Rating: 
Summary: Ali McGraw is responsible for WW II
Review: The Winds of War is a well done, workmanlike mini-series that offers the viewer hours of entertaiment along with a history lesson on the characters and events conspring in the lead up to WW II. Robert Mitchum is superbly cast as the Naval Attache in Berlin on the eve of war. Ralph Ballamy's Roosevelt is utterly believable, as our most of the other performances.
The weak link is Ali McGraw, who gives a breathtakingly idiotic performance, never breaking out of her "I'm reading aloud from the phone book" monotone -- even during the bombing of Warsaw! She sucks the life out of every scene that she's in. As a performer, she is blissfully uninvolved with her character. That said, if you can get past her sleep walking, it's -- other than that --a fine film.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best pieces of motion picture ever!
Review: The Winds of War is by far one of the finest pieces of motion picture ever! It is the story of a U.S. Naval family blown across the world "like a family of tumbleweeds" by events leading up to and into World War II. Robert Mitchum, cast as Pug Henry, does a fantastic job portraying the character from the book. It's a shame more mini-series aren't made today in the same style and flair as this. Before Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List there was the Winds of War. A must see....
Rating:
Summary: Superb in every way
Review: THE WINDS OF WAR is truly great television. Epic in scope and yet intimate at the same time, it draws you into the world of pre-war Europe and the lives of the Henry family. There is a perfect balance between history and fiction here, and both are totally compelling.
What makes this mini-series such a pleasure to watch are the performances by terrific actors. Almost every actor in this production is perfectly cast, most notably Polly Bergen as Rhoda Henry, David Dukes as Leslie Slote, and Victoria Tennant as Pamela Tudsbury. Robert Mitchum, Ali MacGraw and John Houseman are also terrific. The only shortcoming in the cast is Jan-Michael Vincent as Byron Henry; his acting skills just weren't quite at the level of the rest of the cast, and so he ends up seeming a little flat at times (especially in scenes with Ali MacGraw).
At 18 hours, this is quite a long show, but I found myself not wanting it to end. Of course, it doesn't end there -- there are 30 more hours to go in WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. But THE WINDS OF WAR is a true pleasure to watch in and of itself. And you get a great history lesson about the events that led to the start of World War II.
Rating: 
Summary: below average, though has moments of excellence
Review: There are seven tapes in this series, all lasting about two hours (the last one a little more). We are told the story of the Henry family in the days before WWII, through the beginning of that conflict, and up until just after the attack on Pearl Harbor (shortly after which the series closes). Although there are some good scenes and elements, I would characterize this on the whole as an unrewarding 14-hour slog that will try the patience of even the most ardent WWII-movie buffs. Why?1. The chief focus of the plot is on the soap-operatic elements of their characters' lives; never anything deeper. It seems that there is only one member of the Henry family who's not involved in some sort of love triangle or other. Criminally, these triangles are wholly uninteresting and left unresolved at the end of the series! And as if that isn't bad enough, the principal actors seem a little old to be engaging in such unprincipled philandering (e.g., the sprightly Ali McGraw turned 44 during filming). 2. On the whole, the characters are flat and uninteresting, even stereotyped. A possible exception to this could have been the pre-submarine Byron, who apparently slacked a rebellious swath across Europe despite a promising mind and family connections. Why? What was his personal philosophy? What was he thinking? But this was never explored. 3. Mitchum is a totally one-note actor with zero depth, at least here. He reassures Victoria Tennet of his passion in the same flat tone he uses to apprise the president of the German threat. We admire his character, sure, but that's not enough to carry us through 14 hours of him! 4. The movie's device of following the Pug character through the various theaters of war (the better to grasp the immensity of the thing) worked well in the beginning, but it soon became strained and gimmicky. The next thing we were expecting was a personal interview with Hideki Tojo during which it would be revealed that Pug speaks (surprise, surprise) - halting Japanese! Having him go to every theater of war was certainly stretching things a bit. 5. When subtitles are given, they are printed in white, which frequently makes them illegible. 6. Aaron Jastrow's passport woes form just about the worst sub-plot I've ever encountered. It's so boring, it's infuriating. I mean, it goes on and on for several episodes. In the end you just wanna smack Natalie and that airheaded Jastrow for not getting out when the getting was good, and it's not like they didn't have several warnings and opportunities! Personally, I found Natalie's stubbornness and mindless shuffling back and forth to and from Europe highly irritating, yet Dan Curtis seems to imply that her uncle not getting his transit visa through Zurich is more worthy of our tears than hundreds of thousands of deaths occurring that moment on the eastern front! To top it off, at the end of the series, the whole passport issue is left maddeningly unresolved. They board ship for Turkey, which is a long way from the States. And we don't even get to see the ship leave. So did they get home safe or not? And now that I mention it, we never learn if Jastrow's precious MS was ever recovered from the hotel, either! 7. Apparently "World War II" wouldn't look like "World War II" unless we smeared a gallon of Vaseline on the lens throughout the entire film, even during the non-romantic scenes. Was this really necessary? 8. None of the major characters die, or even get shot. (Although Pug's other son does receive some facial scratches when he is "shot down".) 9. The Pearl Harbor scene. It was a disaster, right? Yet this movie seems to imply it was a stirring victory merely because Byron Henry managed to transfer 26 torpedoes out of a doomed warehouse. And God forbid one shows up for Pearl Harbor without a babe in tow! (Apparently the producers felt that every single scene had to have a woman involved or they would lose their distaff viewers.) For all this silliness, the movie does have its strong points, I'll be the first to admit. For example, although the characters themselves aren't very interesting, the predicaments they're put into on occasion result in some very well-done scenes (in particular Natalie and Byron in Poland, and "Pug" in the bombing run over Germany). But the special effects budget was not tremendous, so the movie's at its best when it's exploring the emotional lives of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. Also, the portrayals of Roosevelt and Hitler stand out as especially convincing. Many of the other shortcomings of the series are more than made up for by an energetic cast, especially Ali McGraw. In the end, not a complete disaster. But I'm not quite sure it's worth all that money.
Rating:
Summary: The best miniseries I have ever seen.
Review: This and "War and Rememberance" are the best miniseries that I have ever seen. What a novel idea, they both actually faithfully follow the book. How many miniseries and movies think they can "improve" on the book? This one is true to the book, and the cast is great. However, I am waiting and begging for both of these miniseries to be available in DVD. Please put these in that format. I will buy them the first day they come out. Better yet, imagine an 18 hour long commentary track to accompany "The Winds of War" DVD.
Rating:
Summary: An epic saga to remember.
Review: This is a wonderful film. Not just for the all star cast, but also the minute details the director included. The film centers around a family. The father is in the military. Within the first hour, he and his wife are sent to Germany to be ambassadors. They see the effects of Nazi Germany in the way that the Jewish servants are treated. The Winds of War details Hitler's obsession to open the concentration camps and how the Jewish community reacts. Meanwhile, the two sons choose to go their own way, one follows his fathers' footsteps and enters the military, and the other travels to Italy to study under a prestigous professor.Each are placed in different parts of the world and which enables us to see how the world was responding to Hitler's position. As we follow this family, we see them fall in love, marry, and gather together to face the coming war. The Winds of War takes us to Pearl Harbor when talk of war ended and active participation begins. I would seriously recommend this to anyone who has never seen the effects of Hitler's butchery. It will put your problems into prospective to see how the Jews survived and thrived through one of the darkest times in history. You will be irrisitibly drawn to the story of Byron and Natalie and if you are a war buff, you will also be drawn to the main plot, which is World War II.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Window
Review: This is not Hollywood, not some fairytale that ends happily ever after. But if you want a real feel for the trueth of WW 2, this is a window into the past. Following the lives of the Henry family as it links up with a Jewish family and a southern political family. This is the start of a long eventful and shocking journey into Hell and back. The journey continues through the "War and Rememberance" sets.
Rating:
Summary: Best Mini Series Ever
Review: This is the best mini series ever shown on earth! Though I wish Paramount had handled the DVD version better, I am glad the studio finally released this great mini series in DVD format.
Rating:
Summary: pjpp.....Great Mini Series!!
Review: This Mini Series "The Winds of War" was the first of two Mini series about World War 11. It consists of 5 videos and we watched it on vacation the year we got it. It was filmed in Annapolis, Maryland with many stars besides Mitch. A very accurate and dynamatic story, yet not excluding the human side. Great acting and writing. One that should not be missed in our history................PJ Peake
Rating:
Summary: A rarity: great TV adaptation.
Review: This mini-series, together with its second part "War and Remembrance," may be the best TV adaptation of a book you will find. Even though the casting could have been better, and several main characters end up being played by different actors in the second part, "The Winds of War" follows very closely what Herman Wouk wrote on his novel of the same name. The TV adaptation is by Wouk, and Curtis' direction is magnificent. Curtis is responsible for the total immersion of the viewer in the era portrayed, as well as for the cinematic look of this series that is far above most TV of this or any day.
About the cast I would have chosen another actress for Nathalie Jastrow and not Ali McGraw, but the series does not suffer with her. I have always liked Robert Mitchum, so it did not matter to me that he was too old for the part of Victor Henry: the late Mitchum is simply great in a rôle that, although not written for him, he made his own. The young Jan Michael Vincent is convincing as Byron Henry, even if his romance with Nathalie, due to casting, fails to convince me. Victoria Tennant as Pamela Tudsbury falling for Victor Henry is a bit of a stretch but, again, the overall story and performances are powerful enough to let you go with it.
This is TV at its best, presenting a very good work of fiction based on history. It's long, but that is part of the point: the attention to detail is quite commendable. This kind of TV is very rare. We will get to see more in "War and Remembrance," but no more after that. I know of no other adaptation that is as close as this one, and where money and talent really worked together to produce a total as good as the novel that inspired it. Finally, I must recommend both books by Wouk. If you have read "The Winds of War," you will appreciate what a great transition from print to screen has taken place here. And do not expect solved issues at the end of the last tape: this one ends right after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. In order to find out what happens to the characters, you must read "War and Remembrance" or watch the second mini-series or, better yet, do both.
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