanding. The only reason that I don't give it 5 stars is that the print used for this dvd is a "grainy film" print. To spend this much time and effort on a series and then have the film processors make a grainy print is beyond belief. Nevertheless, it is excellent and well-worth adding to one's collection.
  
  
• Shows whatt a tv series can really do
  By A2GNTKL01TJE3Y on 2006-03-23
  After viewing this series, along with reading the book, I don't think I'll ever be able to watch mindless sitcoms and most "reality" shows again. Winds of War provided a vicarious experience unlike any tv series I've seen.
  Giving this a A+!
  
  
• Deserves 10 or 15 Stars (perhaps 45 Stars (5 for each 2 hours))
  By A3NFT0DBLKFYST on 2006-04-15
  While watching this epic... when my brain was not totally absorbed by it... I asked myself: "How could they have filmed this WITHOUT running WWII (in the Europe segments anyway) AGAIN?! One other commentor said: "as close tot ime travel as you can get." How true!
  
  I watched this via DVD over the course of about 14 days, and was astonished. In my videotape library I later found at least few hours that I had taped from the original TV presentation back in 1983 (but never had the time or inclination to watch.
  
  There is no way to praise Dan Curtis enough for what he was able to bring to the screen.
  
  The one actor who was overlooked in the credits - or at least received less credit than due - was Gunter Meisner (his name is even botched in the amazon.com details) who played Hitler with a perfection to make you swoon.
  
  I had not read the book, although I have read "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" twice (once in the summer of 1968 and once in the late 70s) so I had some cobwebbed familiarity with the material, but the presentation of the history alone was stunningly powerful, in no way distorted by the Henry family dramas.
  
  I'm reading "War and Remembrance" now.
  
  
• Winds of War
  By A3SPHCZ0GCL4ZU on 2007-02-10
  The actors,the music, the scenery just everything about this picture is outstanding. Mitchum is in his prime. The cast was well chosen. This is a true classic. Wouk made sure the producers did not short change his book and they did not.
  
  
• ABSOLUTELY THE VERY BEST OF THE BEST
  By A26BDVL9V9RE8Y on 2004-03-24
  What is there to say about the Winds of War and War and Remembrance? It is the absolute very best series about
  World War II ever made. My previous choice "Gone With The Wind"
  can't light a candle next to Winds of War and War and Remembrance. Since War & Remembrance was released on DVD, I organized a group of fanatics like me to write Paramount Home Video weekly to delease Winds on DVD. The cast was perfect. In this I am at odds with many critics who said Ali Mcgraw was not a good Natalie. In my humble opinion she played the role
  exactly as it was written by Herman Wolk and only the Hitler character in the Winds was poorly cast but made up for in War and Remembrance. If you have never seen these you have missed the best.
  
  
• Superb in every way
  By A109WIE49N0GV on 2004-07-25
  THE WINDS OF WAR is truly great television. Epic in scope and yet intimate at the same time, it draws you into the world of pre-war Europe and the lives of the Henry family. There is a perfect balance between history and fiction here, and both are totally compelling.
  
  What makes this mini-series such a pleasure to watch are the performances by terrific actors. Almost every actor in this production is perfectly cast, most notably Polly Bergen as Rhoda Henry, David Dukes as Leslie Slote, and Victoria Tennant as Pamela Tudsbury. Robert Mitchum, Ali MacGraw and John Houseman are also terrific. The only shortcoming in the cast is Jan-Michael Vincent as Byron Henry; his acting skills just weren't quite at the level of the rest of the cast, and so he ends up seeming a little flat at times (especially in scenes with Ali MacGraw).
  
  At 18 hours, this is quite a long show, but I found myself not wanting it to end. Of course, it doesn't end there -- there are 30 more hours to go in WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. But THE WINDS OF WAR is a true pleasure to watch in and of itself. And you get a great history lesson about the events that led to the start of World War II.
  
  
• Grand historical drama
  By A26QJW82E7L2MJ on 2005-09-21
  Herman Wouk's Winds of War represents some of television's finest not only in the era of the mini-series but programming in general. This film offers viewers a glimpse of what life, and in particular political views and realities, were like in America in the years leading up to W.W.II. The acting is outstanding, the story fascinating (though as another reviewer has pointed out the soap opera parts can grow wearisome). This film rates along with the likes of Tora, Tora, Tora; HBO's Conspiracy; Schindler's List; and the documentary series The World at War and Nazis: A Warning From History as worthy of being required viewing for all high school students as they study US history.
  
  

• War and Remembrance - Volume 1 - Parts 1-7
• War & Remembrance - Vol. 2, The Final Chapter: Parts 8 - 12
• North and South - The Complete Collection
• James Clavell's Shogun
• Holocaust