Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, 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: Paladin Communications
• DVD Release Date: May 21, 2003
• Run Time: 83 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0971168520
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,822 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Review

GEORGE WASHINGTON DOCUMENTARY IS A PLEASURE TO WATCH May 23, 2003 by Marylynne Pitz Young George Washington was touchy and quick-tempered but brave and ambitious. By age 23, Washington had been rebuffed by the French while serving as Virginia's ambassador in Pennsylvania, experienced defeat at Fort Necessity and survived three hours of murderous fighting during the routing of Maj. Gen. Edward Braddock and his troops on the Monongahela River in July 1755. No wonder he was not eager to return to Pennsylvania to battle cunning Indians allied with wily Frenchmen. But when Virginia leaders offered him the rank of colonel and command of the First Virginia Regiment, Washington agreed because he hoped to win an officer's commission in the British Army. That dream never materialized but Washington learned leadership from British Maj. Gen. John Forbes and his Swiss deputy, Col. Henry Bouquet. Washington's early military career during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) is chronicled in a new film co-produced by Robert and Mary Matzen, whose production company, Paladin Communications, is in Pittsburgh. GEORGE WASHINGTON'S FIRST WAR: THE BATTLES FOR FORT DUQUESNE premiered Wednesday in Oakland at Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum & Memorial. The film is timely because the 250th anniversary of the war, which began in 1754, arrives next year. Many of the conflict's major battles were fought in Western Pennsylvania. About 1,000 people, including re-enactors in full regalia, Mayor Tom Murphy and State Rep. Jim Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, watched the 83-minute film. Maher praised the Matzens for their "grit and determination" in making the film. Dave Crawley of KDKA-TV served as master of ceremonies. Like documentaries popularized by PBS filmmaker Ken Burns, the film uses maps, re-enactments, scenes painted by artists who know the period and knowledgeable historians who comment on the British and French efforts to control and colonize North America. Shot on a budget of $225,000, the documentary was produced with funding from various local sources. The Matzens, both of whom have 40-hour-a-week day jobs, worked 18-hour days for a year and a half to write, shoot and produce the film. The couple also spent nearly $50,000 of their own money on the project. Overall, the film is a pleasure to watch, because it explains clearly why the British ultimately wrested control of Fort Duquesne and North America from the French. The British built roads while the French relied on rivers, which made travel impossible if they dried up in summer or froze in winter. Midway through the war, the French began running out of supplies, and many Indian warriors, seeing that their allies were going to lose, switched sides and joined the British. Actor Michael Rotthaar narrates, and his stentorian voice suits the historic events but occasionally verges on the melodramatic. Excellent music from the period, such as "George Washington's March" is provided by Chuck Krepley. The film begins with scenes of Braddock's fallen soldiers at the Battle of Monongahela. Washington, leading a group of poorly trained, equipped and disciplined men, tries vainly to protect the frontier as French and Indian raiding parties terrorize settlers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. This particular chapter of the conflict, known as the "petite guerre" or "little war" is dramatized effectively with scenes of Indians setting fire to settlements, but the film would not have suffered if a few minutes of this footage had been cut. Viewers are also educated about Indians' practice of taking settlers and adopting them into their tribes to replace fallen warriors. --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Product Description

On July 9, 1755, two regiments of British regulars and a Colonial contingent under the overall command of General Edward Braddock of the Coldstream Guards have been annihilated deep in the Ohio Country by a French and Native American guerrilla force from Fort Duquesne. The forest runs red with blood, and the French & Indian War has begun. Now French-led raiding parties use terror to push British settlers out of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. In this dark time Virginia turns to its most experienced young leader, George Washington, a survivor of the Braddock Expedition. For three years Washington leads a regiment of Virginia defenders against the French-allied Indians, whom he calls "the most skillful of enemies" in a war that rages through the Ohio Country and across Europe. GEORGE WASHINGTON'S FIRST WAR uses large-scale battle reenactments staged on historic battlefields to capture the flavor of the war that taught young Washington how to lead fighting men. Featuring top historians, including CRUCIBLE OF WAR author Fred Anderson, REDCOATS author Stephen Brumwell, and BRADDOCK AT THE MONONGAHELA author Paul Kopperman, the award-winning GEORGE WASHINGTON'S FIRST WAR has been recognized by Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and the Smithsonian Institution.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Movingly accurate!, December 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: George Washington's First War: The Battles for Fort Duquesne (DVD)

This documentary of a little publicized period prior to our country's founding brings alive the roots of our democracy and the complicity of the struggle for occupation of the eastern territory. Highly recommended for history buffs, educational supplements for all ages, and pure entertainment. Looking forward to the next of the series. (When the Forest Ran Red, the first film was equally well done.)

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great DVD on Washington and the French and Indian War, March 13, 2006

By 

Dr J (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: George Washington's First War: The Battles for Fort Duquesne (DVD)

This DVD is the second in a series on George Washington and the French and Indian War from Paladin Communications. The first installment (see my review of _When the Forest Ran Red_) was fabulous and this one is just as good. The presentation is great; it contains reenactments and movie clips. We see how the French and Indian War unfolds in western Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Grant's surprise attack on Fort Duquesne is reminiscent of Braddock's defeat. The viewer is sure the British will succeed, but is surprised when Grant pulls the proverbial defeat from the jaws of victory. The French strategy of small, lightening raids against English settlements is made clear in the video. I found the maps particularly helpful in understanding the hopelessness of George Washington's task of defending the border. The French strategy, along with English bumbling and ineptitude, make one wonder how the English were able to win this war. We also see how George Washington matures and gains invaluable knowledge and experience that will help him later as leader of the Continental army. This is a great DVD to help one understand a war that set the stage for the American Revolution. I can hardly wait for the next in the series.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living History at it Finest, September 11, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: George Washington's First War: The Battles for Fort Duquesne (DVD)

This movie,which is the sequel to When the Forest Ran Red,is a fantastic journey through history.It takes place during The French & Indian War.It also shows "The Battle of Grant's Hill" for the first time on film.This Native American victory was even more profound than The Little Big Horn and Custer's defeat.I liked the use of the many reenactors,and how it all came together.A must see for history buffs.