Editorial
Reviews
The most successful public-television miniseries in American history, the 11-hour
Civil War didn't just captivate a nation, reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented
a new film language taken from its creator. When people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is
understood: voice-over narrators reading letters and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion,
fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and
romantic musical scores taken from the era he depicts. The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere
and resurrect an event that many knew only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian,
he's above all a gifted storyteller, and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion,
and devastating horror. Using the words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians
like Shelby Foote and rare, stained photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also
to feel and experience it. --Dave McCoy
On the DVD
The DVD features on The Civil War provide a wealth of insight, creative philosophy,
historical perspective, and educational enjoyment. Twelve years after its premiere broadcast, the film was given a digital
facelift, sharpening image clarity, correcting color, and enriching its soundtrack with a remastered 5.1-channel mix, as demonstrated
in the "Civil War Reconstruction" featurette. In interviews from 2002, producer-director Ken Burns, historian Shelby Foote,
journalist George Will, author Stanley Crouch, and composer-musicians Jay Ungar and Molly Mason reflect upon The Civil
War's enduring significance. And Burns's eloquent commentary--selectively included on each disc and totaling five hours--illuminates
the historical importance and creative impulse behind crucial chapters of the film. Fifty-seven onscreen biography cards detail
important North, South, and civilian figures, and two 1990 featurettes—"Making History" and "A Conversation with Ken
Burns"--provide a more personal perspective on the creation of this extraordinary film. Useful for both personal and academic
study, these features stand as a fitting supplement to one of the greatest documentaries ever produced. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Hailed as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling, Ken Burns's epic
documentary brings to life America's most destructive-- and defining--conflict. With digitally enhanced images and new stereo
sound, here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that
had to divide itself in two in order to become one.
Plot Outline A comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.
Plot Synopsis: This highly acclaimed mini series traces the course of the U.S. Civil War from the abolitionist
movement through all the major battles to the death of President Lincoln and the beginnings of Reconstruction. The story is
mostly told in the words of the participants themselves, through their diaries, letters, and Visuals are usually still photographs
and illustrations of the time, and the soundtrack is likewise made up of war-era tunes played on period instruments. Several
modern-day historians offer periodic comment and insight on the war's causes and events.
