Development

Author Herman Wouk was exceedingly pessimistic about a film adaptation of his beloved and scrupulously researched novel, because he had been extremely unhappy with earlier film adaptations of his novels Marjorie Morningstar, The Caine Mutiny and Youngblood Hawke. He was convinced by Paramount Pictures and the ABC television network that a miniseries would allow the full breadth of his epic story to be brought to life onscreen.^[5] Wouk required unusual control over the production in his contract, including considerable influence on the production and veto power over what products could be advertised during the miniseries and how many commercials would be allowed. Wouk also has a cameo as the archbishop of Siena.

I, Claudius screenwriter Jack Pulman was originally hired to adapt the novel. He and Wouk worked for months preparing an outline. After Pulman died suddenly in 1979, Wouk himself wrote the teleplay for the series.^[6]

Casting

The casting of Lee Strasberg as Aaron Jastrow was publicly announced in February 1981.^[7] Strasberg had to withdraw from the production before filming any scenes, due to ill health (he died in 1982). He was replaced by John Houseman.^[8] Houseman later had to withdraw from the sequel miniseries, War and Remembrance, due to his own ill health (he died in 1988). He was replaced by John Gielgud.

Filming

Paramount produced the miniseries for $40 million ($122 million in 2023 dollars). ABC paid $32 million for the broadcast rights, then charged advertisers $175,000 for 30-second commercials and $350,000 for one-minute commercials. ABC expected simply to break even on the original broadcast and make any profits from later reruns and syndication.^[9]

Principal photography began on December 1, 1980 aboard the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California and was completed (except for miniature photography) on December 8, 1981, on US Navy vessels at Port Hueneme, California, with filming of the recreation of the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

The series was shot at 404 locations in Europe, California and Washington state over 14 months.^[6] The 962-page script contained 1,785 scenes and 285 speaking parts.^[6] The production involved 4,000 camera setups and shot a million feet of exposed film. The production had a 206-day shooting schedule and came in four days ahead of schedule.

Principal locations were Zagreb, Opatija and Rijeka in Yugoslavia; Berchtesgaden and Munich in West Germany; Siena, Florence, Milan and Rome, Italy; London, UK; Vienna, Austria; Naval Station Bremerton in Bremerton, Washington and throughout the Los Angeles area and Southern California.^[6] Scenes were filmed onboard the USS Peleliu (LHA-5) and the USS Missouri (BB-63), the latter still in mothballs.

The opening scene sub-titled "Berlin" was actually filmed in and around the Hofburg in Vienna. The OpsRoom at RAF Uxbridge, from which the Battle of Britain fighter defenses were commanded, is only rarely made available to the public. In the beginning of part 6, the train scenes were filmed at the Orange Empire Railway Museum with Ventura County 2-6-2 number 2.

Nazi concentration camp-survivor Branko Lustig was an associate producer in the miniseries and also on Schindler's List.^[10]

Music

The music was composed by Bob Cobert, a composer often associated with Curtis.

Use of stock footage

The production made use of battle scenes from other films during the attack scene on Pearl Harbor and during the German attacks on the Soviet Union, including scenes for both battles from Tora! Tora! Tora!

Critical response

New York Times TV critic John O'Connor said that the "hoopla on 'The Winds of War' has been nearly as massive as the project itself. The result, while not as artistically impressive as 'Brideshead Revisited,' is less manipulative than 'Holocaust' and at least as emotionally compelling as 'Roots.'" Mitchum, he said, "manages to carry the art of acting to the extremes of minimalism. He moves like an imposing battleship." Most of the actors, he said, are "at least 10 years older than the characters they are playing." Overall, O'Connor said, "the story does hold. It rumbles along, creating its own momentum, until it eventually becomes the television equivalent of a good read that can't be put down."^[15]

Columnist Tom Shales of The Washington Post called the miniseries "bulbous and bloated" and said "a first-year film-school student could edit three or four hours out of the thing without hurting the flow at all." Watching Winds of War, he said, "ecstatic superlatives like 'competent' and 'acceptable' come to mind." He ridiculed the performances, and described the actors as too old for their roles.^[16]

The show was a success throughout the United States and received many accolades, including Golden Globe nominations and various Emmy wins and nominations.^[17]

Awards and nominations