Ken Burns: America

He shot it so well, why is it so horribly encoded? shaky, blotchy, pixilated. ??

Ken Burn's America, Statute of Liberty is certainly an enjoyable film. It has all the production values we have come to know from this talented director. This one hour look at the history and meaning of the Statute of Liberty touches on the construction and the impact of this symbol of a board range of americans. Interviews with key political figures, Mario Cuomo, Barbara Jordan and others add depth to the analysis of what liberty means in a our diverse county. The film itself seems to be of a mid-1980s vintage although the content is still moving and relevant. (Certainly better and more uplifting than the anti-immigrant screeds that fill the cable news shows!)

Very interesting content presented in a beautiful manner.

An hour-long, informative film with great, enigmatic photography of this beautiful structure and fascinating interviews and footage. Learn about the Roebling father and son team who designed and oversaw the building of this unprecendented structure; discover the origins of Caisson's disease (the bends); get a real glimpse of NYC/Brooklyn in the late 19th century and the continuous effect of the bridge on people's lives; witness the ambitions and courrption present in this burgeoning city at the time. I really felt I knew the "cities", their history and this world famous structure much better after viewing this documentary. I also felt more keenly the spiritual (yep!) effects that architecture's great endeavours can have on people who live near them. The footage does feel slightly dated now in places but this is not really a criticism - it feels like an early 80's documentary which it is. All in all, well worth watching, and Miller's short interview near the end might fill you with the urge to contribute more to this great city and maybe even life in general!

It is said that American's learn more about American history from Ken Burns' films then any other source, and that couldn't be more true. It is worth watching all of these films. My fav. is Horatio's Drive, the first great American road trip.

This is an excellent short film that borrows heavily from David McCullough's book about the bridge. The photography is beautiful, and the story of the building of the bridge is inspiring.