简介：Anaward-winningTVadaptationinthreepartsofArnoldZweig’s1935noveloftheFirstWorldWarErziehungvorVerdun.Setin1916duringthelaterstagesoftheBattleofVerdun,muchofthestoryconcernstheGermanoccupiersofthecapturedFrenchFortDouaumont.Morethanthatisnotsafeformetosay,becausequiteapartfromthelanguagebarriertheheavilystylisedmixofdrama,documentary,andarchivefootagemakesthingsdifficulttofollow. TheBattleofVerdunbeganon21stFebruary1916andlasteduntilDecemberwhen,aftercombinedcasualtiesofnearlyamillion,theGermansconcededdefeatintheirstrategicaims.ThecityofVerdun,thoughstrategicallyweaklysituated,anddefendedbyanoutdatedandsemi-mothballedsystemofconcreteforts,wasofgreathistoricalandemotionalimportancetotheFrench.TheGermanattackersexpectedtheirheaviergunsandsuperiorlogisticswouldeasilyprevailagainstdefenderswhowouldneverthelessfeelcompelledtofighttothelastman;itwastobelikeshootingfishinabarrel.YetalthoughtheFrenchsufferedhighercasualties,thebattleendedwithFortDouaumontbackintheirhands. BythetimethisserieswasmadeVerdunwasbecomingasymbolofFranco-Germanreconciliation.AcclaimeddirectorEgonGünther(DieSchlüssel,Ursula,Steinetc.)framesthedramawitharoadtriptothebattlefields,takinginthetourist’sviewofFortDouaumontwithitsvastcemeteryandiconicossuary.Intermixedarereadings,newsreelfootage,andextractsfromvintagedramatisationsofthebattles.…