Product Details

• Actors: David Janssen
• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• VHS Release Date: June 30, 1998
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0767010574
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,814 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will live long in our collective memory as a symbol of peaceful resistance to injustice. But, of course, he was more than a symbol--he was a man. Biography: Martin Luther King Jr. uses striking images and first-class research to explore both sides of this tragic hero. It tells us how his comfortable upbringing made him resistant at first to his role as leader of the civil rights movement, but also how he ultimately came to terms with it and even accepted the inevitability of his martyrdom. Documentary footage of his brilliant speeches and interviews with friends and associates make for a penetrating look at the inspirations and frustrations that made up this great man's life. --Rob Lightner

Product Description

Rarely has one man done so much to change the politics and conscience of the nation. Like too many others, he paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most loved, respected, feared and influential leaders in American history. In life, he helped transform the nation's outlook. In death, he became a martyr to the cause for which he labored. In this one-of-a-kind look at his life and work, writer/director Tom Friedman explores how Dr. King's ideas, thoughts and causes evolved in the face of the rapidly changing climate of the Civil Rights Movement. Rare footage and photographs illustrate the defining moments of his crusade, from the first stirrings of his activism in Alabama to his time as the pre-eminent voice for racial justice in America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good one hour documentary, but not the best in the world, June 8, 2000

By 

Rosemary Thornton "Niece of Addie Hoyt Fargo ... (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biography - Martin Luther King, Jr. [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This was an interesting documentary, but the directorial artsy stuff was quite curious. Filters (?) on the camera lenses gave the skies wierd hues and landscapes were odd colors, too. And that "turn the camera sideways" thing was in most of the still shots.

Those nuances almost drew my focus away from the story of King's life, which was not what the director intended, I'm sure.

This is one of the first documentaries I've seen on King where it freely discusses the whole FBI-King wire tapping incidents and the skirt chasing episodes. Also discussed the fact that Daddy King (MLK's Dad) rose up from abject poverty and his own children grew up in relative affluence - compared to most of the black community.

But if you want to learn more about the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., I'd recommend "Eyes on the Prize" put out by PBS.

It's longish - but I guarantee you can't watch one episode without weeping tears of joy and gratitude at the price that was paid by MLK and others to buy freedom for men and women of color.

Eyes of the Prize is still the definitive series on the history of civil rights.

But this documentary on MLK is a good one - just not the very best.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise History, October 13, 2006

By 

A. Reum (Montana, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biography - Martin Luther King, Jr. [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This intriguing video covers a lot of ground in 60 minutes or less and does so in classic A & E quality.

The story begins where it should, in the beginning. The early years of Martin's life are significantly impacted by his dad. "Daddy" King is painted as a culturally elite and powerful black leader. This did some harm to my limited understandings of the elder King but were necessary to establish the reason for some of King Jr's college aged decisions.

The video revealed some hidden truths about Pastor King's life. Secrets I had never heard of or imagined possible. The delivery of these secrets is believable due to the testimony of the involved parties. A few shocking facts are also revealed from the politics of the day.

In short, this video is almost too concise to do justice to the legend and fame of Dr. King. On the other hand, much can be learned and appreciated from this "short story".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pessimistic view of M.L.K. Jr., January 6, 2008

By 

Gerald Sproehlich ""An eye for an eye mak... (Sheboygan WI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biography - Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and the Dream (A&E DVD Archives) (DVD)

Sure, as the other viewers pointed out, this movie does indeed provide some insight into the personal life of King and it shows a side of him that we aren't really familiar with. The problem is that this is the only material shown about King. It's always a sad story or a pathetic reality about him. Rarely do these people emphasize what actually made the man decent, instead they focus exclusively on what his personal problems were. To me this movie honestly seemed more like an E! Hollywood Story rather than a balanced biography. I don't recommend this movie to anyone with a serious interest in learning about the life of King as the only new [to the general public-revealing]information provided here can be summed up in a few statements: -He admitted he may have slept around -He used to be saturated with pride and insecurity during his 20's -He was imperfect.