Here are the facts: the Berlin Wall was a barrier that basically closed off the city of West Berlin from the rest of West and East Germany. Originally conceived as a way to keep locals from escaping the Soviet-occupied area to areas occupied by Western forces in 1961, the original "wall" was a barrier in the loosest sense of the word. As years went by, the Berlin Wall increased in size, structure and efficiency; what was once a big pile of barbed wire and railway cars became a towering mass of concrete, outfitted with basic but deadly obstacles. Even so, the "new and improved" wall served the same purpose: to keep people from roaming around. During the three decades that the wall stood, several thousand attempted to cross it. More than 100 died in the process. Though the wall was eventually dismantled as 1990 peeked around the corner, this formidable symbol of the Cold War offers a painful reminder of the decades-long conflict. The History Channel's Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall attempts to tell the story from a more detailed perspective.

For starters---and what separates this film from your average plain-wrap documentary---is the use of CG to recreate the wall's formidable growth during its 28-year lifespan. It's one thing to read a few facts and figures about what kind of traps were used to beef up the wall's defense...but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. From ditches to tank traps to motion sensors and roving patrols by fierce, starving guard dogs, this was one barrier that wasn't easy to overcome. Supplementing the visuals are first-hand interviews with participants on (literally) both sides of the fence, from security guards and wall designers to those who attempted to cross this nigh-impossible barrier. From the wall's inception to the first hints of its eventual demolishing, Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall paints a relatively vivid picture during its longest stretches, and that alone makes it worth a look.

The film's 94-minute running time suggests that Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall was created to fill a two-hour time slot; plenty of time to tell a fairly complete story, but it's hard not to notice a few gaps along the way. The film's conclusion (read: the fall) breezes by much too quickly, at least in comparison to the previous 85 minutes. A solid amount of detail was presented up until this point, so why stop there...especially with such an all-encompassing title? Had Rise and Fall expanded its conclusion (or at least thrown in some deleted scenes, at the very least), I'd imagine that more people would consider it a truly well-rounded effort. Of course, history novices can find such information easily, but it's a shame that these final chapters weren't discussed in more detail.

In any case, Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall is a decent effort that covers most of its bases well. All but the most ardent history buffs should learn a thing or two, and it's presented in an accessible and relatively entertaining way. Unfortunately, that's where the good news ends: those expected a well-rounded DVD package will undoubtedly walk away disappointed with this release.

Presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall has not been enhanced for 16x9 displays---and that's practically unacceptable for a 2009 release, though it's par for History Channel's DVD output. It also suffers from noticeable interlacing, softness and mild amounts of edge enhancement along the way, in addition to muddy black levels and occasional compression artifacts. Additionally, news broadcasts and other clips originally shot in a 4:3 format are cropped to fill the widescreen frame. It's not a total loss, of course, but this isn't a very strong visual presentation overall.

The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix is low-key but still has its moments. Separation is fine and the talking-head interviews come through clearly, though some viewers may have trouble deciphering a few bits of archived footage. The sparse music cues sound quite good, despite the other audio limitations. Closed Captions are offered during the main feature, which improves the situation somewhat.

NOTE: The "Buy Me" link above leads to The History Channel's official online store, which seems to be the only way to buy this title online (Amazon listed it a few weeks back, but it's nowhere to be found now). The DVD description lists "Deleted Scenes" as a supplement, but of course this copy doesn't include any. Whether the link signifies a new version or it's just a typo (as the listing also mentions a 1.33:1 aspect ratio), I'll post any relevant information if and when it arrives.

There's no doubt that Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall is a documentary worth watching: if nothing else, it's a decent account of an interesting and important historical event. Though not without a few missteps along the way, even the most casual documentary fans shouldn't have much trouble enjoying the show. Unfortunately, The History Channel's lackluster DVD package doesn't make this a particularly valuable souvenir: not only is the technical presentation barely above broadcast standards, but there's no bonus features to dig through after the show's over. It's obvious that this interesting program shouldn't be completely passed over---but by all accounts, it's probably not worth adding to your personal collection unless you're a total history buff. Rent It first, if availability permits.