The Rosie the Reviewer Podcast

Welcome to Rosie the Reviewer, a Dutch-Canadian female-led WW2 media podcast. A new episode airs every Friday!

Blogs

Everything about Rosie and our WW2 adventures.
Episodes

Ep 87 – Son of Saul – Witnessing the Holocaust Through One Man’s Narrow World

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we discuss Son of Saul (2015), László Nemes’ profoundly human film set inside Auschwitz. Told entirely through the tight perspective of a Jewish Sonderkommando prisoner named Saul, the film is entirely glamourless. We talk about how the narrow framing, blurred periphery, and overwhelming soundscape place you in a world where there’s no yesterday and no tomorrow, only the present.

Learn more about the Sonderkommando, the 1944 uprising and tell us what you think about this movie.

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11/12/2025 No Comments
Episodes

Ep 86 – Bruce McKenna on The Pacific, Band of Brothers, and the stories he’d like to tell.

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we welcome an extraordinary guest: Bruce McKenna, co-executive producer, creator, and principal writer of The Pacific, and writer of the Bastogne episode of Band of Brothers. We talk about the moral stakes of war, what made it into the episodes and what didn’t, and why everything is about narrative and theme.

We explore Bruce’s creative process and the kind of stories he likes to tell. This one may change how you look at WWII media.

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05/12/2025 1 Comment
Episodes

Ep 84 – Nuremberg – Fact, Film, and the Psychology Behind Evil

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take a look at Nuremberg (2025), written and directed by James Vanderbilt and based on The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai. We talk about the performances by Russell Crowe and Rami Malek, what we thought of the film, and, of course, provide you with some real history, including a broader historical context around the Nuremberg Trials.

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20/11/2025 1 Comment
Rosie the Reviewer the Monuments Men cover image
Episodes

Ep 82 – The Monuments Men – Art Preservation During WWII

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we talk The Monuments Men (2014), George Clooney’s glossy take on the true story of Allied soldiers racing to rescue Europe’s art from the Nazis. Joined by Merc, we unpack the film’s stacked cast, its mix of humour and drama, and why it never quite decides if it wants to be a comedy, a war drama, or an art heist. From Rose Valland’s secret lists to the missing Ghent Altarpiece, we explore what’s fact, what’s fiction, and why the real story deserves better.

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05/11/2025 No Comments
Rosie the Reviewer A Bridge Too Far
Episodes

Ep 81 – A Bridge Too Far – Operation Market Garden Discussed at Length

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on Richard Attenborough’s A Bridge Too Far (1977), the war epic based on Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same name about Operation Market Garden. We take you through one of WWII’s most ambitious (and doomed-to-fail) military plans as we discuss the film. From Sean Connery’s Major General Urquhart to Gene Hackman’s Sosabowski (we approve), we talk about what led to Market Garden’s failure, and how Dutch civilians like Kate ter Horst were astoundingly brave in the face of absolute hell.

Market Garden, a little complicated? We try to make it simple for you!

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24/10/2025 No Comments
Rosie the Reviewer Battle of Britain
Episodes

Ep 80 – Battle of Britain – Finally Some RAF… Guy Hamilton’s Air Epic

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take to the skies for Battle of Britain (1969), Guy Hamilton’s sweeping recreation of the 1940 air campaign. We talk about the film’s impressive aerial combat scenes, its documentary-style storytelling, and the astonishing number of real WWII aircraft used on set.

From Christopher Plummer’s dashing Canadian pilot to Michael Caine’s brief but memorable role, we explore how the film mirrors Tora! Tora! Tora! in scope while giving overdue credit to the women of the WAAF. Expect plenty of radar talk, command tensions, and reflections on why this film might teach you more than it thrills.

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21/10/2025 No Comments
Image features SAS Duty Before Glory book cover, an image of Tony Rushmer and a sepia toned photo of Reg Seekings, Eric Musk and Bob Seekings, courtesy of Bob Seekings' family.
Episodes

Ep 79 – SAS: Duty Before Glory – A Conversation with Tony Rushmer

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by journalist and author Tony Rushmer, whose book SAS: Duty Before Glory tells the story of Reg Seekings, one of the original members of the Special Air Service. Tony talks to us about how a documentary during lock down led him from sports journalism to writing about this WWII history that started in the Fens.

Alongside our returning guest George, we take a closer look at Reg Seekings: his humour, his friendship with Johnny Cooper, and his stoic yet warm nature. Tony shares how he came to know the Seekings family, his conversations with the late Mike Sadler, and the rich archival work and Reg’s personal recollections that shaped his writing. We also touch on the portrayal of the SAS in Rogue Heroes and how storytelling, fictional or not, keeps history alive for new generations.

We’re also happy to report that Tony recommends five excellent books on WWII at the veryend, so stick around to find out.

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16/10/2025 No Comments
Episode 78 U-571
Episodes

Ep 78 – U-571 – A Deep Dive into This Submarine Thriller

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take on U-571 (2000) with returning guest Katie. This tense, incredibly fictional tale is all about American submariners capturing a German U-boat and its Enigma machine. It’s got Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bon Jovi and Matthew Settle and everyone’s damp. We explore the claustrophobic depictions and why the British were fuming about this one.
Including some real-life naval details, from the cramped quarters of the U-505 to the history of segregated Black sailors in WWII (because, let’s be real, this movie does no historical heavy lifting).

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08/10/2025 No Comments
Rosie the reviewer the pacific episode 77
Episodes

Ep 77 – The Pacific – Closing Out the Best War Show of All Time (Part Three)

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we wrap up our three-part discussion of The Pacific (2010) with episodes 7-10. Brace yourself for the brutal fighting on Peleliu and Okinawa to John and Lena Basilone, his final chapter and the long road home for Eugene Sledge and Robert Leckie. Alongside our returning guest George, we talk about leadership, disillusionment, the role of civilians, and the way grief and memory follow these men long after the war ends.

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03/10/2025 No Comments
Rosie episode the pacific part two
Episodes

Ep 76 – The Pacific – Episodes 4-6 the Battle of Peleliu and More (Part Two)

Joining us to discuss episodes 4-6 of The Pacific (2010) is our friend Merc. We get into the meaty middle part of the show, saying hello to some new favourites (and clinging to them before they have to leave us again) while watching others go home. Its’ Peleliu time, which means everyone is having a terrible time. And Pavuvu, which is apparently not much better.

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26/09/2025 No Comments
Rosie the Reviewer their finest title card
Episodes

Ep 74 – Their Finest – Wartime Propaganda with The Donut Dollies

In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we’re joined by Winnie and Gabby from the Donut Dollies podcast to discuss Their Finest (2016), Lone Scherfig’s adaptation of Lissa Evans’ novel Their Finest Hour and a Half. Together we unpack the film’s blend of romance, tragedy, and wartime propaganda, as well as how it compares to the book. Surprisingly much debate about Sam Claflin’s casting, the power of women in the Ministry of Information, and why Bill Nighy steals every scene as Ambrose Hilliard. Plus, the real history of women in Britain’s propaganda machine.

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11/09/2025 No Comments
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Episodes

Ep 73 – Hemingway & Gellhorn – Who is the Better War Correspondent?

This week on Rosie the Reviewer, we’re diving into the 2012 HBO film Hemingway & Gellhorn. It’s all about the messy relationship between war reporter Martha Gellhorn and Ernest Hemingway. We get into the Spanish Civil War (and yes, the movie really drags its feet before getting to WWII), and honestly, we’re not sure either of them is all that likable. Plus, we talk about Caroline Moorehead’s biography Gellhorn: A Twentieth-Century Life, Martha’s own novel Point of No Return, and her travel memoir, Travels with Myself and Another.

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04/09/2025 No Comments