is well worn territory but in my opinion there is no one figure who has had more of an impact on what America has become in the last century. I was hoping to gains some insight into TR's true intentions but so far the documentary has been paper thin, no unlike most of Burns' documentaries. Burns is a very good at capturing the feeling of moments by finding pictures that accent the narrative but he doesn't give much depth.
And I think it is ok, but doing this project about the Roosevelt's without using Edmund Morris really hurts the project. I also think a lot of the commentators get into this amateur psychological analysis which is just pure bs. The way they describe Theodore's and Eleanor's psychological well being seems very suspect to me.
or well versed on the 3 Roosevelt's I imagine this might be lightweight stuff, but for the vast majority of viewers myself included this is fascinating. I don't think Burns was looking to break new ground, he wanted to tell their story and from what I've seen to date he has succeeded
baby at every christening and the corpse at every wake - funny stuff.
Interesting that his idea of WW1 was about - glory, great adventure et(unrealistic) insisted his sons fight, the youngest son is killed and he is dead a couple years later.
or well versed on the 3 Roosevelt's I imagine this might be lightweight stuff, but for the vast majority of viewers myself included this is fascinating. I don't think Burns was looking to break new ground, he wanted to tell their story and from what I've seen to date he has succeeded
I am not a historian but I am well-versed in Teddy (not Franklin or Eleanor). Morris, though, would be a treat for everyone, experts or not. He is one of the most knowledgeable historians regarding Theodore and he is a gifted story teller.
Did you see the American Experience series on FDR//ER?
At this point in the "The Roosevelts" there is a major overlap between the 2. Not sure it would be worth your time if you saw the earlier show. On the other hand, the early nights focused mainly on TR who was not featured in the American Experience series. That was worth it.
That I think Geoffrey Ward is qualified somewhat to give his psychological analysis of FDR. He has done groundbreaking work on the early part of his life. One of the great mysteries to me is why he stopped his biography at two,volumes and did not finish his life (I think he stopped at his recovery from Polio).
of FDR that is unlikely to come-out in the documentary is the infiltration of his administration with communists. Much of this came out during the testimony of Whittaker Chambers in the 1950's. This information is well documented, but very little history has been written about it. Whittaker Chambers was widely believed to be a liar by historians until the Venona Papers were released in the early 1990's. These were KGB files that documented the Russian Communist infiltrations of the US Government and among other things implicated Alger Hiss as a Soviet Agent. If you have not read the Whittaker Chambers book "Witness" you will really learn a lot. The fact that the FDR administration was riddled with communist agents at a very high level is clear; whether FDR was complacent or compliant is still a mystery.
of FDR that is unlikely to come-out in the documentary is the infiltration of his administration with communists. Much of this came out during the testimony of Whittaker Chambers in the 1950's. This information is well documented, but very little history has been written about it. Whittaker Chambers was widely believed to be a liar by historians until the Venona Papers were released in the early 1990's. These were KGB files that documented the Russian Communist infiltrations of the US Government and among other things implicated Alger Hiss as a Soviet Agent. If you have not read the Whittaker Chambers book "Witness" you will really learn a lot. The fact that the FDR administration was riddled with communist agents at a very high level is clear; whether FDR was complacent or compliant is still a mystery.
The CIA's predecessor organization as well as numerous branches of allied armed forces were also infiltrated by communists; it's fascinating.
He does these so well. He really brings a certain feeling to these documentaries that I like.
His next one is about Vietnam and comes out sometime in 2015. That should be awesome but much different as many of us are much closer to that time period and some may have been involved or know people involved in that war.
I do not like some of the stuff Burns says; he strikes me as virtually the definition of a limousine liberal based on a long interview I heard of his but his docs are great.
He does these so well. He really brings a certain feeling to these documentaries that I like.
His next one is about Vietnam and comes out sometime in 2015. That should be awesome but much different as many of us are much closer to that time period and some may have been involved or know people involved in that war.
I do not like some of the stuff Burns says; he strikes me as virtually the definition of a limousine liberal based on a long interview I heard of his but his docs are great.
IMHO the farther back in history the subject is, the better Ken Burns does. I think The Civil War is still his best work. As he was at the tail end of the Vietnam Generation (I think he missed the draft by 1 year) I'm cringing a little at the prospect of him doing a series on the subject.
but very interesting. Having read the first two Edmund Morris biographies (so far), I found those parts glossed over, but since I know very little about Franklin and Eleanor's early life, I've found those parts fascinating.
The three of them are truly remarkable people, and yet it's hard to understand from their backgrounds how they got to be so. But the pictures are fascinating. I think there were a lot of time in-continuities in the Teddy pictures tho, as he seems to go back and forth from being young and healthy looking to older and fatter in things that are presented around the same time period in his life. I don't think his weight fluctuated that much.
... that the subtitle is "An Intimate Portrait." I think that signals that in deciding how to select material he was looking for angles that spotlighted motivation that, while certainly intersecting with politics was not exclusively political. If that is correct, then he did have to rely on historians to deliver useful observations from the not purely factual realm of psychology. That is possibly more difficult than predominantly digging up facts (and analyzing those). I liked this comment: "Make no mistake, (Teddy) Roosevelt was a killer." I think it's in the second program.
Interesting that his idea of WW1 was about - glory, great adventure et(unrealistic) insisted his sons fight, the youngest son is killed and he is dead a couple years later.
I am not a historian but I am well-versed in Teddy (not Franklin or Eleanor). Morris, though, would be a treat for everyone, experts or not. He is one of the most knowledgeable historians regarding Theodore and he is a gifted story teller.
The CIA's predecessor organization as well as numerous branches of allied armed forces were also infiltrated by communists; it's fascinating.
His next one is about Vietnam and comes out sometime in 2015. That should be awesome but much different as many of us are much closer to that time period and some may have been involved or know people involved in that war.
I do not like some of the stuff Burns says; he strikes me as virtually the definition of a limousine liberal based on a long interview I heard of his but his docs are great.
His next one is about Vietnam and comes out sometime in 2015. That should be awesome but much different as many of us are much closer to that time period and some may have been involved or know people involved in that war.
I do not like some of the stuff Burns says; he strikes me as virtually the definition of a limousine liberal based on a long interview I heard of his but his docs are great.
IMHO the farther back in history the subject is, the better Ken Burns does. I think The Civil War is still his best work. As he was at the tail end of the Vietnam Generation (I think he missed the draft by 1 year) I'm cringing a little at the prospect of him doing a series on the subject.
The three of them are truly remarkable people, and yet it's hard to understand from their backgrounds how they got to be so. But the pictures are fascinating. I think there were a lot of time in-continuities in the Teddy pictures tho, as he seems to go back and forth from being young and healthy looking to older and fatter in things that are presented around the same time period in his life. I don't think his weight fluctuated that much.
but he also has made amazing docs
Coney Island
New York: A Documentary Film
It's good stuff, and gives you an appreciation of what our country went through and the basis for many of our current institutions.
Thanks to Headhunter for the heads up last week.
PBS - The Roosevelts - ( New Window )
Teddy Roisevelt