Product Details

• Actors: Will Lyman
• Directors: Michael Kirk
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: PBS (Direct)
• DVD Release Date: October 4, 2005
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000B0WO4Y
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,764 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "A Provocative Documentary on a Republican Party Mastermind", August 6, 2006

By 

Gabriel (Walla Walla, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frontline: Karl Rove - The Architect (DVD)

The PBS Frontline documentary, Karl Rove: The Architect, takes the viewer on a journey into the mind and motivation of the President's "right hand man," Karl Rove. The documentary is a must see for anyone interested in learning more about Rove's rise to power and his political vision for America. If you've ever wondered how exactly the Republican Party came to be a dominant force in the political landscape in this country, you should definitely see this film! On a personal note, I'm not a fan of the Bush administration and their policies on things like the War in Iraq, stance against same-sex marriage and stem cell research. I have to admit though that after watching this documentary, I developed a greater level of appreciation and respect for the strategic and aggressive Republican mastermind who helped secure victories for President Bush during the 2000 and 2004 campaign.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great short history lesson about a controversial figure., November 16, 2007

By 

lighten_up_already2 "lighten_up_already2" (Kirkland, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frontline: Karl Rove - The Architect (DVD)

It really doesn't matter what one's personel feelings are about Karl Rove because this documentary (like all Frontline episodes I've seen) is not overtly political one way or another. I really didn't know much about Karl Rove going into this except that the Bush bashers really seem to hate him.

Well, now I think I know why. Here's where one can learn very quickly just how Karl Rove gained such prominence in the Republican Party (the clips from the late 60's and early 70's were great fun) and how he helped President Bush get to where he is.

1.0 out of 5 stars thinly veiled attack documentary timed before the mid term election, December 5, 2010

By 

Richardson "Clarence" (Sunny California USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Frontline: Karl Rove - The Architect (DVD)

WOW...I was so looking forward to seeing this program reading about how "even handed" it was. It didn't take long watching to realize that if the viewer is expecting to see red applied to Karl Roves skin color and horns attached to his head ....you would pretty much get it only more subtly.

First...the beginning of the program the makers have to mention that Karl Rove's Republican roots go back to his teenage years and his true belief in traditional conservative principles of governing and law. Its really never mentioned again....but throughout the program the narrator , in a very ominous tone, refers to his master plan to basically seat Republicans in every office in the country. I don't find that problematic in one bit....would not a true Democratic believer want Democrats to win every election? The more telling aside that the "documentary film makers" make early on is that somehow George W Bush doesn't have a single original idea that doesn't serve Karl Rove and his desire to see him elected and re-elected. When a program "jumps the shark" that badly its hard for me to take the rest of it seriously.

Also..the contributors are primarily Dana Milbank and his gang of Bush haters in the media and primarily the Washington Post. The contributors from the Bush Campaign only comment (at least what we are shown) on facts of the campaigns ...all the theories and implications come from the talking heads with left leaning political agendas to espouse.

Karl Rove is pretty much called out as inventing hard hitting or dirty attack campaign ads in this program and its done often...and without any substantiation. First off..it was a Democrat , LBJ, that invented the televised attack ad with his legendary nuclear bomb and young girl with a flower ad that crushed Barry Goldwater in 1964! Secondly...while much is made of the Republicans rightfully showing John Kerry ...saying himself.."I first voted yes before I voted no"....the film makers attach no significance to the news shortly before the 2000 election that Governor Bush had a DUI in his history!
That is presented in a way to show how deftly Rove got around it but goodness...can we really ascribe something devious to every negative issue surfacing about a Democrat and accept that when dirt is dug up about Republicans that its not for similar reasons?

The idea that George W Bush spent his time in office taking on policies that were directed by Karl Rove to firstly allow him re election and secondly allow Republicans to take over the world is ridiculous...and history bears that out.

This film was constructed before the 2006 mid terms and to me seems like the flop film "W" that Oliver Stone rushed into theaters prior to the 2004 election..designed to influence. The fact that Karl Rove chose not to participate does not surprise me as he was serving in office at the time so it would have been premature and inappropriate. I also believe he was better served appearing on interview shows which were not able to be chopped up and edited to allow for distortions like this waste of time. Oh,and by the way, I'm a registered Democrat who has never voted for a Republican presidential candidate but love reading about political and historical figures and events.