Due to historical reasons (the Nazi's lost so they are the baddies, America are the goodies) and economical reasons (American and British productions get more money than German ones) our cultural approach of World War II has mostly been one sided. There are several good and excellent "allied" productions in all the genres, from comedy to drama. Yet, they are overwhelmingly in one perspective and tend to show the Germans as Disney-like villains. In the best case we see nuances that are often based on impressions and real-live events from veterans and the like.
The mere fact that we see the conflict from another perspective alone is reason enough to watch this series. But there is more, much much more. Even American or British series have lower budgets than most movies, so action isn't always what it should be. Band of brothers and the like are rare gems on that issue. Here, for a European series in a relatively small language-reservoir the action is very, very well done. Besides that, we have a fantastic view from several people with a diversity of opinions and features who get caught up in the waves of history. The character development is captivating and credible. We see how ordinary people with ordinary lives do what they do and we understand it, even when we don't agree. It's so very human. Instead of villains and thugs, we see how rhetoric, political realities and power relations mold people and peoples. Everything they do, everything we see, it's all very credible and realistic. If you want to see how people lived there and then, you definitely need to watch this
For the rest, on a technical point of view, it's all top notch: the acting, the screenplay, the directing, the sound, etc etc. This is a German classic that can stand next to the great movies Stalingrad and Das Boot. A real must see. By all standards.
The mere fact that we see the conflict from another perspective alone is reason enough to watch this series. But there is more, much much more. Even American or British series have lower budgets than most movies, so action isn't always what it should be. Band of brothers and the like are rare gems on that issue. Here, for a European series in a relatively small language-reservoir the action is very, very well done. Besides that, we have a fantastic view from several people with a diversity of opinions and features who get caught up in the waves of history. The character development is captivating and credible. We see how ordinary people with ordinary lives do what they do and we understand it, even when we don't agree. It's so very human. Instead of villains and thugs, we see how rhetoric, political realities and power relations mold people and peoples. Everything they do, everything we see, it's all very credible and realistic. If you want to see how people lived there and then, you definitely need to watch this
For the rest, on a technical point of view, it's all top notch: the acting, the screenplay, the directing, the sound, etc etc. This is a German classic that can stand next to the great movies Stalingrad and Das Boot. A real must see. By all standards.