Monday, February 9, 2015

DVD Review: Anzac Girls




ANZAC GIRLS (DVD Debut) - Rich in detail and authenticity, the new hit Australian drama is a moving six-part miniseries based on the true and largely unknown stories of five brave Australian and New Zealand nurses at Gallipoli and the Western Front during World War I. Based on the book The Other ANZACS by Peter Rees, and drawing on the original diaries, letters and photographs that passed between the nurses and their lovers, families and friends, as well as on countless historical records, the miniseries is one of the first to be told from the points of view of courageous nurses. (DVD 2-disc set, 6 episodes). U.S. Premiere on Acorn TV in Fall 2014. 

My Thoughts 

The ANZAC girls were real nurses from New Zealand and Australia who served during WWI. The storyline is based on the letters of  five real  nurses. There are six episodes in this series. The first half is set in Egypt and the second half in France. The series walks you through chronologically.

Adventure-  The nurses are adjusting to life in Egypt, a difficult task with the ever-growing death tolls. 

Duty- The nurses are working in poor conditions in Greece. Elsie's husband goes missing and everyone starts to realize this war is going to be harder to win than they expected.

Endurance -  Alice & Elsie deal with love trouble in addition to the trails of war. The group of nurses all reunite in Chiro.

Love - Four of the nurses are reassigned to France where they are not easily accepted.

Mateship - Each of the nurses has a lot going on in this one. Alice is grieving but holding onto hope, Hilda takes on  anesthetics, there's a proposal, and Elsie arrives as part of the Red Cross.

Courage - Alice, Hilda, and Elsie serve on the front lines.

Overall, this was an amazing show. The storyline was touching and realistic. The scenery and costumes were accurate to the time period, and the entire cast gave a stellar performance. This is one you'll want to watch over and over again. Just note that there are some very detailed and gruesome scenes with a lot of war carnage, so use discretion with younger viewers.  If you'd like to grab a copy of this amazing mini series for yourself, you can find it online at Acorn Media and Amazon.




 

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