Perhaps it’s my unconditional love for Quentin Tarantino’s most recent epic, but I found a lot reminiscent of Inglourious Basterds when I watched Enemy at the Door. Of course, it’s the other way around — the ITV drama outdates Basterds by a good three decades. But Tarantino fans will get a kick out of the subdued tension that permeates through much of Enemy at the Door, which is also set in World War II.
As of this writing, I had not seen series one of the drama, leaving me quite confused with the season opener, “Call of the Dead.” That’s quite possibly a good thing for those who have seen the first series, though — there isn’t any talking down to the audience. So much of today’s television is spent on catch-ups that it takes a good ten minutes for the story to continue; with this series, viewers either know the story or they don’t, and the show doesn’t pander — it just goes right along with the story. I can respect that in a show, even though it completely confuses me.
The show has a very theatrical feeling to it, and I mean that in the old sense of the word — it seems like a play presented on theater. It fits exactly with the tone set by previous old British television shows — you could almost picture yourself in an audience looking upon a stage while watching it. Though the overall arc of the story is unknown, it’s also fun to watch tensions develop between characters — the rivalry between Major Richter and Hauptmann Reinicke is indeed compelling, especially considering both are on the side of the Germans.
The set itself is typical Acorn Media fare, as is to be expected. It’s a single DVD case packed with four DVDs, each with a couple of episodes on them. The first disc even includes an on-screen, nine-page “Historical Background” on the occupation of the Channel Islands (where the series takes place) by the Nazis. It’s more than some sets, but still only a footnote for the set, which is all about the series.
Enemy at the Door is an engrossing drama, and it is certainly one that fans of talk-heavy war films like Inglourious Basterds will absolutely love. You’ll be lost without the first series (I was), but you’ll be able to enjoy the second series on its own merits without it.
Enemy at the Door, Series 2 will hit DVD shelves on January 4, 2011. Order the set here.
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