Solidrariol
Am I Missing Something?
InformationRap
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
Payno
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Charles Herold (cherold)
Ken Burns wants you to know the Roosevelts were really awesome. Noble hardworking, intelligent people who devoted their lives to public service. And yes, they were. But they also had some serious flaws, and the only way you'll know that after watching this documentary series is if you knew it before watching it.FDR gets more time than anyone else, and while the series spends endless amounts of time on political minutia and his love life, it spends about two minutes on the greatest stain of his presidency; the Japanese internment camps. When it is mentioned it's cheated by focusing on Eleanor's rather mild early objections to the program.I have read elsewhere that, like most white people of the time FDR told racist jokes and seemed put off by other peoples, such as Asians and Jews, but there's not a hint of that here. The approach to Teddy is similar, obsessed with stories of his strong will and good deeds, but TR was a decidedly problematic character and we see little of that.This doesn't mean there's not a lot of interesting information, nor that the series doesn't make it's narrative compelling, but simply that I don't trust that narrative. To me there's something problematic about spending hours on a World War II president without looking at American antisemitism and those times when America rejected refugees just as we are today. The world is a complex place full of complex people, and I don't see the point in turning politicians into Prince Charmings.As Ken Burns documentaries go, I didn't find this one as engaging as my favorites, like Jazz and The Dust Bowl, but overall it's worth watching, even if it loses momentum towards the end.
david-86864
Again, another of Ken Burn's masterpieces well worth watching and learning. In the following, I will be exposing the reader to historical events. If one does not want to learn of them at this time, please do not go any farther.Of all that Theodore managed to accomplish in his seven years as President by: Taking on the monopolies of big business and threatening to use the Army to run them for the sake of maintaining fairness and a continual flow of necessities at a reasonable costSetting aside national parks and preserves at the combined size of Texas, including the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, among othersReaching out to the average man and giving him hopeBuying and building the Panama Canal after taking that region from the Columbians by arming the Panamanians and sending in troopsHis willingness to display courage and aggression against who he perceived as the enemy, i.e. during the taking of Juan hill in Cuba ...and there is so much more for which he deserves praise.But, I cannot get my thoughts around the fact that within the space of eleven months, while hunting big game in Africa -- a pastime I hate so very much -- he sent and carried back home with him over 11,000 pelts of lions, tigers, elephants, rhinos, birds, and every conceivable animal from that continent. I hate him for displaying such evil and wickedness, and wish he had been the one born disabled so as to make him unable to initiate such a horrible holocaust.
rannynm
This 14 hour mini-series by documentary icon Ken Burns, gives an in- depth look into the lives of this famous family. This documentary can make a person who does not know anything about The Roosevelt Dynasty into an expert in an entertaining and educational way. This film has a fine feel of history supported by a very clear narration. The documentary covers facts that take place between 1858 and 1962. The subjects are mainly Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and their entire lives from birth to death and everything in between. The Roosevelts: An Intimate History is a wonderful look at the history of one of the greatest American Dynasties. I love the way they make some parts narrated as if a person from that era is talking. The only thing I have a small problem is the length. The entire thing is 14 hours long. This may be a bit challenging if you try to keep attention of younger audience but, if you stay with it, the film teaches you a lot about history. If you have the time, it is a great film to watch and learn from. My favorite scene is when they talk about the birth of Theodore. He is sickly and is not expected to live long. However, he lives a very good and successful life even though every time he sees a doctor they say he has very little time left. He refuses to live with those limitations and to avoid stairs, hard hikes or anything challenging and he lives life to its fullest despite his sickness.This film is very mature and talks about some touchy topics so I would recommend it for ages 12 to18. Younger kids may get confused of some things. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars for fantastic narration, wonderful layout and a fantastic educational background. After all Ken Burns wrote the book on documentaries! If you like learning about history – this is the way to go.Reviewed by KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O.
TheExpatriate700
The Roosevelts is an informative if flawed documentary series on one of the preeminent families of American history, tracing its exploits from Theodore Roosevelt to the presidency of FDR. It offers a wealth of detail for devotees of American history to chew on, but at times glosses over both context and the flaws of its subjects.The series' strongest point is the amount of information it marshals on its protagonists. All but the most devoted Roosevelt fans will learn something new here. The series discusses not only the presidencies of Theodore and Franklin, but also their family lives, their travels, and their struggles. Perhaps the most moving portion is the section dealing with FDR's struggle with polio, a subject that receives too little attention in most discussions of his character.The film also benefits from the wealth of primary sources that Ken Burns always brings to his series. We get the correspondence between the various Roosevelts, as well as commentary from other contemporary figures on their activities. All these sources are read by a talented voice cast that includes Meryl Streep and Ed Harris.However, the series also suffers from the weaknesses of many of Burns's films, including a lack of historical context and a tendency to gloss over uncomfortable subjects. As informative as the film is about Franklin, Eleanor, and Theodore, we get very little understanding of the times they lived in. For instance, the film does not discuss the causes of the Great Depression. Rather than an event with roots in previous economic policy, it comes across as a storm that just rose up out of the blue.More disconcerting, The Roosevelts often downplays the rougher edges of its subjects. For example, although it at times references Theodore Roosevelt's callousness towards the suffering caused by war, it tends to play down his often vociferous racism. It briefly mentions an incident where TR unjustly drummed a group of black soldiers, including former comrades of his, out of the service after false accusations of murder by racist whites, it largely ignores his role as a prominent defender of eugenics and racist immigration policies. (Interesting historical tidbit: TR attacked Margaret Sanger, who is much more commonly vilified for her eugenic sympathies, because he feared her birth control clinics would dampen the birth rate of the "racially pure.") The most egregious omission, however, is in the sixth episode, dealing with the early years of World War II. It devotes at most two minutes to discussing the internment of Japanese Americans, most of which focuses on Eleanor Roosevelt's ambivalence towards her husband's policy. To essentially gloss over a major tragedy in American history is simply unacceptable. Whatever one's feelings about the internment, the series should at least have looked at the policy discussions underlying Roosevelt's internment decision. An interview with a surviving internee would also have been a good addition.That said, the series does offset these omissions to a certain extent by featuring commentary from modern critics of the Roosevelts. George Will and Clay Jenkinson offer particularly incisive remarks. For all its flaws, The Roosevelts is still an informative series and could be useful for classroom use, especially in short segments.
