1864: Battle for Europe

[R21]

Anticipating WOR i've been watching stuff set in and around that Era, some good, some bad (and some really bad) but this series really stood out:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Episode-2/dp/B00XZ04MV0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457876117&sr=8-3&keywords=1864

http://www.amazon.co.uk/1864-Battle-Europe-Pilou-Asb%C3%A6k/dp/B0199YB2CC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457877113&sr=8-2&keywords=1864

(There are two versions, the actual Mini-series and a condensed 2hr Film version)

I watched it on a whim not expecting a great deal and I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed it, definitely worth watching. It's set during the Second Schleswig War between Denmark and Prussia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Schleswig_War

Well acted, interesting and has some great Battle scenes in it.

[Devmc99]

Great series, had a hard time finding English subtitles when it came out. Overall thought it was interesting. https://youtu.be/xOBlyAJGHJg?t=47m29s

[herbert the great]

In Denmark every won hated that series

[R21]

Great series, had a hard time finding English subtitles when it came out. Overall thought it was interesting. https://youtu.be/xOBlyAJGHJg?t=47m29s

That's a bad link, no subtitles and bad resolution. i'd recommend streaming it on Amazon if you've got an account, definitely worth it.

[Devmc99]

In Denmark every won hated that series

Why?

[Fancy Sweetroll]

Why?

Too much focus on the love story of Inge Laust and Peter. And the demon like prussian cavalry officer, a bit silly. The training of the soldiers and the battle of Dybøl was great though. Ohh, and the guy with magical powers... :p

[Josy_Wales]

Saw the whole thing when it first came out, wouldnt recomend it to anyone I know, but some things was well made. In the battle scenes you can see they missed out on the basics on how any revolver works, I dont think anyone pulled the hammer back a single time. They even got it in slow motion xD

[TrustyJam]

Saw the whole thing when it first came out, wouldnt recomend it to anyone I know, but some things was well made. In the battle scenes you can see they missed out on the basics on how any revolver works, I dont think anyone pulled the hammer back a single time. They even got it in slow motion xD

Haha! 10 cool points for you! I thought I was the only one who noticed that.. :P I do like to look at them navy type models.

- Trusty

[Mi'kmaq]

Saw the whole thing when it first came out, wouldnt recomend it to anyone I know, but some things was well made. In the battle scenes you can see they missed out on the basics on how any revolver works, I dont think anyone pulled the hammer back a single time. They even got it in slow motion xD

Sorry to nit pick here lol, but double action revolvers don't require you to manually pull back the hammer.

[TrustyJam]

Sorry to nit pick here lol, but double action revolvers don't require you to manually pull back the hammer.

He's using a colt or a colt like model so it's clearly a single action revolver. Really akward scene to have in slowmotion. :P

- Trusty

[thomas aagaard]

It is a horrible, horrible series.

First of all its bad TV with a love story we all seen before. Pearl harbour just to mention one.

2nd its a character assassination on historical persons like Dinesen and Monrad.

3rd is is bad history. For one thing there is no mention that Austria was also involved in the war... and Denmark was not trying to take "German land".. they where trying to get rid of Holstein.
There was no "death head" hussars involved in the war, there is no evidence of "german" war crimes during the war, The unit the "heroes" is with didn't serve at Dybbøl, until a few days before the attack, and they where not on the frontlines when the attack happened. there is no evidence that Dinesen ran around like rambo shooting with two revolvers... (since he wrote a book about the battle we know what he did... and his version match the report made by his superior)
There was not attack on an orkester...
The Prussians was not driven back from the danish line of redoubts,
And there where no Jedies...
The list goes on.

4th the military stuff is horrible. Everyone (both danes and Prussian) are running around like armatures.
The drill is wrong (like they are not carrying the guns correctly, they are not loading it correctly), the orders are wrong, the formations are none existent, The danes did not carry regimental colors into battle*, The danish officers was not mounted during the attack, the danish general and his staff officers did not use revolvers, it is not possible to fire 14-15 shots from two revolvers,

5th The acting is in many cases horrible.

And both 4 and 5 can be done correctly.
Pilou Asbæk also played a danish officer in "9.April" (about the german invasion of denmark in 1940)
Here he do a great job and the soldiers actually behave and feel like young conscripts... they way of doing things is correct.
(iam no expert on the danish army in 1940... but many things really havn't change from then until today)

And he played a danish officer in "A war" (about the danish involvement in the war in afghanistan)
Here the soldiers where played by real soldiers so naturally they feel like the real deal.
But he do a great job and I can imagine having him as my CO.

So it can be done... if the director want to and priorities it.


The good stuff: Other than the mentioned issues with revolvers the material culture is actually rather good and the photography is great.
Most of the time the danish solders are carrying danish guns...
(in a few clips you can spot replica enfields, but I guess they had a limited number of original danish guns, so that is understandable.)



If anyone want to know about the war there is a fre booklet about it in english and there is a book about it in english.

Booklet:
http://www.museum-sonderjylland.dk/siderne/Det-sker/documents/1864-Engelsk.pdf

The book is called "Bismark's first war" and was written by Micheal Embree.
Its a good and balanced coverage of the war. Both at land and at sea.
http://www.amazon.com/Bismarcks-First-War-Campaign-Schleswig/dp/190603303X





* IF you go to the historical museum Berlin, you can find a danish flag and a text saying that it is a captured regimental color... its not, its company ensigns, they are much smaller and they where in no way given the significance a regimental color got...

[R21]

Too much focus on the love story of Inge Laust and Peter. And the demon like prussian cavalry officer, a bit silly. The training of the soldiers and the battle of Dybøl was great though. Ohh, and the guy with magical powers... :p

Yeh, I found the love story dragged on a bit even in the cut down 'Film' version, that demonic Prussian Cavalry Officer also has no context tied to his appearance in the cut down version (like you see him all of a sudden and just as quickly as he's introduced, he's been Killed).

[Jonny Powers]

Are there any good film representations of this or other European wars during the period?

[Dane Karlsen]

I can agree as a Dane. This was a horrible show - politicised AF - And really low standard in special effects. I can still see the ragdolls flying about, when I think about that show. Such a shame because it was actually a very complex war/situation. But instead we got a lame lovestory mixed into a heavy left leaning commentary, on todays society in Denmark. And as per usual not without a decent level of ridiculing of the danish soldier, as beeing dumb and useless in general. Such is the tradition around here.

[thomas aagaard]

And as per usual not without a decent level of ridiculing of the danish soldier, as beeing dumb and useless in general. Such is the tradition around here.
At least the Prussian infantry are show just as dumb and incompetent. ;-)

I do think the movie 9.April did a good job at showing young conscripts in both a realistic and respectful way.

And "A war" did a good job at it... by using actual soldiers.

And the fact that the main officer in all 3 is played by Pilou Asbæk, show how important the script and the direction is.

[Dane Karlsen]

At least the Prussian infantry are show just as dumb and incompetent. ;-)

True. Maybe Bornedal just hates soldiers in general