Manual Movie Reviews

This well-researched documentary revolves around interviews with seven artists who were commissioned either by the U.S. military or the Army magazine Yank to document World War II. A group of nearly 100 war artists produced more than 12,000 paintings and drawings, which have been in storage and largely unseen by the general public since the end of the war. Thomas Hart Benton and Jacob Lawrence are among the best-known artists in this one-hour 1999 production, superbly directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Brian Lanker. Historical footage of the war, all of which is in black and white, is juxtaposed with the color-filled scenes rendered in the artworks. Most of the artists were also trained for combat, so they experienced the war firsthand. The paintings and drawings vary in style and subject matter, but all are profoundly evocative--the depictions of soldiers' feelings are particularly moving, capturing moments of compassion, shock, misery, despair, and tenderness. Equally intense are the verbal descriptions of the seven surviving artists about their experiences during the war. This program is highly recommended for all audiences, although some may find the depictions of real combat harrowing. --Anne Barclay Morgan