The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns

Rating:
Summary: The Civil War: Ken Burns masterpiece
Review: Having just finished watching The Civil War by Ken Burns I felt I had to review it. The DVD, on 6 discs, encompass the entire civil war from beginning to end, including important events that preceded the firing of the first shot.

In essence, the union won, and was lucky to do so: despite continually squandering the advantage of numerical superiority and the innumerable opportunities they had for victory.

Although it is difficult to describe what so compelling and addictive about this work, I believe, one of the factors is the beauty of the story telling. The main portion of the series in simply nothing more than old black and white photographs captured by photographers of the day; images with a ghostly, grainy quality that makes for a special eerie affect. I do not think colored pictures, somehow, would have been effective in creating the mood that these B &W photos do: simple images of men in their barracks, in front of a tent, on a horse etc. or sometimes grotesque scenes of death and destruction after a battle. The fact that so many of these images survived is a miracle in itself.

Just as important is the beautiful, narrative voice of David McCullough and others historians who give expert commentary and actors who read letters written by people involved in this event.

However, in my opinion, it is the music that sets this epic event apart from any other work on the same topic. The Ashoken Farewell by Jay Ungar begins each installment: it is hard to imagine a more fitting piece of music that could preface each episode: this haunting melody, played by a solo violin, seems to capture the raw essence of the story so perfectly: it simply seems to reach out and touch the soul. The majority of the music accompanying the story is played by solo guitar, piano, banjo or violin: and again the singular instrument seems much more appropriate than orchestrated music: capturing the ever increasing loneliness and solitude that these men must have felt as the war dragged on throughout these four years.

All in all, the photographs, the narrative, and the music blend together to make an unforgettable 10 hour series that surly is one of the most important events not only in American history, but maybe even more importantly, for the entire world.

Rating:
Summary: Brings It To Life
Review: I am very please with the Ken Burns DVD of The Civil War. This is the documentary that first brought the War Between the States to life for me, and continues to do so today. Now because of the DVD format, I can pause the screen at any time and have a perfect still picture to examine within my home! The black and white pictures and moving color shots are definitely enhanced from the original VHS release. While the audio is crisp and clear, I was a little disappointed with the 5.1 nature of the re-release. Although at times the audio did come through the rear surround speakers, most of the action seems to take place in the front and center speakers. A Hollywood action film it is not.

If you have read earlier reviews about the "shaky camera affect" and are hesitant to buy this format over the VHS, do not let that stop you. This criticism is silly, plain and simple. On close ups of the stills, when the camera is either panning across or zooming in, there is bound to be some camera movement due to the high magnification. But it is not excessive, nor distracting. It even adds some "life" to the stills, which I believe would look less interesting if they were presented there just laying dead! Again, don't worry, the DVD is not defective, it is the same as the original VHS format in terms of this. It is not on the scale of the Blair Witch Project as some reviewers would lead you to believe.

Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: This is a good general overview of the topic. In order to fill in the gaps, it should be viewed in conjunction with a study of Shelby Foote's three volume history of the war (incidentally, the interviews with Shelby Foote are the best thing about the film). Two things prevent me from giving it 5 stars: An improper stress on slavery and its sentimentalist tone. If slavery was a prime cause of the war, its economic dimension, not moral, was paramount. This distinction is hardly mentioned, and the moral dimension is the almost exclusive focus. Secondly, while the music is nice, it's excessive. There's just too much of it, to the point that it distracts from the narrative. The filmmakers seem to have made a conscious decision to try to make the viewer cry, and this is annoying. There's no need for this. The horror and tragedy of the Civil War speaks for itself.

Rating:
Summary: Elegent
Review: It is difficult to use an adjective that has not been used already to describe this magnificent documentary series, but the one that springs to mind the most is elegent. Anyone, with an interest in military history, sociology, the history of the United states, or the making of the United States could not help but be captured by this great series.

The series comes in three discs, with 3 episodes on each. The series essentually tells the histiry in a chronological order ( unlike, say the seminal "world at war" series which would deal with say, the bomber offensie from 1942-45), but each episode is broken into discrete chapters which cover an event of importance. Put another way, the terribly involved and complex war is broken into readilly digestable chunks, with a very smooth narrative flow. I am no expert on the Civil War ( although I do have some passing acquantence with 19th century warfare), but the scholership and research is sound.

Noted historians, and particully Shelby Foote, explain in understandable terms- often illustrated by individual quotes and quips- matters of importance, and other events are narrated by beautiful- and I use that term deliberatly and dignified readings from speeches, diaries and letters from the period. MOrgan Freeman and Sam Waterstein are outstanding.

Finally,, the graphics - colour film of the battlefield, old black and white film from the 1930's of a civil war vets reunion, and photographs from the period are superb. Finally the elegiac and moving musical score makes this a feast for the ears, eyes, and mind. An absolute gem, and most highly recommended.

Grade: A+

Rating:
Summary: The Civil War - a Film by Ken Burns
Review: I viewed The Civil War on PBS and was amazed at the detail, photograhs and straight-forward manner in which Mr. Burns presented the subject. As a result, my interest in the Civil War has increased tremendously and I now intend to make a trip to a number of the battlefields. The American public has a great history and it is unfortunate that our schools do not seem to share the passion of Ken Burns in telling this historic story.

Rating:
Summary: Timeless
Review: Our family has long awaited the publication of The Civil War on DVD. With one child in High School, another finishing 8th Grade and a third in 4th Grade, this epochal documentary is an ideal teaching tool. The DVD format allows us to track their History curriculum, show them specific portions of the documentary, pause for discussion, review key sections, and the like. (I could listen to Shelby Foote expostulate all day, even if I am a Yankee.) The added content of the DVD edition also gives greater insight into the production of this series. These benefits are unique to the DVD format

Our children can learn more about this important era of our nation's history from watching The Civil War than they ever could in a basic History class. This is also superb viewing for adults, of course, but I wanted to emphasize the value of this documentary for younger viewers.

DVDs stand the test of repeated viewing -- unlike, I'm sad to say, videotape -- just as the scope and content of this magnificent documentary will stand the test of time.

Rating:
Summary: The Civil War comes to life
Review: This is probably the best documentary I've ever seen. Yes, it's true, this film isn't the PERFECT guide to the Civil War, nor does it contain EVERYTHING you may want to know. Is that so unreasonable? I doubt it is possible to make a documentary containing ALL the important facts from the war, and even if one were made I doubt I'd want to watch it. The point is: this one comes darn close.

At somewhere around twelve hours, this documentary is a serious time investment, yet it is one well made. Never before have I seen the Civil War brought to life like this. Never before have I experienced the sights and firsthand accounts of those associated with the war.

The historians (with the exception of Shelby Foote) are somewhat corny, but Foote makes up for that as the picture-perfect Southern scholar who is loaded with anecdotes from and about the war. Also, the documentary follows closely the lives of two men (one from each side) who started out as privates, kept journals, and somehow survived the duration of the war. Besides these two mens' accounts there are many direct quotes from the generals and leaders involved in each of the major actions of the war.

I agree that this isn't the definitive account of the war. Shelby Foote couldn't do it in three (big) volumes, and I doubt anyone will. Still, this is about as good as it gets. If you're a Civil War or history buff I highly recommend this magnificent film by Ken Burns.

Rating:
Summary: History Comes Alive
Review: Watching this masterpiece in its brilliant entirety is like being on the battlefields with the soldiers, North and South. Like being at home with their left-behind loved ones. Like being the parent of a teenaged young man eager to join the carnage in the naive thought that it will be a lark.

Through Ken Burns' soothing and easy-to-listen-to narrative, illustrated liberally with photographs, drawings, maps, biographies, and letters read in voiceover, the viewer is completely drawn into another time, another era. And yet--looking at the pictures of the (mostly doomed) soldiers, hearing their letters home, knowing of their suffering and their heroism, one realizes that life has not changed all that much. These boys are our boys. The struggling leaders, from generals with drinking problems on up to Abraham Lincoln in all his glory, are just people, caught up in a conflict so historic, it still lives on.

How much better to teach children about the Civil War through this series of tapes than through a dull, boring textbook that lists dry dates and lists of names. Part of our heritage, this conflict should be learned and understood by everybody. And there is nobody more skilled at teaching it than Ken Burns. Bravo, Mr. Burns. I applaud you.

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate
Review: This is the ultimate for any fan of the American Civil War. The most popular PBS event in history, millions tuned in to watch this when it first came on. Many people then bought it and watched it second and third times. It did more to spread knowledge and interest in the Civil War than probably any other event. It means a great deal to me personally, for it is what first brought the Civil War to my attention, aside from snippets in the history books. While it does not cover the entire war, such as actions in New Mexico and the Trans-Mississippi area, it presents a very detailed account of the war and its famous, and not so famous, personalities. Even better, it has interviews with famous Civil War scholars, like Shelby Foote and Ed Bearss. The companion book is also interesting, but the videos make a far deeper impact. It has great music, great voices, and phenomenal pictures. It carries a hefty price tag, but it is worth ten times that much.

Rating:
Summary: The Civil War by Ken Burns
Review: A must have for any one interested in the Civil War.
The photo's,music and commentary are some of the best.