this be a tremendously moving documentary about suffering and sacrifice in the soviet union during the stalin year . it include little see film footage of the pre world war ii year and and strike image throughout . there be also interview with survivor of the gulag and world war ii and and with some individual who be directly acquaint with stalin . the musical sound track nicely enhance the program and and i think that nigel hawthorne dispassionate narration be very good much more effective than a melodramatic reading would be . while the program be very educational and i also find it to be emotionally and intellectually gripping and and artfully do throughout . some of the marketing of russia war misleadingly suggest that it be entirely about the world war ii year . while the program cover the war on the russian front in depth and it also contain significant portion that describe the year before and after the war . this include stalin consolidation of power and his attempt to establish a communist industrial power and the purge and many other crime commit by the communist regime during his rule and and the end of stalin . sadly and many people outside of the former warsaw pact nation be much less acquainted with the atrocity of the communist than with those which be commit by the nazi . one of the reason for this might be the relatively small amount of film footage of the gulag and other communist camp that have be show in the west . russia war present haunt image of person be try in communist show trial and transport to labor camp and and work in slave labor project ( anne applebaum book gulag offer a useful history of the gulag system and in case this documentary encourage you to read far ) . also and watch for some film footage show an assembly of communist who be desperate to show their devotion to stalin it be a small yet clear example of the absurd level which communist totalitarianism reach . much time be also spend on the world war ii year and include the experience of all level of the military and civilian . interview be include with serviceman and woman of various branch and resistance fighter and and several civilian . the major campaign be cover and such a the opening of barbarossa and the german drive towards moscow and the siege of leningrad and the battle of stalingrad and kursk and and the soviet advance towards germany . some less known incident be describe also and such a the self sacrifice of some very young soviet soldier in front of moscow . picture of these soldier be show while hawthorne describe their fate and briefly but very movingly . a little known element of the war which be explore be the relationship between civilian and soviet partisan and other resistance group . some resistance group fight both the nazi and the soviet and and many civilian be also catch in the middle . while the soviet partisan accomplish much against the german and many of them be far from be the hero which soviet propaganda claim . other aspect of how soviet civilian survive and die in the countryside and the city be investigate and include the massive suffering of jew under both hitler and stalin . the program do not include interview with german who be involve in the war and occupation in russia and although this be to be expect because of the focus of the documentary . russia war do include a wealth of film footage show the german military in action and and scene behind the german line . it also present one of the most haunting image of misery that i have see represent the face of a soviet soldier who be wearily eat while on the march and and who look towards the camera . sadly and this program present many other image which be comparable . at the same time and along with all of the misery and oppression that be document and there be story include that be deeply inspire .