Generation War is a very well-produced and beautifully directed limited series following five young Germans through WW2. As enjoyable as it is, if you watch it, and you don't have a firm grasp of the complicated politics of Nazi Germany and their occupied territories, I urge you to dig up the BBC follow-up discussion in which a handful of historians expressed their concerns to the producer.
The most egregious flaw in the story comes right at the start, with the light-hearted introduction of the Jewish friend among the five. It's ludicrously inauthentic on multiple levels. The four Aryan friends, as liberal as they might have been, would still have been heavily indoctrinated by the pervasive Nazi policies, and all five would have witnessed years of anti-Jewish activity and known how deadly serious the Nazis were, making their cavalier behavior totally unbelievable.
More subtly disturbing is the portrayal of every other nationality in their worst historical light. Yes, some of it was authentic, but unlike the portrayals of Germans, it wasn't balanced by any positive portrayals. Even the Americans are shown only in one negative scene.
That said, it's a gripping story, with twists and turns, very good battle scenes, very slick entertainment with some historical merit. Definitely worth a look.
The most egregious flaw in the story comes right at the start, with the light-hearted introduction of the Jewish friend among the five. It's ludicrously inauthentic on multiple levels. The four Aryan friends, as liberal as they might have been, would still have been heavily indoctrinated by the pervasive Nazi policies, and all five would have witnessed years of anti-Jewish activity and known how deadly serious the Nazis were, making their cavalier behavior totally unbelievable.
More subtly disturbing is the portrayal of every other nationality in their worst historical light. Yes, some of it was authentic, but unlike the portrayals of Germans, it wasn't balanced by any positive portrayals. Even the Americans are shown only in one negative scene.
That said, it's a gripping story, with twists and turns, very good battle scenes, very slick entertainment with some historical merit. Definitely worth a look.