Product Details

• Actors: Kevin Costner, Gregory Harrison, Eric Schweig, Gordon Tootoosis, Wes Studi
• Writers: John Pohl, W.T. Morgan
• Producers: Kevin Costner, Bernd Eichinger, Heather Rae, Jack Leustig, Jim Wilson
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: April 26, 1995
• Run Time: 47 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303418716
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,174 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With six episodes spread out over four discs and a running time of well over six hours (in addition to an interactive CD-ROM filled with extra features), director-producer Jack Leustig's sprawling 500 Nations, a history of Indians in North America, is likely the most comprehensive effort of its kind ever undertaken.

Mention the word "Indian," and most will conjure up images inspired by myths and movies: teepees, headdresses, and war paint; Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Crazy Horse, and their battles (like Little Big Horn) with the U.S. Cavalry. Those stories of the so-called "horse nations" of the Great Plains are all here, but so is a great deal more. Using impressive computer imaging, photos, location film footage and breathtaking cinematography, interviews with present-day Indians, books and manuscripts, museum artifacts, and more, Leustig and his crew go back more than a millennium to present an fascinating account of Indians, including those (like the Maya and Aztecs in Mexico and the Anasazi in the Southwest) who were here long before white men ever reached these shores.

It was the arrival of Europeans like Columbus, Cortez, and DeSoto that marked the beginning of the end for the Indians. Considering the participation of host Kevin Costner, whose film Dances with Wolves was highly sympathetic to the Indians, it's no bulletin that 500 Nations also takes a compassionate view of the multitude of calamities--from alcohol and disease to the corruption of their culture and the depletion of their vast natural resources--visited on them by the white man in his quest for land and money, eventually leading to such horrific events as the Trail of Tears "forced march," the massacre at Wounded Knee, and other consequences of the effort to "relocate" Indians to the reservations where many of them still live. Along the way, we learn about the Indians' participation in such events as the American Revolution and the War of 1812, as well as popular legends like the first Thanksgiving (it really happened) and the rescue of Captain John Smith by Pocahontas (it probably didn't).

With its sometimes New Age-y music and many beauty shots of the great outdoors, 500 Nations has a rather different vibe than the average Ken Burns documentary. That may lessen its value for sober historians, but for the rest of us, this is an illuminating and important work. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

235 of 238 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an epic documentary, November 15, 2000

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 500 Nations [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Since childhood, I've always felt that the most aesthetically beautiful people that have ever walked the earth are the original inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, so this series, so wonderfully photographed and researched, is one I appreciate. It's a superb overview of a history not to be missed.

Tape # 1: "The Ancestors." Explores the creation stories of several tribes and continues with the early inhabitants, from the Anasazi of the Southwest to the glory of the Mayan cities.

Tape # 2: "Mexico." Starts in 650 A.D. and continues with "The Rise of the Aztecs," "The Invasion," "The Fall." This is the most fascinating and my favorite of the series. The complex history is captivating, and heartbreaking as the bloodthirsty horror of Cortez is told, and the commentary by Nahuatl anthropologist Eustaquio Celestiano is enlightening.

Tape # 3: "The Clash of Cultures." Columbus' landing on Hispaniola and the conflict that ensues, the "Gulf Coast of Florida" and de Soto's marauding army.

Tape # 4: "Invasion of the Coast." The Inuit vs. the English, the East coast peoples vs. the English.

Tape # 5: "Cauldron of War." Trading with the white man and how commercial hunting changed the face of the Indian Nations. The Iriquois: The leader known as "The Great Peacemaker" and his "Great Laws" which created the first democracy in America.

Tape # 6: "Removal." War and exile in the East. The story of Tecumseh and his heroic challenge. The 1830 "Indian Removal Act" and the journey West.

Tape # 7: "Roads Across the Plains." California. The building of the missions and the gold rush. What happened in these events will be new information to a lot of people. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse: "Standing Against the Tide."

Tape # 8: The wise and great Chief Joseph. The Apaches. The Reservations. The "Boarding Schools" where children were stripped of their identities. It ends with present day Native Americans speaking about perspectives today. As Mario Gonzalez, an Ogala Sioux says, "Destiny is not a matter of fate, it's a matter of choice."

Jack Leustig's incredible work is hosted by Kevin Costner and narrated by Gregory Harrison. The excerpts of written documents are superbly spoken by such actors as Wes Studi, Edward James Olmos, and Patrick Stewart. The score by Peter Buffet is also excellent. These tapes are also available singly, and are 49 minutes long apiece.

120 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's been some time since I gave out 5 Stars!, September 4, 2004

By 

R. Kirkham "jrkirkham" (Rushville, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 500 Nations (DVD)

This series is certainly worth it! This miniseries is well researched, has excellent graphics, and Kevin Costner does a great job as host. I fell in love with it the first few moments I watched.

No matter what portion of the country you live in, you will learn new history about your region. The series is designed so you can watch it through from beginning to end, or skip directly to the portions that most interest you.

This is one series I think EVERY American should own. It will help you understand who you are, even if you don't have a trace of Native American blood.

I chose the portion that deals with our locality to show to the college class I teach. Although the portion was only 8 minutes long, it sparked a discussion that sent our class into overtime.

Why should you buy it as opposed to renting it? Simple, when you rent a movie, you remember the movie and often don't view it a second time. This is more like a multimedia encyclopedia on Native Americans. You will want to look up portions of it from time to time and even show certain portions to friends.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Native Americans, September 9, 2005

By 

Mr. Christopher Blundell (Southport, England. UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 500 Nations (DVD)

This film evoked in me a great deal of emotion about the American Indians, and more especially about how badly they'd been treated by our forefathers, their European invaders. I've learnt a great deal that I didn't know from watching and listening to the commentary. My only criticism (and it's only a small one) is that I heard little mention of some of the more recent tribes including the Comanches, and I always thought that they would have featured rather prominently, however that's only my own opinion. Some of the scenery shots were absolutely brilliant as was the computer generated scenes. All in all, a very enjoyable film, full of information, and lasting over eight hours. Well worth buying, and re-watching time and time again. A must for anyone even remotely interested in The Native American culture.