The highest decoration that the United States can bestow upon its military heroes.
Medal of Honor is a highlight reel of modern military history and decorated U.S. servicemen. The film spends almost as much time in the study
of the conflicts in which the men fought as it does the men themselves and their acts of gallantry which earned them the highest military honor in the
land. Medal of Honor serves any number of purposes; it's suitable for classroom use, for one's own personal enrichment, or as a curiosity for
those interested in wartime heroism and United Sates military history. Viewers will find a well-assembled, captivating, and enriching feature spread
into six parts -- highlighting acts of American bravery from The Civil War, World War I, World War II's European and Pacific theaters, Korea, and
Vietnam -- that all offer recreated wartime footage, period photographs, readings, and narration. This feature doesn't enjoy the spit and polish of the
finest Documentaries, but it's very well done on all fronts and should satisfy anyone even remotely interested in the subject.
The Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor highlights the following conflicts and accomplishments:
The Civil War (39:20): The series' opening segment extensively covers the origins of the Medal of Honor and shares the stories of a
number of its earliest recipients. The War saw the highest total number of honorees -- more than both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam combined --
for a single conflict.
The Documentary examines the Medal's role in boosting morale, the loose guidelines for its bestowment, and the later stripping of the medal from
"underserving" recipients. The film tells the stories of the first African American to physically receive the medal, Robert Blake, and the first to carry
out an act of valor deserving of the medal, the Massachusetts 54th's William Carney. The film also looks at the work of Dr.
Mary Walker, a civilian awarded the medal and later stripped of it, only to have it reinstated by President Jimmy Carter.
World War I (40:36): Following a brief history of the war -- the entangling alliances, the new type of warfare, the death toll -- the
film takes a look at some of the men who fought in it and the heroism they displayed. This segment focuses, primarily, on three Medal of Honor
recipients. First is the grandson of a slave, Freddie Stowers, who was awarded the Medal posthumously in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.
The film also looks at the bravery of Samuel Woodfill and perhaps the most famous Medal of Honor recipient, Corporal, now better known as
"Sergeant," York.
World War II -- Europe (44:32): This segment looks at the heroism of several fighters in the European theater, beginning with Robert
Waugh's taking of Hill 79 and his individual attacks on six enemy bunkers and two pill boxes, aiding in the breaking of the Gustav Line in the Italian
campaign. The film then examines the courage of several D-Day participants, including Lieutenant Jimmy Monteith, Theodore Roosevelt Jr,
Communications specialist John Pinder, and the only man to survive long enough in that fight to personally receive the award, Carlton Barrett.
Lastly, the film
covers several black soldiers initially denied the Medal of Honor and given lesser awards. In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton recognized these men
with their deserved medals, amongst them John Fox and Vernon Baker.
World War II -- Pacific (38:08): In World War II's second major theater, General Douglas MacArthur earned the Medal of Honor for his
defense of the Philippines, and with the commendation he became the first "legacy" winner, following his father Arthur's award earned in the
American
Civil War. The piece also looks at the heroics of Thomas Baker's assault on fortified enemy positions and his selfless sacrifice in the face of incredible
odds. Also highlighted is John R. McKinney's forty enemy kills in thirty minutes defending his besieged encampment.
The Korean War (40:05): The contributions of the bravest in "The Forgotten War" are remembered through the heroics which earned
them the Medal of Honor. The film introduces viewers to the courage displayed on Hill 420, the grievous wounds suffered by, and the intense
physical therapy necessary in the rehabilitation of Medal recipient Rodolfo Hernandez. It also examines Cornelius Charlton's fight on Hill 243 and the
posthumous awarding of his medal, and Edward Schowalter's bravery fighting Chinese soldiers in the war.
The Vietnam War (41:29): Amongst the more than 240 Medals of Honor awarded during the Vietnam Conflict, more than 150 would
be awarded posthumously, as is so often the case with a medal of this level of distinction and the necessary valor and heroism required to earn it.
This final segment begins by
examining the courage of Joe Marm, Platoon Leader in the 1st Cavalry Division, his bravery in the same battle as depicted in the film We Were Soldiers. Also highlighted is Captain Riley L. Pitts, the first
African American commissioned officer to receive the medal; and Milton Olive's personal sacrifice to save his bothers-in-arms from a grenade. This
segment concludes with a brief examination of soldiers who have earned the Medal of Honor in American conflicts after Vietnam.
As a Documentary, Medal of Honor doesn't rank amongst the greats, but it does do what every good Documentary need accomplish: deliver
an informative and inspiring look into a subject of great academic and social importance. This feature delivers but fair production values, though the
recreated scenes of war spanning a century of conflict are surprisingly well-done and authentic in appearance. The film is incredibly detailed, a trait it
shares with another recently released Documentary focusing on an aspect of United States history, Up From Slavery. The focus on not only the men but the medal
they've earned and the conflicts in which they fought make this a very well-rounded piece. Each segment moves quickly, and even if they tend to
regurgitate information from previous installments, the sum total is a nearly brilliant and highly detailed examination of the nation's highest military
honor. With so many recipients during the Civil War, even a focused look at a handful of heroes seems a bit scattered, but the series tightens up in
the conflicts to follow, highlighting but a few of the many who displayed the courage required and often made the ultimate sacrifice on the field of
battle to earn the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor's 1080p transfer exhibits many of the same problems plaguing other recent Mill Creek Documentary releases -- heavy banding,
blocking, jagged edges so severe that muskets tend to look like long runs of stair-stepped digital cubes -- evident noticeably in the recreated live action
footage.
Fortunately, however, the image does manage some fair detailing in said segments, better than Up From Slavery as a whole to be sure. Lines
and seams in military uniforms, wear and tear on firearms, wooden textures, mud and dirt in the World War I trenches, and facial details all range from
subpar to above average, with much of the image favoring the latter. Likewise, colors are fairly balanced, if not favoring browns and greens and grays
and other earthen colors, largely by the design of wartime uniforms and locations. Older footage repurposed for the film looks terrible, generally, but this
one
is only fairly judged on the new high-def footage and the quality of photographs and other stills. All told, it looks rather good, far from perfect to be sure,
but at worst it's serviceable and at best it's a pleasant watch.
Medal of Honor features a meager but passable Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Unlike those other recent Mill Creek Documentary titles, this one
enjoys a little more spacing and clarity. Gunfire pops across the front of the soundstage with regularity, whether the single-shot muskets of the Civil
War recreations or the full-auto Ak's and M-16's of the Vietnam era. Still, they lack great clarity, thunderous volume, and absolute realism, but the net
effect is at least a fair presentation. Music, too, plays with sufficient clarity, spreads nicely, and enjoys a fair low end feel over the opening titles.
Voiceovers can be scratchy and narration not perfectly clear and precise, but both are effective throughout. This track won't impress, but it won't
disappoint given the release's price point.
Medal of Honor may not be the finest Documentary ever produced, but it is an authority and probably the end-all, be-all of military honor
Documentaries. It's well put-together, extremely informative, and suitable for educational or personal consumption. The feature combines wartime
history with tributes to the men who displayed incredible courage on the field of battle, and for anyone interested in modern U.S. conflicts and the
recipients of the Medal of Honor, this release cannot be beat. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Medal of Honor features decent video and audio, but
no extras. Still, considering the content and the price, this one's hard to pass up. Recommended.
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