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The American Experience: MacArthur [VHS]

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No one in modern American history stirs as much controversy and disagreement as does General Douglas MacArthur. In this terrific documentary which PBS originally presented as part of the "American Experience" series, narrated by noted historian and author David McCollough ("Truman") in an exhaustive four hour excursion into the remarkable, incredibly flamboyant and star-crossed life of Douglas MacArthur, a endlessly complex, brilliant, but vainglorious general so many Americans learned to either love or hate.

It is all here, from his ignominious (although officially ordered) personal withdrawal from the Philippines by PT boat, leaving his entrapped garrison behind to the rebuilding of American presence in the south pacific, and the first tentative efforts to stem the tide of Japanese aggression in New Guinea. MacArthur was a virtual dynamo, and was instrumental in slowly but methodically turning the tide against the Japanese, first by leap-frogging his way slowly up the coast of New Guinea, and then by island hopping his way closer to a return to the Philippines. By late 1944 he was ready to invade the Philippines, and did so boldly and with a smashing success first in Leyte, and then eventually retook all of the islands. Finally, he oversaw the signing of the instruments of surrender in Tokyo Bay, and the terrific footage of the actual signing of the peace accords is by itself worth the price of the video.

The documentary is full of informative details concerning MacArthur's life, from his obsession with equaling or surpassing his Medal Of Honor winning father's career as a late 19th century Army general to his fear and difficult relationship with his adoring but domineering mother, who actually cohabited with him as late as when he was Commandant of West Point in his mid-forties after World War One. We learn a great deal about the career thrust of "Dugout Doug" in this fascinating personal portrait of him which depicts him as vain, a publicity hound, and a wry but sometimes naïve politician and darling of the Republican right wing, who protected him from suffering the court martial and disgrace of the commanding general and admiral at Pearl Harbor.

The historic and constitutionally charged clashes between President Harry Truman and MacArthur over the strategy in Korea are carefully examined, leaving this viewer both admiring MacArthur's position based on his knowledge of the combat situation as well as his resolve not to appease the Chinese, but yet also understanding that too much was at stake politically and strategically to be as aggressive and as provocative as MacArthur tended to be. This documentary provides the viewer with four hours of edifying detail concerning one of history's most instrumental and successful military leaders during his times at destiny's door. I really enjoyed this video, and suspect you will, too.

This is one of the best biography's I ever viewed on video. Not only did it hold my interest from beginning to end, it was very educational and revealing. This work was well researched and well written. It presents an in-depth look at a man who had a significant influence on our nation's history. But it does not stop there. It also gives an in-depth look at ourselves, and our own history as a people. It helps us to reflect upon our moods and attitudes during World War II an the Korean war. It puts in perspective the history of America's relationships with The Philipines, Japan and China. Most revealing are the power struggles that take place behind the scenes at the highest levels of government. It puts a human face on superstardom. If you want to learn how Japan got to where it is today after loosing World War II, why we dropped the atom bomb, and why our relationship with China is what it is today, this video will help. General Douglas McArthur not only had a major influence on the history of his time, but because of his policies and actions, he is still a major influence on our history today, and will be for a very long time.

Far from being sick, General MacArthur was a stable personality. He did have an immense ego, name me a general who didn't. The fact is that no other military mind can come close to him. His personal bravery in WW I led to six silver stars, in WW II he lost less men in the southwest Pacific in four years than General Eisenhower lost in the Battle of the Bulge alone, and the invasion at Inchon was the height of daring and risk but he and the US forces pulled it off. This PBS set is an excellent addition to any video collection.

Was General MacArthur an "egomaniac," as others reviewers have noted? Of course he was, but few Americans in history had better cause to have such an high opinion of themselves. Not only was MacArthur astonishingly brilliant (he graduated first in his West Point class), he was handsome, erudite, reached the apex of his profession with his fifth star, and he a military genius. It would be difficult to be humble having such an array of stunning attributes. Few have possessed such an astonishingly rich résumé.

American Experience biographies are always exemplary efforts and this is no exception. We see footage of various places MacArthur knew, from the military forts of his childhood, West Point, Manila, all the way to his last days at his improbable residence, the Waldorf Astoria. There are a multitude of interviews with people in MacArthur's orbit, from his military aide in the Philippines do his aide in Korea. The historians they include are all interesting, with the exception of the pompous Geoffrey Perret, who wrote a disappointing and error-laden biography of MacArthur.

There is an abundance of material on MacArthur's private life, including his bizarre first marriage to a flapper and his stable second marriage to his devoted Jean. MacArthur's Eurasian mistress is not forgotten either, and the documentary quotes from his sappy, Victorian love letters to her. Very interesting stuff! Finally, they include the fact that his only son, Arthur MacArthur, changed his name and now lives anonymously in NYC as a saxophone player. This is a highly entertaining documentary, beautifully produced, edited and scripted. It doesn't get much better than this.

After viewing this tape, it is clear that the only thing that kept Douglas MacArthur from being one of the greatest Americans of all time was his belief that he was one of the greatest Americans of all time. His inability to even consider his own infallibility was very close to a fatal flaw. He was the commander of two of the greatest military defeats in the history of U. S. armed forces, the surrender of Bataan and Corregidor in the Philippines and the rout of U. N. forces by the Chinese in the Korean war.
This film captures all of that, including his at times absurd pomposity. There is one scene where he is inspecting a military installation and he places his hands on his hips, arches his back and raises a leg. A decidedly non-military pose done solely for the camera. He looks ridiculous. In so many other scenes, it is clear that he is preening for the newsreel cameras, in fact, I cannot recall a single scene of MacArthur that appeared to be spontaneous. The best line about this aspect of MacArthur is from President Dwight Eisenhower, who said, "I studied dramatics for seven years under MacArthur."
His greatest mistake, which also proved to be his downfall, was his belief that the Chinese would not dare to intervene in the Korean War. Despite unambiguous signals from Mao that the Chinese would enter the war if U. N. forces moved north, MacArthur dismissed them as bluffs. He also failed to appreciate that the Chinese troops were combat veterans, having been at constant war for over a decade. There was really no excuse for such a blunder. However, he compounded that by clumsily trying to blame everyone else for the problem and trying to widen the war. His attempt to include the forces of the Chinese on Taiwan in the Korean War would have risked World War III and was one of the worst ideas of all time. There is also the classic scene where MacArthur met Truman and he failed to salute Truman. This was no accident and could have been nothing other than a deliberate snub on the part of MacArthur. There are two conflicting reports of the conversation between MacArthur and Truman in the car after that. One witness reported that the conversation was amiable and another who said Truman chewed MacArthur out, emphatically reminding him that Truman was the commander-in-chief. As a student of Truman, it is my firm belief that Truman would not have hesitated to yell at MacArthur.
It is a tribute to the innate sense of the American electorate that even though MacArthur was given a tremendous hero's welcome when he returned after being fired, it faded quickly. He had no political future and it was clear to the American electorate that a fundamental constitutional principle was at stake. The military is subservient to the elected civilian leadership and MacArthur was a direct threat to that principle. It is a tragedy that he failed to understand that. His inability to understand the broader political risks in Korea led to the Chinese intervention and a far more lengthy and costlier war.
However, no comment on MacArthur is complete without mentioning his personal bravery, although it was sometimes foolhardy. After watching this tape, I agree with the assessment that in terms of his surviving World War I, "He was the luckiest SOB in the whole U. S. army." He led a patrol where he was the only one that wasn't killed and he personally led charges armed only with a riding crop. These were attacks where approximately one fourth of the attackers were killed.
This is a powerful bit of film; I was particularly impressed with the detailed analysis of how well MacArthur handled Japan during the surrender and subsequent occupation. I would have liked to see more analysis of his command of the defense of the Philippines and the battles to retake them. The emphasis in the tape is on his political battles for resources and not on whether his campaign was really a military necessity. It is still a point of argument whether a concentrated northern island-hopping push through the northern areas of the Pacific was the best way to defeat Japan. I also would have liked to see more analysis of the consequences of his actions in Korea. After a point, the scenes of MacArthur acting for the cameras just grew repetitive.
The best description of MacArthur is a quote at the end of the tape. One of his military colleagues is quoted as saying that his greatest flaw was that he truly thought that his own ambitions were fundamental principles and should be national policy. I consider this tape mandatory viewing for anyone who wants to understand MacArthur, the pacific theatre of World War II, postwar Japan or the war in Korea.

As originally broadcast on public television, MacArthur is the documentary of a true American military hero, General Douglas MacArthur - America's most decorated officer in World War I, and a man who recovered from severe defeat from the Japanese in the opening months of the Pacific campaign, to make an ultimately triumphant return to the Philippines in World War II, and who masterminded a brilliant invasion in the Korean War only to be severely reversed by overwhelming Chinese forces. As egotistical as he was courageous, MacArthur fought doggedly against anyone who dared to question his military judgment, even the President of the United States. This in-depth documentary includes closed captions, scene selection, and printable material for educators. Enthusiastically recommended for home, school, and public DVD libraries. 2 DVDs, 240 minutes, color.

Was Gen. MacArthur an egomaniac? Yes, name me a general who wasn't. But in America's 'brief' history, you will not find a more intelligent, and courageous officer than this man. During WWI, his personal bravery and daring led to seven Silver Stars. During WWII, he lost less men in the southwest Pacific in four years of fighting, than Gen. Eisenhower did at the Battle of the Bulge alone! During the Korean war, at seventy years of age, his offensive at Inchon was the height of audacity and planning. He wrote Japan's postwar constitution, he is also revered by many Japanese to this day.
All in all, his career is enough to make one say, "Patton who?"

MacArthur was a polarizing personality for sure. He is one of my heroes and this video provides excellent footage and a great memory of The General. I taught mathematics at the USAF Academy so I am a bit biased toward this West Point graduate.

Excellent for first timers. Brief in its depth, but supportive to those interested in the research. Very good source information provided; worth the price.

The American Experience (PBS) review of Douglas MacArthur's life brought out details never before revealed. His brains, eloquence and charisma made him an almost unassailable figurehead, strongly supported by the Republican party. His paranoia and grandiosity got in the way of his achieving his potential. He had to be closely guarded by other generals and controlled by civilian presidents. He lied, exaggerated, distorted and constantly blew up his image. He was so independent and dangerous that it was necessary for Harry Truman to fire him. There are many details given by people close to him.