Rating: 
Summary: Ric Burns got the tone exactly right
Review: The first seven episodes of Ric Burns's spectacular documentary on the history of New York seemed to be complete-until September 11, 2001. The story of the World Trade Center, from its grandiose conception to its heartbreaking destruction, needed to be told and Ric Burns was the person to do it. Not only did he have a vast trove of footage of the buildings, at all stages of their development and in every kind of light and weather that he had accumulated during the making of the earlier New York episodes, he also had the unique perspective that only a great film-maker who has also immersed himself in the history of the city for ten years can attain. The visuals are stunning and almost poetically matched to the narrative. There is even foreshadowing and humor. But The Center of the World is not only about the buildings; it is mainly about human ambition, artistry, unbearable sadness, bravery, kindness and hope. It keeps you riveted for the full three hours and for about half an hour afterwards!
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece!
Review: The fitting climax to the New York documentary series. This film is very good and yet very sad also. It tells the history of the World Trade Center dating from just after World War II to September 11, 2001. A must see for all who are interested in the WTC.
Rating:
Summary: There Is None Other
Review: There is none other than Ric Burns to tell this tale. This documentary is devestating. The footage, combined with Mr. Burns' use of silence to let the pictures tell the tale, make for a staggering monument. Mr Burns also realized that as the towers came down that morning, a new story sprung up. It is not the story of death and destruction, but of people coming together to heal a scar on the face of Mother Nature, a scar in the heart of a city, a state, a country, and its people. As enormous the event of the Twin Towers collapsing is, the story of the clean-up is an even greater story.I think that now, years after the event, and the nation "healing" by falling back in to the old ways of bitter bipartisanship and political bickering, we need this film to remember what happned on that terrible morning. The forces of evil pricked a sleeping giant, but boy was that a miscalculation their part!
Rating:
Summary: There Is None Other
Review: There is none other than Ric Burns to tell this tale. This documentary is devestating. The footage, combined with Mr. Burns' use of silence to let the pictures tell the tale, make for a staggering monument. Mr Burns also realized that as the towers came down that morning, a new story sprung up. It is not the story of death and destruction, but of people coming together to heal a scar on the face of Mother Nature, a scar in the heart of a city, a state, a country, and its people. As enormous the event of the Twin Towers collapsing is, the story of the clean-up is an even greater story. Forces of evil thought that the events of this day would break the spirit of a city, a country, and its people, but boy were they wrong!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Documentary Film!
Review: This 8th installment of the Ric Burns' documentary series, "New York", is a fascinatingly-absorbing tale of the rise and fall of the iconic World Trade Center. Spanning a full three hours in length, "New York Episode Eight: The Center Of The World", provides the viewer an intense, in-depth look into the planning, development, construction, and sad demise of the famous Twin Towers in Manhattan, complete with breathtaking aerial views of the behemoths during construction and after completion. The story of the complex and almost Herculean task of creating the massive World Trade Center is skillfully and entertainingly weaved on this program utilizing new interview footage, intercut with archival video footage of the day. I like the fact that Director Ric Burns doesn't rush to tell the story at a mile-a-minute pace. The saga of these great buildings evolves at a more leisurely, relaxed pace during the program. The sheer scope of what we lost in just a few short seconds as the Towers crumbled into dust on September 11, 2001, might not be fully realized until viewing a program like this one, which provides many of the statistics and specifications for the Trade Center's combined 220 stories. Also included on the program is a detailed account of the fascinating tale of high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who, on August 7, 1974, walked from the top of one tower to the other, 1,360 feet above the streets of New York. In all, Petit spent 45 minutes walking (and dancing) from one tower to the other, making a total of eight passes between the immense structures. This program shows many spectacular pictures of Petit carrying out his death-defying and one-of-a-kind performance. A performance which, for many people, "humanized" the bulky steel Towers. The final 52 minutes of the documentary focuses on the destruction of the Trade Center on 9/11/2001. During the majority of those final fifty-plus minutes of the program, you might very well find yourself with one hand clasped over your open mouth, still in near-disbelief that this awful tragedy could have possibly taken place on that sunny Tuesday morning. No matter how many times you've seen those planes hit those two beautiful pieces of architecture, and no matter how many replays you've seen of the Towers pancaking down into the street, the events of 9/11, even years later, are still powerful enough to produce the inevitable "Oh My God...How Could This Happen?!" type of emotion within us all when we see it again, such as in this PBS documentary film. It's a tragic event of such proportions that it seemingly will never grow old, and will never cease to resonate in our minds. A more complete, detailed, and heartfelt examination of the fallen status symbols known as the Twin Towers you're not likely to find anywhere. This DVD program is a keepsake and a timeless reminder of not only the sadness of what America lost in September 2001, but also serves as an uplifting reminder of what the Trade Center stood for in its nearly 30 years of existence. The pride and sense of accomplishment in rejuvenating a decaying New York City that was felt by the many, many people who were involved, in any small way, in helping those Towers rise to become (at the time) the tallest buildings in the world, is something that no terrorist actions can ever destroy. And that sense of pride can be felt in this documentary program. This is a DVD that you'll be proud to own, and is one to be treasured for many, many years to come.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Documentary Film!
Review: This 8th installment of the Ric Burns' documentary series, "New York", is a fascinatingly-absorbing tale of the rise and fall of the iconic World Trade Center. Spanning a full three hours in length, "New York Episode Eight: The Center Of The World", provides the viewer an intense, in-depth look into the planning, development, construction, and sad demise of the famous Twin Towers in Manhattan, complete with breathtaking aerial views of the behemoths during construction and after completion. The story of the complex and almost Herculean task of creating the massive World Trade Center is skillfully and entertainingly weaved on this program utilizing new interview footage, intercut with archival video footage of the day. I like the fact that Director Ric Burns doesn't rush to tell the story at a mile-a-minute pace. The saga of these great buildings evolves at a more leisurely, relaxed pace during the program. The sheer scope of what we lost in just a few short seconds as the Towers crumbled into dust on September 11, 2001, might not be fully realized until viewing a program like this one, which provides many of the statistics and specifications for the Trade Center's combined 220 stories. Also included on the program is a detailed account of the fascinating tale of high-wire artist Philippe Petit, who, on August 7, 1974, walked from the top of one tower to the other, 1,360 feet above the streets of New York. In all, Petit spent 45 minutes walking (and dancing) from one tower to the other, making a total of eight passes between the immense structures. This program shows many spectacular pictures of Petit carrying out his death-defying and one-of-a-kind performance. A performance which, for many people, "humanized" the bulky steel Towers. The final 52 minutes of the documentary focuses on the destruction of the Trade Center on 9/11/2001. During the majority of those final fifty-plus minutes of the program, you might very well find yourself with one hand clasped over your open mouth, still in near-disbelief that this awful tragedy could have possibly taken place on that sunny Tuesday morning. No matter how many times you've seen those planes hit those two beautiful pieces of architecture, and no matter how many replays you've seen of the Towers pancaking down into the street, the events of 9/11, even years later, are still powerful enough to produce the inevitable "Oh My God...How Could This Happen?!" type of emotion within us all when we see it again, such as in this PBS documentary film. It's a tragic event of such proportions that it seemingly will never grow old, and will never cease to resonate in our minds. A more complete, detailed, and heartfelt examination of the fallen status symbols known as the Twin Towers you're not likely to find anywhere. This DVD program is a keepsake and a timeless reminder of not only the sadness of what America lost in September 2001, but also serves as an uplifting reminder of what the Trade Center stood for in its nearly 30 years of existence. The pride and sense of accomplishment in rejuvenating a decaying New York City that was felt by the many, many people who were involved, in any small way, in helping those Towers rise to become (at the time) the tallest buildings in the world, is something that no terrorist actions can ever destroy. And that sense of pride can be felt in this documentary program. This is a DVD that you'll be proud to own, and is one to be treasured for many, many years to come.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptionally fine film
Review: This extraordinarily moving and beautiful film is also an important historical document, containing riveting interviews with people who were central to the process of designing and building the World Trade Center. It is perhaps the one film about the rise and fall of this great "wonder of the world" that everyone will want to own. The film can be viewed as a part of the larger series -- New York: a Documentary Film -- but stands alone as well.
Rating:
Summary: Best documentary about New York's Twin Towers attack
Review: This film is outstanding, flawless. I adored the camera shots of New York City, its history, and the terrifying attack on the twin towers. I would have enjoyed much, much more from Ada Louise Huxtable. Exceptional and I recommend this film highly.
Rating:
Summary: Completed Series
Review: This is a fitting conclusion to the previously seen 7 part PBS series. The entire thing is pretty incredible - and Center of the World is now different. Unlike the rest of the series, this 3 hr show focuses solely on one subject matter: the World Trade Center....and rightfully so. From their inception, to construction and painful destruction, this final episode is more inclusive than the other documentaries that have been shown since 9/11. The pacing, interviews (i.e. Pete Hamil, Robert Stern, Paul Goldberger, etc) and narration (David Ogden Stiers) are consistent with the other seven segments. The music is consistent w/the other episodes, but some of the similar passages come across as much more sorrowful. Though many critics thought the twin towers were architecturally bankrupt, I was always enthralled with them. I was thrilled to have been able to have worked in their shadow (literally) and never stopped marveling at them each time that I saw them. For me - seeing the airplanes hit the towers and its aftermath have never gotten easier. It is still incredibly painful to watch - and completely surreal that they no longer exist. Ed Koch's story of meeting the father of a woman who died in the collapse is extremely emotional and one of the few times that Burns actually uses this trait. I was extremely cognizant that the words 'Ground Zero' were never used until Burns used them himself in one of the extras on the DVD. For whatever reason, I was very grateful for that. The extras aren't many, but they are nice. Deleted scenes from when a plane hit the Empire State is downright eerie. Done prior to the WTC attacks, the writing and narration are downright haunting and could have been used for the towers themselves. It was a wise move to cut that scene (that episode was shown a few weeks after 9/11). Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch do wonderful jobs in their segments. This is a good stand-alone purchase, but fits so well in w/the entire series
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Presentation
Review: This is a thorough, complete, and excellent history of New York's World Trade Center, from conception to destruction. Very competently put together. I initially had bad trouble with the framing of the picture on the DVD and complained about it in my first review, but Whistler from Bowie, MD pointed out that the problem may have been due to the settings on my DVD-player. Indeed by changing the setup I was able to achieve the full picture. Thank you Whistler. I am pleased now to be able to recommend this presentation wholeheartedly and to give it the highest grade it deserves.
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