The Shakers)

Starring:Paul Roebling, Julie Harris, Arthur Miller, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Richard Pini (II), Fred Sherry (II), Austin Stevens, Richard Rescia, David McCullough (II), Mel Blanc, Jason Robards, Lee De Forest, Guglielmo Marconi, Frank Sinatra, Arturo Toscanini, Ken Bilby, Gertrude Tyne, David Sarnoff, Norman Corwin, Ralph Edwards
Director: Ken Burns
Studio: Pbs Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2006-07-04

I watched this a few weeks before a trip to NY and couln't wait to go after watching. It goes over all the interesting details about it being built. Nice documentary.

inspiring documentary.......2004-09-24

this review is based on my recollection of the original PBS broadcast, which I remember as being in 1983; the 100th anniversary of the opening of the bridge. if this is slightly inaccurate, so be the rest of the review.

as a mid-westerner with no experience in new york, I found the Burn's interpretation of events compelling. i was studying for my engineering degree at the time and had worked in civil projects up to that point. i was stunned to learn that the plans were mostly pictures and contained little written language. i saw for the first time how the suspension structure was actually achieved. and i understood for the first time what a marvel the erection of the bridge represented in its time. i continue to marvel, today, at the functionality of the structure. I have not seen the documentary except for the one time. i do remember the section of interviews with the bridge's contemporary cohabitants. i thought that was as important and revealing as the function of the bridge today. the film has left such an impression on me that I intend to buy a copy and share it with anyone showing the fainest interest.

Good. Dated, but good........2004-09-02

While Ken Burns was getting his feet wet in the documentary film industry, he created this hour-long tidbit on the BROOKLYN BRIDGE. Relying on David McCullough's wonderful book, "THE GREAT BRIDGE" (see my review), Burns deftly takes the viewer down the long arduous road the builders and engineers had to take--over fourteen years--to get the bridge off the drawing board and into the East River.

The names of the protagonists and antagonist who either supported or stole from the coffers of the Brooklyn Bridge are familiar: John Roebling, Washington and Emily Roebling, Henry Cruse Murphy, William Kingsley, Boss Tweed, etc. And it's the story of these men and women--and their respective intrigues--that keep the film moving, as do the photographs of the various stages in the bridge's rise. Burns does a great job in keeping a liveliness to this aspect of the story. Then, in typical late 70s/early 80s fashion, the director turns his camera to the people of his time to get their impressions of the bridge. A common, though somewhat effective, technique to move from the historical elements of the subject, and show its relevance to "today's" world. It is an annoying and dated technique but it didn't bother me as much as it did some other reviewers. This is still a solid documentary--as solid as the bridge itself.

Rocco Dormarunno
Author of The Five Points

Mediocre early effort from a great documentarian........2000-05-21

Although parts of "Brooklyn Bridge" hint at the excellent work Ken Burns would demonstrate in later works, this particular film falters in its last twenty minutes.

The Brooklyn Bridge is many stories, but it's mainly the tale of how perseverance can make an almost impossible vision take form. The Bridge took many years and several million dollars to build. It faced political and social opposition. It weathered scandals and corruption. And when it was over, it stood as a monument to mechanical brilliance and soulful aspirations. Burns only spends forty minutes on the story of theBridge's construction. He spends the last twenty minutes focusing on what the Bridge means to various scholars, poets and citizens, and this is where the film lags. Admittedly, the Bridge is important as a cultural icon, not just for New York, but for America. However, if Burns was going to devote this much time to testimonials, then the film should have been at least ninety minutes, or better yet, two hours.

When the film concentrates on the Bridge's construction it shines. Burn has carefully selected photos, drawings, contemporary newspaper accounts and personal journals of key participants in the Bridge's construction to vibrantly tell this story. He just should have spent more time on his subject. The pace of this documentary is so hurried and awkward, you can tell where Burns is skipping key parts of the history to get to the testimonials. Now that Burns is an accomplished film maker, I wish he would go back to this subject and try it again. There's still more to tell.

Skip the movie. Go to Brooklyn for the real thing........2000-01-12

For anyone who read David McCullough's excellent book, The Great Bridge, this film will be a disappointment. Obviously, there is only so much one can fit into an hour segment, but Burns could have done with more history and less noodling commentary from people on "what the bridge means to me." Unlike his excellent "The Civil War," "The Brooklyn Bridge" does not let the pictures and events speak for themselves.

Ken Burns America Collection - Huey Long

Average customer rating:

The Kingfish
Excellent Documentary
Absolute Power

Ken Burns America Collection - Huey Long
Starring: David McCullough (II) , I.F. Stone , Huey Long (II) , Arthur Schlesinger Jr. , and Robert Penn Warren
Director: Ken Burns
Manufacturer: PBS Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Huey Long

ASIN: B000BITUHK
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Amazon.com

The story of Huey Long is the quintessential drama of power and ethics. To his constituents, he was a populist hero. To his critics, he was the unscrupulous "dictator of Louisiana" who didn't break the law, but used the law to achieve his own ends. A towering figure on the political landscape, Louisiana's infamous governor and United States senator may well have wound up in the White House, had he not been felled by an assassin's bullet in 1935. Long was the inspiration for Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All the King's Men (a film version of which earned Broderick Crawford an Academy Award). As this fascinating documentary by Ken Burns (The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz) vividly illustrates, truth is even more compelling than fiction. Originally broadcast on the award-winning PBS series The American Experience, Huey Long painstakingly charts Long's inexorable rise to power. Archival footage and interviews with Louisiana natives, politicians, family members, historians, and political colleagues bring Long to thundering and bombastic life. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

The Kingfish.......2007-05-13

For those of us old evough to remembr anything about politics in the 30s, this is must viewing. Huey Long once stated: "I can beat FDR because I can out promise him." Who knows what this man would have done if he hadn't died by an assisins's bullet. The people of Louisiana loved him like no other. The bigwigs in the state despised him with a passion. Fascinating period in American history.

Excellent Documentary.......2007-02-05

Hard to capture the life of such a fascinating and complex character in a documentary, but Burns does as good a job as can be done. And he does so with balance.

Absolute Power.......2006-10-20

I rented this because I'm fascinated by politics and I love men with chin dimples. Despite my whimsical reasons for seeing this, I am glad I learned about a controversial figure in American history. This will teach one a lot about charismatic figures.

I think I, and many others, may have become overly accustomed to the flashy and light-hearted biographies produced by A&E. Like other works in Ken Burns' oeuvre, this work is serious in tone. Despite being released approximately 20 years ago, this work did not seem dated. Those who find Cajun accents and the voices of the elderly exotic will especially love hearing the interviewees here. At one point, they show Long singing a jingle. I laughed inside just the way I rolled on the floor when John Ashcroft introduced his song "Let the Eagle Fly."

Huey Long promoted a redistribution of wealth. They mention that he admired previous populist William Jennings Bryan. However, I wonder from where else his class-based views arrived? Was he influenced by Marxism or socialism at all? Long helped the first woman be elected to the Senate. He fought the synecdoche between man and human kind, by adding "Every Girl a Queen" to his motto "Every Man a King," though "girl" seems un-feminist to those in the "post-post-post" era. The narrator says Long did not "race-bait" in his speeches and the work includes one African-American interviewee. Nevertheless, more could have been said. Burns, in the past, has said racial relations are essential to American history and that he tries to focus upon it in every work, but this did not happen here. President Woodrow Wilson created all kinds of measures to help working-class people, yet he was profoundly anti-black. This work never says if Huey Long was different. This lacuna is a problem.

This work begins with showing many people who loved him and it ends with showing many people who hated him. I wonder if this love-hate dynamic was there all along. Modern viewers may relate as President Bush, Jr. is said to be loved or hated by most. Long predicted his murder, just as Malcolm X would three decades later. This work basically said Long had one assassin, but Wikipedia suggests that one of his bodyguards may have accidentally shot and killed Long.

Part of me wonders if Long is history that could not repeat itself. He's loud like Traficante, who was booted from office, and is now in prison. He was a maverick like Howard Dean, who was quickly dismissed as "un-presidential." He was a populist like Jesse Ventura, another chin dimple owner, who only had a few years in office. It's harder now for politicians to rock the boat like he did, especially a Robin Hood-type like Long. Though the past may be the past, I was pleased by learning of this deceased elected official.

Average customer rating:

Ken Burns' America Collection
Starring: Ken Burn's America Collection
Manufacturer: Pbs Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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To Live

ASIN: B000BITUES
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Ken Burns' America Collection (Brooklyn Bridge/The Statue of Liberty/Empire of the Air/The Congress/Thomas Hart Benton/Huey Long/The Shakers)

Average customer rating:

Never Received
Great Collection of brilliant film maker
Excellent collection of Ken Burns' shorter works.

Ken Burns' America Collection (Brooklyn Bridge/The Statue of Liberty/Empire of the Air/The Congress/Thomas Hart Benton/Huey Long/The Shakers)
Starring: Paul Roebling , Julie Harris , Arthur Miller , Kurt Vonnegut Jr. , and Richard Pini (II)
Director: Ken Burns
Manufacturer: Pbs Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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All | PBS | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
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The West
The American President (PBS Box Set)

ASIN: B0002KPI1Y
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Description

These seven brilliant programs by America's foremost documentary filmmaker comprise a glorious anthem to a great nation and its people. "Brooklyn Bridge" and "Statue of Liberty" chronicle the conception and building of these magnificent structures that grace New York Harbor. "Empire of the Air" is an absorbing history of radio and the men who created it, while "The Congress" is a fascinating portrait of this unique American institution. Opposites in almost every way, artist "Thomas Hart Benton" and politician "Huey Long" are portrayed in compelling biographies. "The Shakers" is a moving tribute to the most enduring religious experiment in American history.

Customer Reviews:

Never Received.......2006-11-06

I ordered this item, but Amazon was unable to obtain and ship the item.

Great Collection of brilliant film maker.......2004-10-12

I have been waiting for this box set to come out - Now for the first many of Mr. Burns best work are collected in one set - Having seen several of these works on PBS, I feel qualified to rate this set highly - He can take an interesting subject matter and enchance it or take a subject I know little about and have me fascinated - Buy this set, enjoy and learn

Excellent collection of Ken Burns' shorter works........2000-05-25

This collection contains seven of Ken Burns' shorter documentary works that range from his early days as a film maker to those that show him at the height of his craft. While "The Brooklyn Bridge" is rather weak, the other six films more than make up for it. Truly an excellent showcase for Burns. See below for a review of each film in this collection.

"The Brooklyn Bridge: Running Time: 60 minutes Narrated by David McCullough

Although parts of "The Brooklyn Bridge" hint at the excellent work Ken Burns would produce in later films, this particular documentary falters in its last 20 minutes.

The Brooklyn Bridge is many stories, but it's mainly the tale of how perseverance can make an almost impossible vision take form. The Bridge took many years and several million dollars to build. It faced political and social opposition. It weathered scandals and corruption. And when it was over, it stood as a monument to mechanical brilliance and souful aspirations. Burns only spends forty minutes on the story of the Bridge's construction. He spends the last 20 minutes focusing on what the Bridge means to various scholars, poets and New Yorkers; this is where the film lags. Admittedly, the Bridge is important as a cultural icon, not just for New York, but for America. However, if Burns was going to devote this much time to testimonials, then the film should have been at least 90 minutes or, better yet, two hours.

When the film concentrates on the Bridge's construction, it shines. Burns has carefully selected photos, drawings, contemporary newspaper accounts and personal journals of key participants in the Bridge's inception to vibrantly tell this story. He just should have spent more time on his subject. The pace of this documentary is so hurried and awkward, you can tell where Burns is skipping key parts of the story in order to get to the testimonials. A good effort, but it pales before his later output.

"The Statue of Liberty" Running Time: 60 minutes Narrated by David McCullough

"The Statue of Liberty" by Ken Burns is a moving testament to the spirit of the American ideal. Like Burns' earlier "Brooklyn Bridge," this film also chronicles the construction of an American landmark as well as the reactions of various people to what that landmark stands for. Unlike the "Brooklyn Bridge," however, this approach works in "The Statue of Liberty." What the Statue means to one person or another is part of its importance, and Burns has captured that beautifully.

Using wonderful footage, sketches, photos and personal accounts of its construction, Burns ably documents the struggle to make a vision a reality. Burns well captures the engineering brilliance required to build the Statue. He also illustrates how the Statue has become a representation of the best and worst of our American ideals. The Statue is a symbol of new hope and second chances, and this film illuminates the power of that symbol.

"The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God" Running Time: 60 minutes Narrated by David McCullough

In "The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God" Ken Burns truly hit his stride as a documentarian. By combining personal journals of early Shakers, historic and social commentary of scholars and contemporaries, and wonderfully insightful interviews with present day Shakers, Burns tells a simple story, but tells it beautifully. By illustrating the Shaker life and ideology, Burns presents a group of dedicated people who strove to put God into every aspect of their lives.

If you know the Shakers for only their furniture and ritual dancing, then this film will illuminate your understanding of early America's most powerful Utopian movement.

"Thomas Hart Benton" Running Time: 60 minutes Narrated by Jason Robards

"Thomas Hart Benton" is a revealing and immensely watchable biography of an artist who probably reached more Americans than any other. As Ken Burns ably proves, Benton's work captured the spirit and history of the average American man and woman.

Combining samples of Benton's work, interviews with art critics, family, friends and enemies as well as footage of Benton himself, Burns presents a perfectly balanced approach to an artist's life and his statement of America as a struggling, vibrant land.

You don't have to like Benton's art to like this film. In fact, several of the critics Burns interviewed for this one-hour documentary dismiss Benton as a serious artist. However, what they say about Benton is as revealing as the praise of critics who revere him. Perfectly balanced and entertaining. "Empire of the Air" Running Time: 120 minutes Narrated by Jason Robards

Although Marconi may have invented the technology for radio, three men made it a force for change. "Empire of the Air" examines the lives of those men, Lee de Forest, Edwin Armstrong and David Sarnoff. All three would contribute some necessary component to radio's development, but could never agree or acknowledge the work of the other.

Today we take radio's constant presence and role for granted, but this documentary proves what a struggle it was to bring it into being. Burns uses personal interviews with the key players in radio's development and their contemporaries, as well as archival footage and historical commentary to illustrate how radio has impacted us as a society. The story of radio's three primary "fathers" plays like a radio drama full of struggle, triumph and tragedy. This is an outstanding documentary.

"Huey Long" Running Time: 90 minutes Narrated by David McCullough

Although forgotten or largely discounted today, Huey Long came closer to becoming a total dictator than any other American. This film by Ken Burns brings the power and presence of Long into its proper context of a poor and desperate state in the throes of a crippling depression. Burns illustrates this documentary with excellent interviews with Long's contemporaries, constituents, friends and opponents. There is also revealing footage of Long himself that reflects his intended image of a "countrified buffoon," which caused his enemies to underestimate him. This doucmentary brings Long back to life as a veritable dictator who might have won the presidency if not for his assassination.

The film's main strength lies in its balanced approach to this controversial figure. Although Burns interviewed many of Long's enemies, he also sought the opinion of the average Louisiana citizen who benefited from Long's provision of free school books and hospital care. These people were Long's source of strength of power who still regard him as a great man and never cared how Long managed to give them these things. Again, Burns balances the man who provided relief to a struggling people, and the dictator who compromised decomcracy in order to provide that relief. This is an excellent documentary.

"The Congress" Running Time: 90 minutes Narrated by David McCullough

Ken Burns' "The Congress" is a wonderful history of an essential but underrated American institution. In only ninety minutes, Burns captures the strengths and weaknesses of our legislative branch like few documentarians could. Congress, often accused of gridlock and pork barrelling, actually exemplifies the American ideal of self-rule. This film touches on key successes and failures of this body throughout its entire history. Burns examines the contributions of such pivotal congressmen as Joe Cannon, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, George Norris and a host of others. Burns alters our current perspective of Congress to show us an organization of great power that has, at times, ruled the country in counterbalance to weak presidents.

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