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DVD Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
Review(s): DVD Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
BURNS BEST WORK
His big series on the "Civil War" and "Baseball" get all the hype but,with Hal Holbrook narrarting and a "who's who" in history backing him up with the running color commentary, this is his most engrossing work. This documentary gives you a real sense of accomplishment when you have finished and if you can resist reading about the expedition after you've seen it, then check your pulse I think you need a doctor. The basis of the movie is the journals kept by Lewis and Clark during the trip. They were truly diverse men that could not only handle the hardships of the journey but, eloquently place the events in writing. Any fiction writer would be pressed to keep you as interested as the actual events recorded. This is fantastic stuff.
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.
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.)
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Unfortunately, this DVD cannot be used on the French version of WINDOWS XP. More attention should be paid to compatibility between items and computer versions available in specific countries, for I am afraid I cannot use the product.
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