| "Liberty! The American Revolution" is perfect for those that want to know as much as possible about the War for Independence, especially if you're like me and didn't pay as much attention in high school history as I should have. It chronicles causes of the war (mostly perceived unjust unfairness in taxation), the events that sparked it off (like the Boston Massacre) and the first battles (Yorktown and Concord). It goes into detail about the men who shaped the war's outcome, like General George Washington (who had a spotty military record at best), General Howe, Benjamin Franklin, and King George III. It talks about the disastrous early skirmishes, and finally the rebels getting the upper hand with aid from the French. The documentary talks about the strange and extremely savage fights in the South that are, to say the least, kind of weird; more like a series of revenge killings. It finally devotes a lot of time to what happened after the war, the formation of a radically new Federalist government, writing and signing the Declaration of Independence, and the first President, former general Washington. The documentary is about six hours long and is quiet detailed and exhaustive. It has many reenactments with the actors quoting from actual letters from people of the time, like Abigail Adams and some common soldiers at the time (one of them personified by the excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman). The reenactments are done well and hold your interest through out. Bottom line is that this dose for the American Revolution what Ken Burns did for the Civil War; it makes it more accessible. |
Liberty! The American Revolution dvd movie.