Netflix is now streaming a documentary with newly restored archival footage that promises to be one of the most immersive films ever made about World War II.
Colourised film and rare interviews tell the story of ordinary peoples’ lives during Germany’s bombing of Britain between 1940 and 1941.
With VE Day approaching this Thursday (8th May), now is the perfect time to brush up on some vital history, and Netflix’s new film Britain and the Blitz won’t disappoint.
From the heartache of Britain’s evacuation campaign to the monumental efforts made by women during the war, director Ella Wright paints an intimate and resilient portrait of a number of real people who survived the Blitz.
They include Eric Brady, who was just five-years-old when his school was bombed, and Edith Heap, a 21-year-old plotter for the Royal Air Force, plus many other determined Britons.
A synopsis reads: “This immersive documentary brings history to life through vividly restored archival footage and firsthand accounts of WWII Britain during the Blitz.”
Decider urged Netflix subscribers to “stream it” in their positive review, adding the film features “intimate details of survival within a larger story we’re likely already familiar with, namely, Britain’s seemingly improbable ability to withstand dozens upon dozens of bombing raids spread out over 240 days during 1940-41.
“The individual accounts of these people don’t just emphasize what happened during that time – they share personal stories of love and romance, of tragedy and heartbreak, as these people, all notably quite young, came of age during a time of extreme hardship that ultimately defined the rest of their lives.”
A four-star review from a fan on Letterboxd reads: “Netflix finally does good – an excellent documentary about the Blitz of Britain from September 1940 to May 1941.
“Taking a page from Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old, the film has been nicely colourized with actual recordings of newsreaders over archival films as well as interviews with many Blitz survivors, many of which had to be done in the past as most Blitz survivors would be in their 80s and 90s if not older. One survivor, Edith Heap, actually made it to 100 in 2018.”
The Irish Independent agreed: “Director Ella Wright uses techniques pioneered by Peter Jackson to create an immersive, deeply moving experience.”
A write-up on IMDb has highlighted the film’s unique approach: “Britain and the Blitz is not your ‘ordinary’ war documentary – it does not focus on; strategic decisions, frontline fighting action or the ongoings in the minds of people on the battlefield. Rather it focuses on the social and fatiguing aspects of life during wartime. It does so pretty well.
“BatB offers no insights into the rationale of ‘this type of warfare’ – it does however offer a few compassionate glimpses into the world of those affected.
“In so doing it offers a different kind of insight into the effects of war and tells a story that, arguably, should be told more often.”
A viewer on X (formerly Twitter) called Britain and the Blitz a “hard-hitting, historical, cinematic masterpiece”.
And a final fan recommended: “If anybody is interested and you have Netflix. Watch Britain and the Blitz. It’s fascinating.
“People that were there, tell of what they lived through and it’s just amazing what Britain and London went through for 8 months to save their country.”
Britain and the Blitz is available to stream on Netflix.