The Battleships (2000)

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General		Extras
Category	Documentary	Main Menu Audio & Animation Gallery-Photo
Rating
Year Of Production	2000
Running Time	204:43 (Case: 209)
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Rob McRuley Peter Butt
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	None Given
Case	Soft Brackley-Transp
RPI	$59.95	Music	None Given

    The Battleships is a four part documentary covering the rise and fall of the battleship over a period of almost 300 years. From the very first 'weapons platform' of its type, the Mary Rose, through to the last decommissioned battleship, the Missouri, this is a detailed and complex series which traces the development of these massive weapons of war through the political and economic influence they exerted during the colonizing period of the 19th and 20th century and right down to their ultimate demise as their effectiveness diminished when faced with new technologies. Air power and the arrival of the atomic bomb at the end of WWII hastened the 'death' of these expensive and ultimately flawed machines of war, consigning them to the scrap heap of history.

    The Battleships is broken down into four episodes:

• Episode 1: A Thirst for Blood and Iron
Covering the period 1800-1906, this episode traces the rise of the battleship under the auspices of Henry VIII as a means of controlling the sea lanes for Great Britain, through Nelson and his flagship Victory, the first all-purpose-built warship of its kind. Also covered are the effects of the industrial revolution and the conversion to steam, the invention of the first iron-hulled ship, the Gloire (France) and its galvanising effect on Britain and its ship building industry; details on the American Civil war and the invention of the gun turret right through to the Battle of Tushima (Japan vs Russia) and the rise of Germany as a maritime nation.
• Episode 2: Clash of the Dreadnaughts
From 1906 until 1916 and the Battle of Jutland, the battleship continued to be developed as the premium weapon of war, even though its value was more perception than reality. The confidence in these super dreadnaught-type ships was to receive a tremendous jolt at Jutland as the assumptions that built these massive juggernauts - that they could deliver a decisive blow to the enemy - was undermined by the determination of the Germans not to confront the British Grand Fleet in an all-out conflict. Instead, we gain insight into why this philosophy was flawed, including the cost in material and prestige to both sides.
• Episode 3: The Darkness of the Future
From 1916-1939 we see the results of Jutland both politically, economically and militarily as the war draws to its conclusion. We learn of the fate of the German Fleet at Scarpa Flow, the effects of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany and the reason for the creation of the 'pocket' battleship in the mid 30s. Also we begin to see the rise of America and Japan as sea-powers in the Pacific and of the forestalling of a possible Anglo-American conflict in 1928 with the Washington Treaty, which results in the virtual emasculation of Great Britain as the premier sea-going nation. Also touched upon in this episode is the role of aircraft and the coming change that will bring an end to the role of the battleship as a decisive weapon of war.
• Episode 4: Terror from Above
Covering 1939-now, this shows the final death throes of the once-mighty machines as they are replaced in importance by the Aircraft Carrier and the airplane. With the advent of new technologies and the rise of the U-boat as a battleship killer during WWII, the role of the battleships turns into that of a commerce raider for the most part. It is the British themselves that change things at the Battle of Taranto where aircraft from the Ark Royal sink three Italian battleships in harbour. Coverage is also given to the Bismarck, the Hood and other battleships in service during WWII showing the last of the grand fleets in action. Only the US-maintained battleships remained in service thereafter, the last of which saw action during the Gulf War before being decommissioned.

    This is a superb series, excellently narrated by Robyn Williams, with lots of archival footage. This isn't simply a document of the maritime history of the battleship, but also of its political and economic impact on both nation and morale of the people. The battles discussed in the series are laid out simply, as in another excellent documentary series I hope comes to DVD, Line of Fire, with graphics that allow the viewer to more fully understand what is being verbally explained. I found the entire program enjoyable and totally entertaining and had no problem watching all 4 episodes back-to-back. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in ships or military history. It is another superb documentary series.

Video

    As with many documentaries, the use of archival material serious degrades the viewing experience due to the poor condition much of it is in, and this disc is no exception. Having said that, the use of this material interspersed with expert commentary forms a most enlightening backdrop on which the narrator can explain the subject matter. The Battleships, bad film stock or not, does this as well as I've seen in many a long day.

    The show is obviously made-for-TV and has an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and is full framed. It is not 16x9 enhanced.

    The expert commentary footage is extremely good with no appreciable problems, as you'd expect. Much of the archival material lacks definition and sharpness in many cases and is used extensively in all four episodes. Material dates back as far as 120 years ago. Shadow detail varies from shot to shot with heavy grain obvious throughout. There was blooming in many of the shots, but there is no doubt that you'd be hard-pressed to find better material to work with. Overall, you became accustomed to the problems with the footage quickly and it never got worse than in the first episode. The animation used to depict battle scenarios was sharp and nicely defined.

    Much of the footage was in black and white with many defects in the stock causing the grey scale to wander significantly. Most times, though, you will be able to make out what's being shown, if only just. The interviews were nice and bright by comparison, offering a solid colour base without being spectacular.

    There were far too many artefacts to mention and if you are prepared to watch a documentary you'll understand that anyway. Several major flaws in some of the older stock were apparent, including film breaks and splicing marks, severe water and burn damage on occasion plus the usual lines and marks that older nitrates often exhibited over time. For the most part, there were the usual plethora of minor nicks and scratches on the film.

    There are no subtitles on this disc

    This is a dual layered DVD. No layer change was noted. The episodic nature of the DVD would explain this, with presumably two episodes per layer.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The only soundtrack on this disc is in Dolby Digital 2.0 and in English. A bitrate of 192 kilobits per second was used. All the sound comes from the front speakers. There is some rear redirection, but this gave no greater substance to the overall sound field. Still, the sound was solid across the front speakers and suited the material nicely.

    The narrator, Robyn Williams, has an excellent speaking voice and sounds clear and articulate throughout. He added a level of briskness to proceedings. The interviews were also very clear, and no syncing problems presented themselves.

    The theme music was quite well done, being bright and very militaristic. There were lots of injections of Rule Britannia, the Marseilles and other military-type tunes throughout the various episodes. Sound effects were added to simulate gunfire, waves breaking on ships and other such on-screen events, and although there is no accredited person for the music, Campbell McAuley is credited with the sound and he does a wonderful job of adding just the right amount at the right time.

    There was some slight sound from the surrounds but this seemed unintentional. At no stage did it become noticeable except if you got close to the speakers.

    No subwoofers were sunk during the making of this documentary.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Main Menu Audio & Animation

Gallery-Photo

    At this time, there doesn't appear to be an R1 version of this disc available for comparison.

    The video is as good as you'd expect with the number of problems endemic to the core material.

    The audio is sold, if unspectacular, but the dialogue is crystal clear which is the main thing. There is good use made of sound effects to break up the monotony.

    The extras are naturally thin, being a single guide to the most notable battleships throughout the ages.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall