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Kind of off topic, but...

Rami

Rami

Administrator
Staff member
To all,

I was going through some DVDs yesterday and today finding material to supplement my lesson plans for the next couple of weeks, and dusted off the documentary Ken Burns made of the Civil War. Well, two days later and I have watched it beginning to end, for the 10th time. I certainly found the clips and sections that I want to show in class.

Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me what a quality piece of work that was, and that it is rapidly closing in on its 20th anniversary. I still can't watch it without dabbing my eyes at more than a few spots, especially to some of the music.

To anyone who has a love or interest in history, I would hope you have seen it at least once. And if there are any other teachers out there educating our young ones, please make sure to continue the legacy of this great work. Ken Burns to me is an American treasure.

Anyway....sorry for this, but I had to share my thoughts. :d
 
off topic

Saw it when it first came out and again and again. A classic...

...but somewhat on topic is that I am now watching the 1974 British doc series "World At War" which is 30 hours total and often considered to be THE documentary on WW2. I am only into disc 4 of 11. One of tonight's episodes was "Whirlwind" about the bombing campaign over Germany, both British night bombing and US day bombing, with both failures and successes. Great stuff for a flight sim guy. I remember seeing this series on PBS before you were born and it really changed my views about history. See it if you can.

Jimski
 
Jimski,

I have toyed with the idea of doing a couple of "thousand bomber raids" with Whitleys, Wimpys, Hampdens, and Whirlwinds, but have not yet found the time to do so. :d
 
If you've seen the movie Gettysburg. which is pretty accurate, save for some rotund Confederate soldiers, and you remember when Chamberlain was defending Little Round Top. Well, my great-grandfather was one of those Alabamians trying to get up that damn hill. There were giants in those days... I'm not sure if I could have done it.
 
Even though I'm Australian through and through I have an abiding interest in the Civil War, the concept of fratricide on such an unimaginable scale is so hard to comprehend. The transition from Napoleonic style warfare to Industrial scale war presaging the 20th Century has a resonance to it. I have watched Burns' production many times and always found something new to ponder with every viewing. Believe it or not I also loved his 'Baseball' series and 'The West' too although I think it was mainly edited by Stephen Ives. When 'The War' comes down in price it'll find a place on my shelves. My daughter is a High School teacher and often raids my DVD library for material and my personal photos and reminiscences for Vietnam studies.
 
Hern07 said:
If you've seen the movie Gettysburg. which is pretty accurate, save for some rotund Confederate soldiers, and you remember when Chamberlain was defending Little Round Top. Well, my great-grandfather was one of those Alabamians trying to get up that damn hill. There were giants in those days... I'm not sure if I could have done it.
Click to expand...

Yes, I use Gettysburg as well. The confederate soldiers in that movie are no "ragged band of wolves." :d
 
Ken Burns - Civil War

Saw it here in England quite some years ago - very impressive - the music extremely effective and moving.

baldy
 
Gettysburg....love that movie. Have it in a special edition set with Gods and Generals.....two great movies for $9.99 at the local grocery store! When they show those long lines of canon going off one after another, and I can turn the sound up a bit....BOOM BOOM BOOM! Nothing like 4 400-watt channels and a 500 watt subwoofer to make canon sound like they are in the same room with you.

One thing that I find a bit spooky about Gettysburg is how much alike the actors and the real people they portayed look. The casting team did a fantastic job, along with make up of course, to achieve that degree of resemblance.

And when Chamberlain and the Johnny Reb are aiming point blank at each other and Chamberlain blows through his mustache. That was a very powerful scene and always gives me chills.

OBIO
 
Obio,

I agree that Daniels' transformation to Chamberlain is remarkable.

One of my favorite scenes that gives me pause is the moment at the Union Headquarters when Buford reports to Hancock about the day's battle. When Hancock reminises about his friendship with Lo Armistead, Buford shares his knowledge that he had heard Armistead was commanding one of Pickett's birgades under General Longstreet. The reaction that Hancock has about the prospect about perhaps seeing his close friend and of facing him in battle roll through his face in about four or five seconds, and the theme comes up again from both sides later in the film.

Sad to say, I did not enjoy Gods and Generals as much as I did Gettysburg, though there were some enjoyable parts.
 
Its been a few years since I last saw it. In my opinion its his best documentary film period. The one on World war two and Baseball where excellent but not as good as this one is. He really peaked as Documentary film maker on this one. It was the most momentous period in in the USA history with the exception of the Revolution war. I recommend it to anyone hows really interested in the History of the USA or World History since it did effected the evolution of World History in the long run.:wavey:
 
A little known fact about the Gettysburg movie. Hollywood enlisted many groups of Civil War re-enactors (my oldest son was one of them.) It saved hollywood lots od money and added to the realism because these groups take their "costumes" and weapons very seriously, which added to the realism.

The Ken Burns Civil War series is very well done, and I suggest that anyone with an interest in the conflict should view it. It uses actual photographs and "moves you across them" to give you visual effect and the exact words of the participants spoken by actors. The musical theme, the name of which escapes me (like many things these days!) was written I believe for the series, and not a "period" piece......but in the style of the time and well performed.

I've also been privilaged to view some of the battlegrounds and monuments, Gettysbug included......its always a moving experience.

My family emigrated to the US at least 20/60 years after the conflict, but the historical draw for me still exists.
 
......i got KEN BURNS 2nd masterpiece
..................."THE WAR".........wow 6 dvd's
.
this one is WW2

The War

"The War", 15 hours in length and seven years in the making, tells the story of the Second World War from the personal perspective of the men and women from four geographically distributed American towns: Waterbury, CT; Mobile, AL; Sacramento, CA; and Luverne, MN. Airing in the fall of 2007, it was the most watched series in the last ten years on PBS. One hundred and seventeen PBS stations across the nation participated in some form of community outreach (local documentaries, screenings, workshops, etc.) and nearly 30,000 educator guides went to every high school in the country. As was hoped, "The War" started a massive national dialog about this most cataclysmic event in the history of the United States.
 
World war II really affected everybody. Every time you pulled out your ration book or could not buy butter or saw a gold star in someone's window you were reminded that there was a war on. I believe that WWII has been the only total war, in the sense that everybody was involved in the history of this planet. And if anyone doubts our resolve, they ought to remember Sharpsberg (that's Antietem to you of the Northern persuasion) and Okinawa. Can't leave without a bit of trivia. Antietem was the closest thing to a draw during the war and the only carrier named after a Civil War battle was the USS Antietem.
 
I found a DVD copy of Ken Burns' The Civil War about a year ago. I found it just as impressive as I did when it was first shown on TV. Some parts really stand out, but the letter written by the Union officer to his wife just before 1st Bull Run always puts a lump in my throat. The power and immediacy of that language bespeaks a kind of literacy that, by and large, we seem to have lost.
The trouble is I can't watch just one episode....and I get reined in after a whole DVD!
 
I agree. "The War" is another masterpiece, beginning to end. :ernae:
 
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