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After the national success of his 11-hour epic, The Civil War--the highest-rated miniseries in public-television history--many wondered if Ken Burns could capture the same energy and passion with smaller subjects. His reply, the 18-hour history of America's greatest sport, Baseball, not only quieted these worries, it also perhaps surpassed his prior achievement. Massive in scope (it covers more than 100 years), exhausting in detail, and filled with celebrities, journalists, politicians, historians, and the men who played the game, Burns's romantic love letter to the game achieves the impossible: even those who hate baseball can't help but become immersed in it. This is because Burns doesn't just detail the great players and the memorable plays and games; he also presents baseball as a cultural and social mirror, reflecting the beauty and hypocrisy of the nation that created it. Divided into nine innings, two hours each in length, the video examines complex social issues such as segregation, racial inequality (its section on Jackie Robinson, baseball's first African American player, should be required school viewing), labor battles between owners and players, politics, technology and gender conflicts, among others. Then, of course, there's fascinating footage and biographies on the players--troubled icons such as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, heroes such as Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, and tragic figures such as Pete Rose and Lou Gehrig--the men who, despite a rocky and often hypocritical history, constructed baseball's tradition and preserved its invincibility. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (93)

A DVD All Baseball Fans Should Own
Ken Burns did his usual outstanding job with this documentary. He tells the story of baseball, using a combination of still photos, videos, interviews and quotes quotes. The DVD includes a bonus disc, which includes several great interviews.

He hits all aspects of the game: The development of the game itself and the leagues, the labor history, the stars and great teams and personalities, the great moments in the history of the game, and so on. He also gives us a pretty good look at the old Negro leagues and we get to hear some of the great stories from those days before MLB was integrated.

The only bad thing I can say about this collection of dvds is that by the time it was over I was really sick of hearing different versions of "Take Me out to the Ballgame."

The great stories in this collection more than make up for that one drawback, however. He does more than just interview and quote the players, managers, umpires, owners and sports writers. He includes stories from fans. Doris Kearns Goodwin told about how she grew up rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, then after they moved away, she found herself in Boston, becoming a Red Sox fan, just in time to have her heart broken again.

All fans of baseball should see this collection.

this is a 'must see' for people who love baseball
THIS BEAUTIFUL AND METICULOULSY CRAFTED FILM ABOUT THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, TRACES IT'S ROOTS IN AMERICA FROM THE 1830' TO THE 1990'S. ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN KEN BURN'S CIVIL WAR SERIES KNOWS HOW WELL THE AUTHOR COVERS HIS SUBJECT. THIS NINE TAPE SET LETS YOU SEE THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICAS GAME. THROUGHT A COLLECTION OF STILL PHOTOGRAPHS AND EARLY MOTION PICTURES YOU CAN SEE THE LEGENDS THAT YOU HAVE ONLY HEARD OF IN BOOKS AND FROM YOUR OLDER RELATIVES. CAP ANSON AND 'HOME RUN BAKER COME TO LIFE, TY COBB AND HONUS WAGNER, AND GROVER CLEVELAND DISPLAY THEIR ATHELETIC PROWERESS ON JERKY SPOTTED FILM. THE NARRATIVE IMPECCABLY DONE BY JOHN CHANCELLOR AND A HOST OF WELL KNOWN FANS SUPPLIES YOU WITH A RUNNING COMMENTARY OF THE PLAYERS AND THEIR STORIES OF MOST OF THE HONORED MYTHS. THE STORY IS TOLD IN A CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER SEPARATED INTO ININGS, A TOTAL OF NINE. THEY ALSO COVER THE 1910'S AND THE BLACK SOX SCANDAL. THE 20'S AND THE 'BABE'. THE 30'S AND THE 'IRON HORSE'. ON INTO THE 40'S WITH 'JOLTIN JOE' DIMAGGIO AND TED WILLIAMS. THE WAR AND IT'S EFFECT ON THE GAME WITH THE BIRTH OF WOMEN IN PROFESSIONAL BALL. THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF JACKIE ROBINSON AND THE INTERGARATION OF THE 'NATIONAL PASSTIME'. INTO THE 50'S AND THE RISE OF NEW STARS LIKE MICKEY MANTLE,WILLIE MAYS,HANK AARON AND THE TRIALS OF THE BROOKLYN DODGERS. THE SERIES COVERS THE EFFORTS OF PLAYERS TO OVER THROW THE HATED RESERVE CLAUSE WHICH BOUND EVERY PLAYER TO ONE CLUB FOR HIS LIFETIME. EACH TAPE HIGHLIGHTS THE WORLD SERIES OF MOST OF THE YEARS. THE THROWING OF THE SERIES BY 6 SOX PLAYERS, THE PICTURE OF BABE RUTH CALLING HIS SHOT AGAINST THE PIRATES. THE MIRACLE CATCH BY MAYS IN '54' AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF AMERICA IN DIMAGGIO'S INCERDIBLE STRING OF 56 GAMES SAFELY HIT IN. IT ALSO HAS ITS SHARE OF ZANIES AND SHOWS SOME OF THE WARTS OF THIS GREAT GAME. THE CURSE ON THE BOSTON REDSOX BY BABE RUTH AND THE INCOMPRABLE SATCHELL PAGE. THE MIDGET HIRED BY BILL VECK AND THE EXPRESSIONS COINED BY THE LIKES OF CASEY STENGEL AND YOGI BERRA. THE LOVEABLE CRAZINESS OF BILL LEE. IT'S ALL HERE IN ABOUT 10 HOURS OF VIEWING WHICH WILL PASS IN FLASH LIKE THE PICTURES ON THE SCREEN. YOU MUST WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY IF YOU GREW UP IN AMERICA IN THE 40' AND 50'S LIKE I DID- TO RECALL THOSE WONDERFUL LOSE DAYS OF CHILDHOOD SPENT ON THE BASEBALL FIELD AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH, TO SEE THE FABLED PLAYERS OF THE PAST.

View it as entertainment, not as history
Ken Burns is becoming well-known as much for what he leaves out of his documentaries as for what he tells you and how he tells it. One sees it somewhat in the Civil War documentary (unless of course you are a Lost Cause devotee, in which case you view that series as horribly biased and riddled with errors), and it is definitely (and troublingly) evident in his Jazz documentary, where 40 years of jazz is virtually glossed over in favor of an almost obsessive fixation on Louis Armstrong. In the case of "Baseball," Burns again leaves out huge chunks of the story, although the end result is nonetheless entertaining.

In the case of "Baseball," the unrelenting focus is on New York City, Babe Ruth & Jackie Robinson, and to be fair, there is no way you could discuss the subject of baseball without devoting a great deal of time to these subjects. However, the title of the documentary is "Baseball," not "The New York City, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson Story," and it is possible to watch this documentary at times and come to believe that nothing else was happening out side of New York most of the time.

I recall reading a Sports Illustrated article a few years ago that discussed the Philadelphia Athletics from 1929-1931, and made the case that that team was better than the famed "Murderer's Row" Yankees of 1926-1928, and possibly the best team in baseball history. The article's author crunched the numbers, compared the stats, and made a pretty compelling case. He then asked why so little attention has been paid to the A's over the years, and posited that because most of the nation's important papers and sportswriters were based in New York City; by default the majority of the great sportswriting was devoted to the Yankees, while relatively backwater Philadelphia languished in obscurity. It seems to be the same situation with Burns. While other incredibly dominant teams such as (in the early years) the Chicago Cubs, the A's, the Pittsburgh Pirates & the Detroit Tigers are given passing mention, they are quickly shoved on the back burner in favor of the Boston Red Sox & New York Giants. Then the Yankees & the Dodgers begin to coalesce, and it is all New York, all the time. One gets no feeling for how dominant the 1929-1931 A's (or the St. Louis Cardinals of the mid-1930's) were, because Burns continually focuses on Babe Ruth & the Negro Leagues.

When Burns gets to the 1950's he can be excused, because really it was a New York-dominated decade like no other. However, the other decades did in fact see a more competitive balance, and one would not get this impression from the documentary.

It would have been nice if Burns hadn't crammed the last quarter century of his story into one "inning." Are you telling me that the stories since 1970 aren't as compelling as the early years of baseball. I don't believe that Burns would have had to devote that much more time to the post-1970 era to make it feel less cursory and rushed. This is a somewhat annoying tendency of his that was more griveously evident when he made "Jazz."

Also, I get a little tired of the "poetry of baseball" school of thought. It isn't as though I am some knuckle-dragging troglodyte who gets all his news from sports radio; I am just as likely to go to the opera as to the ballpark. This baseball as metaphor for how the cosmos works gets on my nerves after a while (although I consider Roger Angell's comment "there's more Met than Yankee in all of us" to be priceless beyond description). It's not that baseball doesn't imbue our life with a little extra something special, it's just that some of these talking heads tend to get a little overwrought.

I enjoyed watching the documentary the first time, and I have watched it probably half a dozen times since over the years. By comparison, I have watched "The Civil War" about 15 times, I would guess. I was so disappointed with "Jazz" that I managed only a second viewing. In any case, "Baseball" is very entertaining, and that is what largely accounts for my 4-star rating I would only caution those who don't know their baseball history that this documentary omits a great deal of what is a very good story.

Costas at his best
You don't have to love baseball like I do to enjoy this documentary about Americas pastime. Although I got a little tired of Ken Burns style (I think it's unnecesary to quote someone and THEN state the name of the person being quoted, a Ken Burns trademark) the material is just too great and too American to be disliked. The best part? I was mesmerized by Bob Costas' description of events that took place in the BoSox clubhouse during their 9th inning collapse in game six of the 1986 World Series. When he recollects his "What do I do if they tie it?" remark to his producer it is fascinating, thrilling, and in the end, very sad. Just more proof that baseball is "designed to break your heart". Trust me on this one.

Great documentary but what's the deal?
Has anyone noticed that the times given for each "Inning" (i.e., disc) on the DVD is wildly inaccurate? Am I missing material or what? Almost every inning is under two hours according to my DVD player but the case usually indicates a time of 145 to 155 minutes or more. Are there hidden easter eggs on the disc or is PBS just wrong?
jr ... Read more

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The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation, reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era he depicts. The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller, and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (144)

Excellent Introduction
Ken Burns' Civil War is an excellent introduction to the period, told well with style. It's a documentary, not a history book. It is, however, far more accurate and balanced than other Civil War documentaries (such as the History Channel's Civil War Journal).

To hit on a couple of criticisms in other reviews, slavery as a cause of the Civil War is an argument bordering on the level of a holy war, itself. Recent magazine articles and essays have done a good job of discussing it. The result is that both Burns' view and the "Burns' is wrong, it was all about states rights" views are both simplistic. Burns' documentary does a good job of capturing the Southern view of slavery and abolition but he does over state the view of the north as abolitionist. While there were Southern abolitionists and Southern soldiers who didn't care one way or another, Burns shows quite well that without slavery there would have been no war. (The statement that the South only fought for "states rights" was actually championed in the 1880s. If states rights were the only reason for fighting the war, why did the Confederate Constitution prevent any Confederate state from passing a law against slavery, even if that state wanted to abolish it?)

To the point of Grant being the first Lt. General since Washington, Burns is both right and wrong. Winfield Scott was made Lt. General, but it was a brevet (something a little more than honorary) rank. It was a brevet specifically so that Washington would be the only man to have officially held that rank. This changed when Grant was given the rank.

Fine Film
There's no denying that Ken Burns' sweeping documentary of the American Civil War is a success. Through photographs, modern footage of the places in question, period music, and voices reading primary source documents of the time, Burns conjures up the conflict in all its thrilling drama, bloody tragedy, dark humor, and stirring nobility. Personal and engaging, this film brought a new awareness of American history to millions of viewers. It should be noted that a huge topic such as the Civil War cannot be entirely crammed into one film, however long; this is necessarily an overview, though an excellent and detailed one. (At least the Civil War had a compact number of years to it; Burns subsequently took on huger topics still such as Baseball and Jazz, with less success. His finite films like this one and "Lewis and Clark" are easier to see as a whole.) I have one quibble with this show - I think it oversimplifies the causes of the war. To be specific, it sees only one cause - slavery - and pays no attention to states' rights or economic issues. This is no surprise; his other films have shown us that Burns sees race as the defining issue of our country. Whether you entirely agree with this idea or not, you are sure to enjoy and learn from this epic documentary.

The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
This one is superb........well worth the money..it can be purchased for much less at eBay though. Shelby Foote's comments thoughout the film are outstanding. He is truly a southerner and you will enjoy his thoughts relative to the film. I highly recommend the film and will be glad to answer any questions anyone might have regarding the film. You can email me at jimsuz@swbell.net with your questions!

Get the best version
It should be recognised that there are three versions of the series in circulation. The original series itself was released in 3 versions: complete (with varying episode lengths), slighly shortened (to provide similar length shows) and short version (about 1 hour per episode. The slightly shortened version was the one initially distributed on Video and DVD. This is the one that has the wobbly transfer. The new DVD version (2003) is a digitally enhanced full release. Ken Burns returned to the original film to achieve a new hi-resolution transfer and then proceded to digitally clean it up. This is demonstrated in a mini-doco on the DVD. No one questions the quality of the series and with this release the reproduction quality matches it. Ken Burns turned me into a Civil War buff and collector. I still found the series highly moving even after several viewings.

Be Forewarned About This Shamefully Cheaply Packaged DVD
Let me start off by saying the documentary itself is wonderful. Certainly, it may be slightly biased, and woefully short on info about the western campaign, but it is well intentioned and researched, as well as being both thought provoking and entertaining. The presence of Foote helps correct the obvious Northern bias, and I think the film was fairly clear about Lincoln starting out as a moderate on the slavery issue. And let us be fair; no project this ambitious is ever going to be perfect nor satisfy everyone, and this one is far better than most.

But, the DVD packaging is just horrible. The literally paper thin disk container fell apart on the second day that I had it. I have a fairly large DVD collection with many, many box set collections and this is by far the cheapest presentation I have ever encountered. Now, had this been a budget box set designed to be low cost so as to make itself available to the greatest number of people possible, I would accept this. But as you must know, this set is actually quite expensive compared to most box sets. Therefore, the ridiculously flimsy packaging is inexcusable. This series deserves better. I STRONGLY urge you to wait until a higher quality presentation is put on offer. ... Read more

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A man crouches and pokes at what first appears to be a wad of chewed-up pink bubble gum on the ground. "That's what a scab will do to ya, by God," he says, his voice quavering with emotion. The pink wad is brain tissue from a striker shot in the head by a strikebreaker. That's one of the harsh realities of Harlan County USA. Barbara Kopple's documentary camera looks at this forgotten corner of 1970s America, the site of some of the bitterest labor violence in American history. It's hard to believe that some 40 years after the Depression, there were parts of Appalachia that were hardly better off than they were in the 1930s. The care-worn faces of the miners and their families speak volumes. They're the tough, proud faces of people struggling to make a living the way that their parents and grandparents did in generations past. Kopple skillfully weaves archival footage and traditional labor songs through the film to give a historical perspective to the strike against Eastover Mining Company. Above and beyond the labor issues, the film takes a hard look at the living conditions, health issues, and poverty faced by Harlan's residents, the human toll that goes along with the mining industry. The tense confrontations between Eastover's slimy security goons and the unionizers are particularly gripping, with the threat of violence hanging thick in the air. Sometimes ugly, always absorbing, this is an important, enlightening social record, one that serves the highest calling of the documentary filmmaker's art. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great movie..but not the entire story!
The Movie didnt tell much about the people of Harlan County..Henry Ford first exploited the people here at Wallins KY to mine coal to make coke to make his automobiles..untill then the people of this area were totaly self sufficient and didnt need a thing... most spoke several launguages..and were for the most part more educated than the rest of the US...So Henry Ford decided to do us a favor!..Just goes to show you technology isnt always a good thing!..Would have been a nice add in to the movie I think??...I'm in Harlan County..was here during the strike...and remember my grandparents talking of all the battles here in the 30's....This strike was nothing compared to the Days when "Bloody Harlan " got its name...As far as this movie goes?...Just another average strike In Harlan County*S*

The heart and soul what it is to be a coal miner
Produced and directed by Barbara Kopple, the film crew lived with the miners and their families during that period and were able to somehow get into the heart and soul of what it is to be a coal miner.

There are shots inside the mine where I can almost taste the dust and feel the claustrophobic confines. There's a shot of a woman giving a small child a bath in a tin bathtub and promising that when the strike is over, they might be able to live in a house with a real bathtub and running water. There are the miners' wives who are organizing to take a big part in the strike. And there are labor songs sung with the voices of people who really understand what these songs mean.

Most of all though, it is the faces of the people that I will never forget. There are no professional actors here; all these people are real. They are hollow cheeked, with deep lines etched on their faces and rotted which teeth which have never seen a dentist. Some are already victims of black lung disease. Others speak of husbands and grandfathers who died in mine explosions.

All this is mixed with just the right amount of historical footage to give background. There is no annoying voice over, just an occasional line of writing superimposed on the screen to clarify a point or give specific details. The miners and their families speak for themselves, sometimes directly into the camera, other times among each other.

Because of their thick Kentucky accents, I sometimes found it difficult to get every single word of dialog but this actually added to the authenticity of the video. I found myself moved by their plight, and feeling shivers of emotion throughout.

This stands out as an outstanding film and understand why it won an academy award. Recommended.

One of the best documentaries I've ever viewed...
When I told the librarian I wanted to see a video on coal mining, she handed me "Harlan County." I looked at the date - which indicated that the coal miners' strike featured in the movie took place in the early 1970s and I handed it back to her saying, "No, I'm interested in something with more history in it."

A few days later, I felt impelled to return to the library and get this VHS. I sat down to watch it one morning and could not turn it off. It's compelling, intriguing, educational and emotional. I cried several times, watching the struggle and learning more and more about a coal miner's life.

For the last few months, I've been doing research (in preparation for a book on Sears Homes) about Standard Oil's coal mines in Macoupin County, Illinois in the 1920s. "Harlan County" showed archival footage and presented information that showed what a miner's life looked like - through the ages. Duke Power's coal mines in Harlan County, Kentucky were so backwards and Standard Oil's coal mines in Macoupin County, Illinois were so progressive, that I learned more than I ever expected about early 1900s mining techniques.

The story about the man and the mules is something I'll never ever forget. Or the miner's conversation with the New York policeman. Thank God for the director Ms. Koppel, who was inspired to create this documentary! And for her having the wisdom and foresight to record these old miners' reminiscences of life in the coal mines in the early years of the 20th Century.

Suddenly, all the puzzle pieces from my months of book reading and research came together when I saw these old films and heard the miners talk.

I'll be watching it again and again - with my family, too. And I hope every person who uses electricity in this country will watch it, too.

An interesting aside - in the 1920s in Macoupin County, Illinois, one coal miner died (on average) for every 279,000 tons of coal that was mined. Between 1900-1969, 100,000 miners died in this country. Standard Oil's mines (operated from 1918-1925) in Macoupin County may have been the safest mines in the country, but several men died in those mines, too.

In 1918, Standard Oil of Indiana built 192 Sears Modern Homes for their (mostly immigrant) miners in Macoupin County. (The term "Modern Homes" simply meant that the houses had kitchens, bathrooms, running water, central heat and electricity.)

In 1973, Duke Power's miners in Harlan County were still living in shacks with no running water.

Rose Thornton

Real-Life Rancor
Dirt-poor miners struggle (to the death, in many cases) to unionize against the insurmountably evil coal bosses in this Oscar-winning documentary. Watch in awe (no joke) as simple men, women, and children, exemplify the true meaning of chasing the American dream. After watching "HCU," you'll never complain about YOUR job again. Ever.

Not just a strike against the Coal Operators
Not only does Ms. Kopple's work bring to the table the injustice, served daily, in Harlan, but also displays to the viewer the inner politics of powerful, present-day unions. This film should be required viewing for every Rank and File member of a Union. It should also be required viewing for all management and salaried employees. The management will say, "Good thing I got my degree and I'm not down in the hole with those redneck miners. Haw-Haw-Haw!"

The Salaried Employees will respond: I hate my job, I hate my boss, if I could kill everyone in this office, I would; NO---- Not my boss, "like the Nazis", he's only following orders. Not my co-workers---They're only doing their job and trying to lead a healthy life.

Whom then? Who do we crucify? In every management situation there is an overseer and a slave, in every salaried position, there is an overseer and a slave, AND in every rank and file position there is an overseer and slaves.

Rank and File, Unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains, held by your big union and management Overseers!

Jason ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A classic documentary
This superb documentary, despite being criticized for its use of fictitious re-creation scenes, provides convincing proof that a Dallas man was wrongly accused of killing a police officer. The accused man, who had been put on death row for 12 years, was eventually freed because of this film. Comprised mainly of interviews of the people involved in the murder case (including, chillingly, the person believed to be the real killer), the film paints a frightening picture of our justice system gone haywire. The dramatic re-creations, complete with film-noir like camera work and music score, to some violate the rules in documentary films, which traditionally contain only 100% documentary footage. Director Errol Morris' response to the criticism was that, "the re-creations are not supposed to depict the truths, but the LIES people have told. I believe David Harris shot the policeman, but the re-creations NEVER show that."

A bit of injustice was served to this film as well, as it was not nominated for a best-documentary oscar.

One of the damnedest documentaries I have ever seen.
I am a movie buff from Widener University, who bought this documentary on VHS as an afterthought while buying two other critically acclaimed docs, Streetwise and Gates of Heaven (both given 4 stars by Roger Ebert, who's like a second father to me). Although some people might not like the fact that this VHS version was pan-and-scan, the visual impact of the filmed interviews as well as the soundtrack still shines through. Anyone who wonders why so many people oppose the death penalty should see this film. People who have served jury duty (or are considering it) will also benefit. The Thin Blue Line not only shows how justice can miscarry all too easily, it makes its viewers get to know the interviewees all too well. Errol Morris's reconstructions of the different versions of Officer Wood's murder show up the inconsistencies of the witnesses' testimony so strongly that the real murderer, David Harris (who was only sixteen when he shot Wood)confessed to the crime. Of course by then Harris had nothing further to lose; he was already on Death Row for a subsequent murder. I would be surprised if Roger Ebert didn't raise his rating for this doc from 3 1/2 stars to four and include it in his list of "The Great Movies."

Solid Filmmaking.
Errol Morris is one of the few filmmakers who allows real people to speak their voices. One can tell when seeing his documentaries that the people speaking are talking from their hearts and minds, and not reading a screenplay or Q-card. In his movies, one can sense a level of rawness not found from other filmmakers. In 'The Thin Blue Line', Morris tries to aquit an innocent man of murdering a police officer.
The story is told in a breath-taking fashion, with Morris going back to the scene of the crime and telling it from as many viewpoints as possible. When doing this, he also exposes the manipulative nature of people, showing how they will go to great lenghts to save themselves and make a quick dollar. The subject matter might bore some people after a while, but the last interview with the real killler at the end of the film is simply haunting and unforgettable.

Amazing
I watched this film in my film and Lit class, then over the weekend I rented it and watched it several more times, it is truely astounding, as a native Texan I have always mindlessly supported the death penalty, but this movie gave me my doubts.

PS. David Harris is still on Death Row and is scheduled to be executed on 6/30/2004, crazy he's now 44

Not impossible
Another reviewer claims that it is impossible to see this film and still support the death penalty. I guess I am refuting that "impossibility" to a possibility. I wholeheartedly support the death penalty AND this is my favorite documentary of all time. Yes, this film clearly shows through interviews (new testimonials?), visuals, re-enactments, and other evidence that the innocent CAN go to jail and even death row. It is a sad justice system, but it still doesn't dissuade me from the death penalty to those that are guilty and deservant of their crime.

Now this film just needs to be re-released on DVD with an addendum to let know viewers know that Mr. Adams was exonerated. Most people may know already, but some viewers will watch this without knowing the case and the repercussion that this film has caused. ... Read more

Description

Barberland is a rich and humorous portrayal of a community phenomenon that is quickly fading into our vanishing Americana. Through quirky tales told by the barbers who were there, we are taken back to a time when a good shave and haircut made all the difference in your day, and people meant more than money. From shaving mishaps to Playboy Magazine, a trip through Barberland is a journey to be experienced before it's gone. ... Read more

Reviews (85)

Brilliant insights
Errol Morris's stunning documentary is about one of the 20th century's most significant players: Robert McNamara, who reprises the highlights of his life and professional career. The movie covers a lot of ground, including McNamara's stint as a Ford Motor Co. executive, his participation as a war planner in World War II, and his crucial involvement as secretary of defense under President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and under Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson during the Vietnam War. There are some stunning revelations, including his role in the firebombing of Japan, as well as the nuclear face-off between the United States and Cuba. This is another brilliant coup for Morris, the inspired documentarian who has made a career out of conversations with the most fascinating subjects. He tells a story that knocks you right off your feet.

Mr. McNamara reveals all...In His Own Words!
While network & cable news television reveal(s) inside political information to its' viewers, they only tell a fraction of the story, and only reveal what the viewer wants to hear at that. Docudramas/biopics, on the other hand, tell the complete & entire story as is, all without leading the onlooker astray in the process. Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara's account is no exception, of which, during the course of "The Fog of War"'s one hour, forty-five minute run, enlightens its' viewers with a biographical and pictorial collage of Mr. McNamara's hectic and universal life in government. Also contained within the fascinating, as well as extremely personal pages of Mr. McNamara's diary, this "Soldier of Fortune" really gets down to business, and isn't gun-shy in the slightest when discussing issues relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis (including Fidel Castro's reign of power [as well as his reign of terror against the United States Government and its' proud citizens]) and the Vietnam War. McNamara also manages to sneak in a poignant and mesmerizing real-life story pertaining to his frienship with the Kennedy family, as well as standing toe-to-toe with President Johnson and his administration. Robert discusses said wars from a business standpoint as well, including a "lesson" in the economic laws of supply and demand. Even with an I.Q. ranging in the 99th percentile (I.Q. of 140 or higher), McNamara concedes that even he has his faults, and acknowledges that no one's perfect by any means imaginable. By looking at this insightfully provocative and candid account, even I don't have to be a genius (of which I'm not, trust me!), to see that a man of Robert S. McNamara's talents and intellect, has any noticable flaws, of which there are extremely few, I'm quite sure. But, don't just take my word for it, just weigh all the merits of this particular "...Fog...", and see your way clear for yourself (either at an art-house cinema locale near you, or on video or DVD in the not-too-distant future) real soon!

Another Powerful Errol Morris Film
The Fog of War is basically a well-packaged two hour interview with Robert McNamara, the subject of this feature because of his position of Secretary of Defense under Kennedy and Johnson. It is a captivating glimpse into a man who served in America's most important war of the 20th century (WWII) and helped build its most infamous.

While the subject of this film is clearly McNamara's role in and reflection of Vietnam, filmmaker Errol Morris begins his piece by sculpting the life of the now 85 yr old former wiz-kid. The film traces his role as a strategic analyst for bombing raids against Japan, his short stint as President of Ford Motors and his eventual place alongside Kennedy and Johnson. We also get to see some personal moments about him, such as his claim to be the person who selected Kennedy's gravesite at Arlington. But Morris does not get side-tracked giving us too much irrelevant information; his piece is clear and to the point.

The film attempts to place McNamara in the position of a sage-like wiseman, who near the end of his life can educate the rest of us on the lessons that should be drawn from his successes and failures. Make no mistake, the film clearly attacks the logic behind the Vietnam War (and war in general) and even gives McNamara the chance to pass the buck to Kennedy and Johnson. But I find a refreshing attempt at truthfulness in this film that is usually lacking from most political texts aimed at persuasion.

While I disagree with many of the conclusions the film wants its audience to embrace, I can't deny the skill of the filmmaker who has given the world a piece of history that should be cherished forever. Nothing is more historically relevant than to hear tapes of McNamara's conversations with Kennedy and Johnson, two strong-willed men whose fearless determination is noticeably absent from the leaders of their political party today.

It is impossible for me to review any political documentary in 2004 without comparing it to this era's most famous documentarian, Micheal Moore. Errol Morris's The Fog of War is what I consider a true documentary (a claim I cannot make about Moore's works). His film attempts to display the truth of the situation he sees, rather than the tricky way Moore tries to shape the world to fit his views. Moore could learn a lot by viewing the powerful works of Errol Morris. The two men get to the same conclusion about war, but Morris does have to resort to half-truths and outright lies to prove his point. Compared to true documentaries like this, Moore's works are shown to be what they really are: entertainment.

Worth watching with the noted reservations
The Fog of War has received rave reviews on Amazon.com, but this review will not add to that long list. Fog is the word most appropriate for McNamara's discussion of Viet Nam. After two hours of hit and miss questions and answers, we are left with the conclusion that Viet Nam was a mistake and that McNamara was not responsible for it; that honor goes, according to McNamara, to Lyndon Johnson.

McNamara was a statistician/accountant who understood the numbers, but he was not a leader who could translate his knowledge into forceful action. Instead, it appears as if he supported Lyndon Johnson long after he realized that Viet Nam was going to be a war we could not win. Additionally, the information that he received about Viet Nam was sometimes innacurate and misleading. In hindsight he knows that it is unsafe to trust as fact reports given by subordinates. Without a historical perspective with which to judge the data he received, he arrived at false conclusions which resulted in the deaths of 58,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese.

Not only was McNamara ignorant of history, but he also understood little about ethics. He concludes that it is morally acceptable to do evil in order to arrive at a greater good. Machiavelli, in The Prince, would certainly agree with McNamara, but The Prince should not be a handbook for American foreign policy, even though recently it appears that Machiavelli's recommendations are alive and well in American government today. Torturing and abusing Vietnamese and Iraqi prisoners may provide useful information, but few would argue that the evil of torture is justified by what we learn from it. McNamara would have done well to study Kant's Categorical Imperative. If we approve of torture, or firebombing in the example given by McNamara, we must recommend that all other nations follow our example, at least according to Kant's Imperative.

My guess is that McNamara is a much smarter man than appears to be the case in The Fog of War. Unfortuntely, the director made McNamara appear to be often confused about the facts which were his stock in trade. He is an old man reminiscing about his life in public service and his memory is conveniently selective and self-serving.

Even so, I can recommend this film with the reservations noted for this reason. No viewer will ever think again that our safety and well being as a nation depend on rationality. McNamara prided himself on being a logical man of reason and often he was. That did not stop us, according to his own testimony, of coming an eyeblink away from the apocalyse during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Luck was on our side then. After watching The Fog of War many viewers will ask: When will our luck run out? This is a question well worth asking. Hopefully some will answer that we must replace evil intentions and actions toward other countries with moral behavior that stands as an example for the world to follow. This imperative puts us on the right if not always the winning side.

valuable retrospective of the decisions of war
In his own words Robert Strange McNamara tells of his early life and his career, notably his service as Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Through his narrative, viewers obtain a unique retrospective on critical international events, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the bombing of Japan and the Vietnam War.

McNamara sticks to the history. His personality is revealed by the way he speaks about events he found moving, but he dodges the tough personal questions, such as those about his family, his responsibility and his sense of guilt.

Clearly a reflective man, the lessons he provides are worthy of consideration by all, not just government leaders. In seeing some of the same mistakes made in current foreign relations as those McNamara recounts, viewers recognize the cycle of history, and human falliability. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1996, with his public image at a low ebb after a messy breakup with Mia Farrow, clarinetist and filmmaker Woody Allen set off on a tour of Europe with his New Orleans jazz band. Accompanying him were his sister, his soon-to-be wife Soon-Yi Previn, and Oscar-winning documentary maker Barbara Kopple. Like Allen says as the beginning of the tour, "Theoretically, this should be fun for us."

Woody Allen has always been more widely appreciated in Europe than in the U.S., so it's no surprise that the concerts quickly provoke the kind of fan hysteria usually reserved for rock stars.This star however is clearly not comfortable with his fame.Whether he's giving a tour of his lavish hotel suite or prodding at an unexpectedly dry omelet, the director seems profoundly ill at ease and sometimes--when trapped by a crowd or harassed by a particularly persistent photographer--he appears to be both frightened and angry at the way celebrity shapes his life. The pressure to be funny on cue is the bane of any comedian's life, of course, and for Allen the seemingly endless round of receptions and parties is something to be endured, not enjoyed.In the face of this, the mutual support and affection shared by Allen and the woman he introduces as "the notorious Soon-Yi Previn" comes across as both genuine and absolutely necessary. When they are together, he is at his funniest, and his least guarded.

What persuaded such a private artist to allow such a documentary to be made?Perhaps it was a desire to celebrate his love of music, something that appears to sustain him as much as his relationship with Soon-Yi. He may refuse to bob his head and tap his feet to please his audience, but when he launches into a soaring solo we finally see Allen at ease, transported by the thrill of playing jazz. --Simon Leake ... Read more

Reviews (16)

If you're looking for a Woody Allen film, this isn't it.
I really like Woody Allen and it's still kinda cool seeing one of my favorite filmmakers playing my favorite instrument (the clarinet) in my favorite musical style of 1940's-New Orleans-period Jazz. There's no doubt that Woody Allen has talent for filmmaking, but we've heard little about his musical talents until now. Unfortunately, "Wild Man Blues" doesn't satisfy as a documentary or a Woody Allen film, but a voyeuristic view of a pretty unglamorous 2-week tour.

"Wild Man Blues" shows Woody go through a European tour with his Jazz band, stopping in major cities like Paris, Milan, Madrid, Bologna & London. His performances are to large crowds of 1,000 or more people, and it turns into an event that is obviously uncomfortable for the notoriously recluse filmmaker. We get a pale "behind the scenes" view of Woody in real life, which personally reminded me of the MTV Real World method: Film everything and keep the most interesting parts, which are few & far between. As the movie progresses, Woody gets comfortable enough for the ever-present camera to start making some of his trademark quips about anomalies in general; broken light switches, forgotten breakfast items, etc. This wears off some of the effect, since it seems we are not watching a good documentary, but a film with inconsistent dialogue.

I personally would rather have a movie of an entire performance of the Jazz band, rather than a tour of fine hotel rooms, backstage areas and curious crowds, interspersed with a few minutes of performances. The film seemed to focus on Woody & Soon-Yi, while pretty much neglecting the rest of the band. Interesting comparisons were left un-addressed: Sure, Woody and Soon-Yi stay in 5 star hotels, but where does the band stay? How do they feel about their musical performances often being overshadowed by his celebrity? Woody gets a private plane, but no other musicians seem to fly with him? That would have been much more interesting that spending 5 minutes of film being spent on a broken shower.

The one surprise of the film is the revealing of the roles of Woody & Soon-Yi in their relationship. I was not expecting this, but I definitely came away thinking that they interact quite well as a couple. But once again, I love Woody Allen films, but am pretty uninterested in his personal life.

I've seen Woody Allen & his Jazz band live in NYC, and that was a huge treat unto itself. I hope one day a film focusing on the music-performance is released.

Un-Wild Man Blues
Barbara Kopple's "Wild Man Blues" is decidedly un-wild. That's its first fib. It is the un-intense and un-penetrating chronicle of Woody Allen's 1997 European tour with his New Orleans jazz band. Released in 1998, "Wild Man Blues" came hard on the heels of a period of public scandal for the notoriously private filmmaker, prompting critics to dub it a "public relations corrective". There is a whiff of mendacity about this film. Its motive is abstruse and its meaning convoluted. It carries an air of constructivism. It smells like propaganda. Lurking behind an obeisance to jazz music is a salve for moviegoers' indignation over Allen's romance with stepdaughter cum fiancé, Soon-Yi Previn.

Barbara Kopple has a reputation for truth seeking, winning an Oscar for her exploration of union violence in "Harlan County, USA", but "Wild Man Blues" lacks her early incisiveness. Despite her through-the-keyhole approach, Kopple's eye yields no unguarded moments. Instead she offers a prim and proper tableau--stagy and self-consciously sexless-- of the couple's daily life. Though they hold hands in public and snuggle in a gondola, only one scene suggests that Woody and Soon-Yi actually share a bed.

Conspicuously lacking in dialectic, this documentary is unable to facilitate any intelligent discourse on what is presumably the topic at hand: jazz. Woody Allen--filmmaker, intellectual and aesthete--has always drawn on the art of music with a sublime touch. The soundtracks for "Manhattan" and "Stardust Memories" are paragons. He is considered, and deservedly so, a jazz aficionado. What, then, accounts for the specious treatment of jazz in "Wild Man Blues"? Referring to Dixieland jazz only cursorily as "primitive", "un-cerebral", "crude", "like taking a bath in honey", Woody Allen denies us access to his comprehensive knowledge of music and Barbara Kopple does nothing to draw him out. Instead, she focuses on the ostentatious continental parade that was the 1997 tour. Private jets, ultra-lux accommodations and chauffeur-driven Mercedes purposefully serve to isolate the clarinetist from his band mates, a gulf that is not bridged when they finally cross paths in a Madrid green room. Allen takes the posture of puppeteer rather than participant and the resultant music is predictably stale and soulless. But then "Wild Man Blues" is hardly about the music.

This film has a separate agenda and its secret weapon is Soon-Yi. Convivial, energetic, the model of a modern young woman, Soon-Yi emerges as the film's bright spot, effectively its subject. Though a betrayal of Woody's beloved jazz, "Wild Man Blues" achieves its purpose: to overturn the public perception of Soon-Yi Previn as an exploited child. It establishes Woody and Soon-Yi in socially palatable roles-she as a confident, articulate, adult woman; he as having something to learn from her.

"Wild Man Blues" is an elegant and efficient little white lie that simultaneously exonerates and charges Woody Allen: exculpated as a corrupter of youth but indicted as a filmmaker who is not committed to the truth. Barbara Kopple is his cellmate.

The Private Woody on his terms
Woody Allen claims to be a private man. His films make their appearance without large press junkets with the filmmaker and even with the advent of DVD, he doesn't return to offer anything up on his experiences. So, it is rather ironic that he would have this movie made, one that exposes his personal life, even moreso since it takes place soon after his messy break-up with Mia farrow. But, since the film was being made, it was on his terms. It puts a heavy focus on Woody the musician (more a title of legend than reality.) Filmed on a Eurpoean Tour, the film is surprisingly revealing, allowing for the connection between his on and off screen personas to be compared. Featured prevelantly is his now wife, Soon-Yi Previn. With this document, she is shown to be a powerful force in his career(s). She also adds a touch of reality to his occasionally idealistic opinions. So, the result is a sometimes fun piece filled with some great Dixieland style music. A must for serious Woodyphiles but others may be a bit distraught by the pacing.

Woody can do no wrong
This is a fabulous documentary. Fun all the way, good music, good charm and witt. A new slant on his lovely wife plus his parents are too funny. Loved it.

paparaZZis'n'jaZZ
If you think Woody Allen is always playing himself in his films, you better watch »Wild Man Blues«. It shows a sensitive but also very calm, shy and yet self-confident soul. A human being who is not exclusively comfortable with being a celebrity. A New Orleans jazz enthusiast from New York who misses Europe when he's at home, and vice versa.

Meet the man, meet Woody Allen, watch »Wild Man Blues«! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

ONE OF THE BEST DOCUMENTARIES OF ALL-TIME.
"Olympia" is a documentary with innovative film techniques, despite the fact that it's over 65 years old, it's easy to recognize the influence that "Olympia" had not only in the documentary genre, but in the movies and TV transmissions as well.

The opening scene could be considered as an art film scene because it has many camera angles, slow motion, beautiful photography and background music. After this scene, the narration of the 1936 Olympic Games begins, and it's impressive to see how many swastikas were at sight in the games, it's in flags and in the uniforms of the german athletes.

One might think that the athletes in 1936 were very inferior to the current athletes, but "Olympia" shows how great those athletes were, in most of the disciplines they look as impressive as the current athletes. The use of different camera speeds and angles, can make you feel very close to the athletes. You can see their effort and competitive spirit thanks to the excellent use of the cameras.

Definitely "Olympia" is one of the best documentaries ever made. Absolutely recommendable.

landmark film
This is a landmark in sports documentary films. It is over-long for today's taste (115 mins) - one tires of watching the heats of the decathlon - but this is balanced by many superb moments.

Unfortunately the version available here omits many of the classic sequences mentioned in reviews and monographs. The arrival of the Olympic torch in Berlin and its stunning entrance into the stadium is nowhere to be seen. Neither is the footage of the Hindenburg airship passing over the stadium during the opening ceremony.

It seems to me that the source film print used for this video has been tampered with, and many of the key sequences removed, perhaps by a selfish individual for personal use at some point during the history of the print. These sequences certainly wouldn't have been removed by a competent editor familiar with the full original version.

"Olympia: Oh how film becomes reality!" by RexCurry.net
This is a show stopper. Olympia (1938) is from Leni Riefenstahl, and also see Triumph of the Will (1935). In fact you should view these four films also: the American "Ben-Hur" (1907), the Italian "Nerone" (1908), "Spartaco" (1914), and "Cabiria" (1914). Those films were the origin of the "Roman salute" myth because these films show examples of a straight-arm salute.

The "Roman salute" myth is the myth that the straight-arm salute was an ancient Roman custom, later borrowed by Mussolini and the National Socialist German Workers' Party. The myth arose because of the made-up Hollywood-style portrayals in those films. Those films are notable also because they led to the historic discovery by the journalist and historian Rex Curry that the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance was the origin of the salute of the monstrous National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party).

The "Roman Salute" myth grew because the viewing public forgot that the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance originally used the straight-arm salute. The creator of the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance was a National Socialist in the U.S. (Francis Bellamy). The salute is not in any Roman art or text.

Dr. Martin Winkler of the American Philological Association has written that in imitation of such films, self-styled Italian "Consul" Gabriele D 'Annunzio borrowed the salute as a propaganda tool for his political ambitions upon his occupation of Fiume in 1919. Earlier, D'Annunzio had worked with Giovanni Pastrone in his colossal epic Cabiria (1914). Mussolini worked with D'Annunzio. Even so, evidence shows that the National Socialist German Workers' Party officially adopted the salute before Mussolini did, not vice versa. For example, "Triumph of Will" is in 1935 and Carmine Gallone's film "Scipione l'Africano" uses the raised-arm salute as one of its chief visual means to turn Mussolini into a new Scipio.

Dr. Winkler didn't know about the original U.S. flag salute (1892) that inspired the films, and that the National Socialist German Workers' Party was inspired by the films and by the Pledge of Allegiance. The U.S. changed the salute during WWII.

Bud Greenspan and Reifenstahl
Bud Greenspan, the Olympic documentary-maker, called this movie one of his great inspirations. "Olympia" is in the same vein as Greenspan's films, but far better. The triple jump scene is the greatest treatment of the event I have ever seen.

Greenspan said that when he was in West Germany premeiring his 1964 film "Jesse Owens Returns to Berlin", Owens called Reifenstahl the woman who made him famous, thanked her, and called her up on stage. The audience was dumbfounded and did not know how to respond until Owens' wife began a standing ovation. Such was the attitude towards Reifenstahl: the Germans knew she was a national treasure, yet they were very uncomfortable with some of the things she put on film.

Coming of Age
Leni Riefenstahl will soon turn 100 years and is not forgotten by those who love filmmaking. She carries the stigma of being the most celebrated filmmaker of the Nazi regime but this doesnt obscure her merits. She never belonged to the party and was always candid about politics. "My films are aesthetic not ideological", she once said. She was a wholesome artist.
In this movie she stood against Goebbels, who wanted Jesse Owens performance deleted from the film, and won. She went to Hitler himself with her refusal and got away with it.
In this historical document of the Berlin Olympic games she employed 150 collaborators and even invented a catapult-camera. She made many films but this is her finest and although it can be purchased in VHS it should be released in DVD, specially now that the lady turns 100. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Another reliably well-crafted, generally engrossing documentary from Ken Burns, Lewis & Clark employs the director's now-familiar approach to his subjects, from its elegant juxtaposition of period illustrations and portraits against newly filmed footage of historic sites to Burns's repertory of accomplished actors to provide gravitas for quotes from the key figures. Granted the formula has become familiar enough to allow parody, but Burns knows how to invest his historical investigations with movement and drama, making this four-hour journey a worthwhile trip.

As narrated by Hal Holbrook, Dayton Duncan's script explicates the agenda presented by Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, placing it in the context of the young country's gamble in Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase, and the expedition's goals for opening the West. While preserving the heroic scale of the undertaking, Burns also finds time to delve into the politics of the venture and the disparate personalities of the two explorers; in particular, Duncan and Burns look at the career of Lewis, the presidential protégé, his moody demeanor, and hisuntimely death. The film also looks beyond its titular leaders to examine the personalities of their corps of soldiers, their boatmen, and the Indians they met and depended on, most notably their female Shosone guide, Sacagawea. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Relive one of the greatest journeys of all time
With trips to the summit of Everest now quite routine, there are no more places on the surface of the Earth left to explore. The greatest feat of exploration of the past century was the manned landing on the moon. However, it was more a feat of technology than a voyage of discovery. In the nineteenth century, the greatest feat of exploration in North America was the journey of the corps of discovery, where Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a small expedition up the Missouri river and over land to the Pacific ocean. Sent by President Jefferson shortly after the Louisiana Purchase, their mandate was to map, gather scientific data on the wildlife, search for a Northwest passage to the Pacific and to make contact with the native American inhabitants. Amazingly, they did all three, being more successful than even the greatest of optimists could have foreseen.
Retracing their journey and interspersed with dramatic reenactments, this tape is truly history in action. With no possibility of relief arriving for years, they were required to live on what they could carry as well as what they could find on the land or obtain from the natives. What was most interesting about the tape is the descriptions of their relationships with the various tribes they encountered. Truly, without the active assistance of several tribes, they would have starved to death or have been forced to turn back. In fact, a Shoshone woman named Sacagawea traveled with them for most of the journey, carrying her infant son every step of the way. It is a tribute to Lewis and Clark that they kept such accurate and honest journals. From them, we can learn what happened, and there is no hint of personal embellishment in their writings. In hearing these accounts, you cannot help but wonder if the native tribes understood that their world had changed forever, and of course not for the better.
I have traveled most of their route by vehicle, and when you move up the mountains, you cannot help but be impressed by how difficult it was for them to move over them by horseback. Keep in mind that they were also carrying extensive munitions, goods for trade and other miscellaneous necessities. Furthermore, there was only one fatality among the members of the corps, and that was most likely appendicitis, something that no medical person on the planet could have successfully treated.
The journey of Lewis & Clark irrevocably changed the social structure of half of what is now the continental United States. This tape is an accurate historical account of their adventure and should be a requirement for graduation from high school.

Ken Burns does it again!
I am a HUGE Ken Burns fan and absolutely love his other works that I've watched: Civil War and Thomas Jefferson. This one is top notch in bringing history alive and all its current signifigance in an enjoyable fashion.

I had read about Lewis and Clark in grade school...everyone has...but it's not until I'm 40 years of age watching these Ken Burns movies do I finally understand the context and the signifigance of the events.

Highlights in this movie for me include:
1) The portrayal of Sacagawea. I am going to have to biography of this strong and fascinating woman to learn more and satisfy my curiousity.
2) The comments by one of the historians named Duncan. At one point his lip is quivering and he is on the brink of tears as he describes Lewis' suicide several years after the journey. I am going to have to find a book or two by this historian on this topic.
3) The DVD extras. There are some interviews with Ken Burns and the making of this DVD that are excellent. After seeing several of his movies I had no idea what Ken Burns was like, his life, his motivation...and these shorts gave me some insight.
4) The beautiful scenery and music.

I watch one of these movies and I invigorates my enjoyment of history and I end up adding 2 or 3 related books to my reading list. If this is your first Ken Burns movie, you'll love it and this is a good one to start with. If you're already a Ken Burns fan, you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended.

I am watching this for the 10th time. At least.
Ken Burns has pulled me into this story like nothing else could have. This presentation combines stories told in a most compelling way, readings from the journals, pictures and paintings, and music in a way that makes the Lewis & Clark expedition come alive. It's an adventure story that transcends time. I was so blown away when I first saw it on PBS that I bought the book, the VHS video, and now the CD/book combo. I am watching it now for the 10th time, and I still cry when I get to Grinder's Stand. My son is now writing a report on Lewis and Clark for school, and he is using this DVD as his primary source. He chose the topic, and it's one of the few stories that has captured his attention other than Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. (Thank you, Ken Burns!) This is a real-life adventure story that is expertly told. (I would love to get the soundtrack that PBS used to sell, but they apparently no longer sell it.)

Visually beautiful with fine narration of an important story
The expedition of Lewis & Clark is one of the great events in American History and is all but unknown today. This wonderful program is a great way to become more familiar with this fascinating story and that great band of explorers (including the woman on our Golden Dollar: Sacagawea). Hal Holbrook is a great narrator and the writing is quite good. The visuals are even better. It is stunning to view and brings some real appreciation to what the Corps of Discovery accomplished. Just taking that boat upstream for so many miles is stunning, let alone all the cataloging they did in the face of a very real struggle for survival.

It is also amazing to see how many vistas Burns and crew were able to find in such a seemingly pristine state. One of the real shocks to me was to understand how nearly deadly the Great Plains were to the Corps because of the lack of wood. Growing up in Michigan with trees everywhere, we take wood for granted. On that expedition, its lack was a real hardship.

While not as dramatic as war and without and the lack of contemporary illustrations requires a different presentation style than Burns normally provides, this is still a visual feast and good solid food for the brain. Worth viewing many times for many reasons.

Don't forget to read Stephen Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" as well.

PBS Video has a quality control problem
I bought this video as a gift, and so far Amazon had sent me two defective copies. Neither copy will play all the way through on any DVD player we have tried. The problem on both is shortly before "The Portage" begins. I have never had a problem with any other DVD, so I was extremely surprised that PBS Video has failed twice. I would love to be able to give this gift permanently, as the narrative is interesting, and the scenery is beautiful, and I would otherwise give 5 stars. Amazon's customer service also deserves some of the star deductions. I've never had to test the return policies of any other DVD distributors. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

human nature on film
Here's what is amazing about Gates of Heaven: Two completely different people could watch it and both enjoy it from different perspectives. For one, this could be a heartwarming, courageous tale about dedicated pet-owners and their struggle to build pet cemeteries. For another, this could be simply a hilarious look at human nature and its peculiar quirks and tendencies.

Errol Morris knew he was getting more than information about pet cemeteries when filming Gates of Heaven; he was capturing real, sincere moments by people possessing all kinds of characteristics. Sadness, cynicism, laughter, envy, and the unflinching love for pets is present throughout Gates of Heaven. This film isn't really a documentary about pet cemeteries at all. Rather, it is about human beings, the passions we have, and how we achieve them in this life. Near the end of the film as I watched a young hippie cemetery owner playing his guitar up in the hills, I realized how far this film was reaching for, and how successful it was in reaching it.

From the jealousy of a man towards his younger, more successful brother, to the hilarious (and somewhat sad) monologue by a lonely old woman, Gates of Heaven ultimately shows that no matter what people strive to achieve, whether it be pet cemeteries or President of the United States, it's their heart and souls that will remain timeless.

The film is more about human beings, rather than pets.
'Gates of Heaven' is a film by Errol Morris that deals with an ambitious pet cemetery in California. What makes this documentary so facinating has nothing to do with the actual animals, but rather the people who love and care for them. As the film progresses, one will realize it is actually a study of human nature and psychology. With the central focus of giving pets a secure resting place, the film incredibly shows human frailty, ambition, and sadness.
For those who have never had pets, this film can be hard to relate to. My family has never owned any pets, but I've had friends who have had pets. They are very attached to the pets, and the pets are like family memebers. One has to watch this movie with an open heart, or they will never understand the feelings of the people in this documentary. To some of these people, a pet is more of a friend than a human being will ever be, and there is some real truth behind that.
People might get different interpertations of what Morris is trying to show here. To me, 'Gates of Heaven' uses the pet cemetary business as a backdrop to show a much deeper aspects of human nature.

best documentary I have seen
What is most impressive about this film is that it manages to get ordinary people talking about extraordinary subjects without the speakers' ever even realizing the depths of their observations.

By asking people to speak of their deceased and beloved pets, Errol Morris has coaxed out of them deeply moving reflections about heavy philosophical issues. There are few films that combine humor, sympathy, and thought in so stirring a fashion.

ALMOST DIDN'T BELIEVE THIS WAS A DOCUMENTARY
Chanced upon this DVD by accident, and thought it was a movie. Turned out to be a documentary about two pet cemeteries, and drab as that may sound, it is a brilliant film that reaches far beyond the scope that its description would have you expect.

The cinematic production values are top notch, not a simple tryst with a camcorder (which usually serves the purpose for most documentaries) but colors that pop off the screen. The chats with pet owners are moving and poignant. Don't look for something obvious to blow you away.

Just watch it, embrace it, and feel it. And then you will wonder at it. It is immensely thought provoking. Highly recommend watching this marvel if you can get your hands on it.

WOW.
I chanced upon this DVD by accident, and thought it was a movie. Turned out to be a documentary about two pet cemeteries, and I was nearly disappointed. But it is a brilliant film, and don't let that descriptor fool you, it reaches far beyond this in its scope. The cinematic production values are top notch, not a simple tryst with a camcorder (which usually serves the purpose for most documentaries). The chats with pet owners are moving and poignant. Don't look for something obvious to blow you away. Just watch it, embrace it, and feel it. And then you will wonder at it. It is immensely thought provoking. Highly recommend watching this marvel if you can get your hands on it. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

It grows, it grows
I've seen this film 35+ times: I know it by heart, and each time I see and hear it (for it's a aural pleasure as much as it's a visual one), I'm struck by Errol Morris' genius for creating three-dimensional poetry. Anyone interested in people, in the human condition, in language, in beauty, in the absurd needs to see this film. Writers, musicians, film directors and editors -- this is a MUST-SEE for ya'll. If artists are people who take the ordinary and transform it into the extradordinary, then Errol Morris is an artist in the first degree, and Vernon, Florida is the proof. The people he finds are demi-gods, just waiting for the opportunity to tell their stories. It is my sincere hope that this masterpiece become available again on VHS and DVD. Do it, Industry.

This is easily the funniest movie ever made.
Before I saw Vernon, I had my doubts. My friend Kevin, fresh from NYU film school, had watched it countless times with classmates, and assured me that it was a can't-miss movie if ever there was one - a heady statement, indeed. But he was right. There's a reason VERNON is a cult classic at the country's finest film school.

It is the funniest movie ever made.

From the maniacal turkey hunter - a character so nuanced and hilarious that he has to be real - to the old man who's convinced his turtle is a gopher, Errol Morris uncovers a gold mine of comedy in this Florida backwater burg. You'll have to watch it at least twice to catch everything, largely because your laughing and wheezing will most likely drown out some gems on first viewing.

I implore: Columbia TriStar Home Video to re-release it; and you to find it, somehow. It is extraordinary.

Please. See this movie.

You'll understand.

Turkey Hunter
You hear a turkey gobble and you'll forget all about your diahrea. It's the best diahrea medicine in the world.

We was working our way down through some palmettos. Now palmettos are kind of offset. When I got as close as I could get I eased out real slow and ease it up and(whew) pow! Got her off. It hit the ground like a toooon of bricks. And here he is(points to turkey beard) with about an eleven inch beard.

Now you got a ball here and a ball here and a ball here and a ball here. And if all those balls are functioning... you're not a one track mind - you're a four track mind. I can write cat s--t with one hand and dog s--t with the other.

Greatest Documentary of all Time
This is the best Documentary I've ever seen in all my life. Its nonstop laughter the entire time. I really wish they'd rerelease Vernon Florida on Dvd, it'd be simply great!

WARNING: you don't know what you're getting into!
trust me, nothing can prepare you for vernon, florida. i don't say that to advertise it as shocking footage, but just as "far out" and depressing in a funny way. i love documentaries like this (trekkies, american movie) and this is one of my favorites. it's only 50 minutes long (i don't know what that other reviewer was talking about when he said 72 minutes), which is highly unfortunate. i want to contact errol morris myself and see if i can't get the outtakes. this is one of those documentaries that gets better and better with each viewing. i've seen it at least fifty times, and i end up laughing myself to the point of tears every single time.

errol morris does beautiful work--the camera work, the sound, and especially the editing are all top-notch. i have seen about six of his productions, and i really, really want to see all the rest. i would recommend this to any lover of documentaries. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful follow-up to Part One.
Not as perfect as Part One...but close. Extraordinary footage, especially given the time and circumstances surrounding its filming. Riefenstahl is a master (mistress?!) of her craft and the spirit of athleticism is wonderfully captured. A must-have for your video library.

The photography lures you, action holds you.
I can not speak for other versions for this is the one I saw. As you can see from the front cover that this film has been digitally remastered under the supervision of Leni Riefenstahl.

By now watching the first tape, "Festival of the nation" spoiled you. Again this film starts out with the ideal and surrounded by Leni's signature clouds. List is leading you to "field hockey, soccer bicycling, equestrian, aquatic and gymnastic events. Highlights are the Pentathlon and the Decathlon." Remember that some countries were still using horses in the military.

It may be unique reasons that brought you to this point such as Leni or photography, or interest in history, or, or, or. But once the action starts you feel that you are there and get lost in the "who will win what and how. " Even being aware of the outcome does not prepare you to "not bite your nails" as you watch each athlete barley besting the next until it is over too soon. I noticed that instead of placing medals over the winners, they used laurel wreaths.

Any way you cut it, this movie is worth watching.

Olympiad: Part I and II
The quality of the transfer from film to tape is not the best but still very viewable. Seems to contain all the footage of the original version. Does not single/freeze frame well on my VCR, making analysis of technique difficult. Event coverage of track and field events is very good, with the flow of the competition preserved, especially in the field events. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Inning 3 - The Faith of Fifty Million People: 1910-1920
"The faith of fifty million people" comes from F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" to describe Arnold Rothstein, the gambler behind the Black Sox scandal of the 1919 World Series. This third volume of Ken Burns classic "Baseball" documentary, a true rite of spring, traces the history of the sport in the Roaring Twenties, knowing full well that the decade would end with the game's lowest moment. The success of Connie Mack's Athletics is countered by stingy Charles Comisky's miserly treatment of the Chicago White Sox who would throw the series against the Reds. The creation of the Federal League keeps the labor issue alive and Burns keeps tabs as well on Branch Rickey, always with an eye out for baseball's greatest moment when Jackie Robinson would walk onto Ebbett's field (which was built in 1912). But at the end of the decade, it is the figure of Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the game's first Commissioner who most dominates the game by banning the Black Sox for life. However, that was off the field. What was needed on the field was a player who could once again make fans love and trust the game of baseball. While Shoeless Joe Jackson was playing outlaw ball on several Southern teams under assumed names, Commissioner Landis approved the sale of George H. Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for the sum of $125,000. Burns makes it very clear in this episode, it is often darkest before the dawn. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Triumph of the Will is one of the most important films ever made.Not because it documents evil--more watchable examples are being made today. And not as a historical example of blind propaganda--those (much shorter) movies are merely laughable now. No, Riefenstahl's masterpiece--and it is a masterpiece, politics aside--combines the strengths of documentary and propaganda into a single, overwhelmingly powerful visual force.

Riefenstahl was hired by the Reich to create an eternal record of the 1934 rally at Nuremberg, and that's exactly what she does. You might not become a Nazi after watching her film, but you will understand too clearly how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. The early crowd scenes remind one of nothing so much as Beatles concert footage (if only their fans were so well behaved!).

Like the fascists it monumentalizes, Triumph of the Will overlooks its own weaknesses