Customer Reviews

Liberty - The American Revolution

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps better than any other filmed expedition into the Revolutionary past, LIBERTY! explains the WHY of the American uprising. Others have faulted it for being militarily incomplete, but this is its principle strength, in my view. Far too often, history is comprised of the accounts of battles. Here, though, the producers chose to focus on the dream of liberty more than its attainment. To be sure, important battles get their due, but the emphasis here is on a war won more through propaganda and promises than by musket and steel.

The producers are out to tell a story as much as the truth, and so know they have to start at the beginning. Many accounts of the times seem to skip glibly over the predominant happiness with British rule that most colonists felt, but not LIBERTY! Instead, it goes to great lengths to put viewers back in colonial America, so they can understand how improbable it was that the people of the time would've imagined themselves divorced from England. Unlike many accounts, LIBERTY! Is unafraid to take the opposing British viewpoint, and to include British historians. This documentary, indeed, sees the arguments from all sides, and shows just how reluctance turned to resolve. More to the point, it shows both sides as equally hotheaded and responsible for the war.

Indeed, the commitment to explain the conflict in human terms is so prevalent in this work, that actors hired to play various key figures propel the basic storyline as much as the narrator. Best of all, every word these actors speak comes from a documented primary source. Choosing to have the figures themselves partially tell the story adds great personal interest while moving the drama of the larger conflict swiftly along. Particularly noteworthy is the emphasis on the John and Abagail Adams relationship, which was fortunately well documented by their own letter writing. Their correspondence is one of the great diaries of the time, and lends much to an understanding of the decisions made. The great thing about including such a complete primary source in a history is that viewers get a real sense of what it was like to be unsure that the Revolution would succeed, or what shape the new nation would take.

In fact, it is precisely the decision to look at the events as a rocky rebellion rather than a revered revloution which makes LIBERTY! the pre-eminent documentary on the subject.

I have found this amazing documentary miniseries to be essential pre-July 4 viewing every year.

Yes, you may feel your favorite battle or historical figure have been given short shrift - but this is the price paid for keeping the story from being bogged down and uneven, and almost every aspect of the revolution is covered to some extent.

The actors giving readings of actual letters written by their characters could hardly have been better - you really feel like you're in the trenches with them. Everyone from generals down to footsoldiers have something to say to us, and we learn about the war from those fighting the war on the battlefields and in Independence Hall.

This is, above all, an eye-opener for those who think the Patriots were all saints and the British all devils. Those on both sides were all just mere mortals, some committing unspeakable atrocities and others trying to do what they thought was right for their countries at a time when it wasn't clear who was guilty of treason. If you're at all interested in the revolution, this one is not to be missed.

A wonderfully acted and directed "period" piece that brings the Revolution and the Revolutionary times to your VCR. Like many of the previous reviewers, I initially was a tad disappointed at some of the short coverage of some of the major events (the Southern theatre, for example...), but soon realized that the main objective of this work is to portray the people (warts and all) behind the push for Independance, and not necessarily view this as a documentary. The "people" aspect here is lively and informative and succeeds overwhelmingly with bringing the feeling of the War and the period to life. Not only are the legendary central figures portrayed (Philip Bosco is extraordinary as Benjamin Franklin...), but the everyday person along with the lowest level soldiers (Philip Hoffman as Joseph Plumb Martin is wonderful...) get presented...each with his/her own unique reading that fully covers the emotion and frustration of this time. For the historians, we get excellent accounts of John Burgoyne's march to defeat at Saratoga, the diplomacy activities of Franklin and others in bringing the French in as allies, the view from England's monarchy and Parliament and the final major battle at Yorktown...all wonderfully acted and plausibly portrayed. If this video set is coupled with the companion book, one gets an excellent and refreshing account of the Revolution which should be counted as required viewing/reading for all Revolutionary War fans. Highly recommended.

Liberty was a well done documentary on the Revolutionary War. It goes into heavy detail on many aspects that led to the outbreak of war and focuses well on the actions of early revolutionaries like Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin. Unfortunately, it falls short of its account of the battles of the war. The documentary all but ignores the Battle of Saratoga, an instrutmental battle that turned the course of the war. This battle is what led the French to get involved in the war, another aspect that is almost completely ignored. The film does go into great detail on specific campaigns and battles, like Yorktown, but does so at the expense at other important stories. Benedict Arnold is ignored except for about a ten minute segment simply stating that he was a traitor and failed in turning West Point over to the British. I would recommend another documentary, the A&E and History Channel's American Revolution. It provides a much better view of the entire conflict.

This is an excellent masterpiece documentary series on the American Revolution. It provides a vivid potrait of American life through the American revoultion. It is full of wonderful commentaries from people of the time, and contains nice imagery and music. It also accurately documents the fighting and planning of the war itself, and explains the causes of the war. It is a grat documentary series, that is guranteed to please all that study American history.

As an avid student of the American Revolution, this particular series, which covers many aspects of the war, was extremely insightful. It brings new life to the major figures of the period, from both sides of the Atlantic. Also, it is told and narrated in such a way that even the most uninformed viewer of any age could enjoy it. Superb !!

Liberty! is probably the best historical documentary I have ever seen. Throughout the years, my civics, social studies, and history classes have been showing videos on the American Revolution almost every year. Most give the same information: the Tea Act, "No Taxation Without Representation," boycott, Boston Tea Party, "Shot Heard `Round the World," all the battles, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. Besides the monotony, there was always a slight slant to the history. The videos, like the textbooks, often gave black-and-white views of the Revolution. All British were snotty and wrong; all Americans were humble and right. They talked of battles in the sense of numbers and victories, like keeping score of an extremely long game of tag.
Liberty!, I am happy to say, is different. For once, it is a documentary that shows the opinions of all sides. Those who remained loyal to the British are actually discussed and given viable reasons for their loyalty, unlike other stories that portray them as wealthy or indifferent people that were the enemies of the righteous. Also, it gives new light to the "colonists-band-together-for-a-mutual-cause" idea as the not-so-widespread opinion that America should detach itself from Britain and become its own nation. In fact, Liberty! sheds new light on many unmentioned factors of the Revolution. It displays conflict and change other than that between America and Britain.
The highlight of the series is how it shows all views. It gets and tells its information from a combination of expert historians and actual letters, journal entries, and other historic documents from the Revolution. While most documentaries do also, they dispense facts through a narrator. Liberty!, though having Edward Herrman as an excellent narrator, also uses actors and re-creations. The actors, in full colonial times attire and playing the writers of these letters, speak directly to the camera and bring the Revolution and the series down to a much more personal, intimate level. It makes the War more real to hear these people as though they were still alive today. I was especially touched by Abigail Adams' letters to her husband (the actress was both talented and beautiful) and was delighted with the Marquis de Lafayette, who was bouncy and enthusiastic.
The interviews with eloquent historians, too, give great details, back-story, and opinions. The balance between personal accounts, paintings, interviews, and filmed re-creations is a great asset to Liberty! They add reality, humor, horror, sadness, and power.
Liberty! - The American Revolution is a well-directed, realistic, personal, easy-to-understand, and definitely easy-to-stay-awake-and-watch documentary series. To top it all off, it has a great song at the end of each video. ; )

'Liberty! The American Revolution' is a wonderful PBS series, a six-part treatment of the period leading up to and including the American Revolution in the mid-to-late 1700s.

As this series shows, the seeds of the American Revolution were planted long before the actual conflicts began. This was not an overnight decision on the part ofthe colonists or the British; intense negotiations and political attempts were made for years prior to the outbreak of hostilities. The colonists largely came from Britain; the leadership certainly looked to Britain for political, moral and cultural guidance, as well as primary trade and security vis-a-vis the Spanish, the French, and the Native Americans. American leaders were, by and large, British leaders too -- George Washington held a commission and fought with the British in the French and Indian War.

This was a family break-up in many ways -- the series' astute use of the actual words of the people of the time show the emotions that conflict, the love-hate relationship both sides embodied. The first episode shows the beginnings of discontent on both sides, with the colonists beginning to be stressed over being ignored by the British leadership, and the British leadership, in the form of George III, newly ascended to the throne, and various high-powered ministers, feeling that the colonists were rather ungrateful toward their (so-they-considered-themselves-to-be) rightful lords.

Liberty, ironically, was what George III and his first minister, William Pitt, were all about. The Seven-Years War was won as a fight for liberty; the colonies in America and elsewhere were won over to Britain, who had a parliamentary democracy (however poorly enacted) as opposed to absolute monarchy (such as in France). So, the break-up between Britain and the American colonies becomes all the more troublesome -- not only were the opposing sides practically family, but largely believed the same things.

The series never makes the direct comparison, but one can get the sense of Jonathan Swift here, that the battles are fought over relatively minor things (like which side of the egg to crack) -- in the scheme of world politics then and now, the controversies were relatively slight. However, the issues of taxation, governance and respect were important, not perhaps so much for what they were, but for what they did portend as future treatment, and the colonists did not like being second-class citizens in a British-dominated world, even if, to the British leadership, being second-class British was better than being almost anything else. There was also the spectre of the Irish tyranny, perpetrated by the English, that loomed large as a possibility. Sadly, one cannot say that these fears were unjustified.

The series is intriguing, introducing sides to the conflict that one doesn't recall from grade-school and high-school civics classes -- the conflicts among the colonies themselves; the dissent among the colonies who often wanted a repair rather than a break with Britain; and the personal reflections and fears of the founding fathers and mothers (yes, there were many women involved in this process). Using diaries, correspondence, official documents and media reports of the time, the show weaves together a narrative history that achieves a good popular balance between historical detail and narrative reporting.

The writers' admiration for the founding Americans, their bravery and their intelligence, is very apparent. Their concern to present the British in a fair and balanced light is also apparent, and often portrayed as trying to be reasonable and responsive to many of the colonial concerns, if not always pleasant and courteous to the colonial leaders themselves. The writing is interesting and thoughtful, and done in a popular tone that gives personality to the people who figure in the events.

The final episode looks at the aftermath of the war, and the struggle for unity as a nation. George Washington's statement that liberty could be both a blessing and curse was taken to heart -- when the Constitutional Convention met to amend the Articles of Confederation, it went far beyond its original mandate, and it was telling that not all colonies sent representatives, and not all that were sent agreed to stay through the proceedings.

A great series in many ways, it makes a great gift for anyone (or to oneself) with an interest in history. It also has a companion volume available, which works both as a stand-alone volume or as a supplement.

This series was first broadcast on PBS in 1997 as an astonishing "bring it to life" narrative of the years leading up to the American Revolution, the scope of the war itself, and the drafting of the Constitution. Each of the six segments (an hour each) dissects not so much a specific point in time as a prevailing attitude. A long list of actors brings color and liveliness to not only the familiar names such as Franklin, Jefferson, John and Abigail Adams, and Patrick Henry, but also some of the lesser-known names such as General Howe, General Burgoyne, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Benjamin Rush. One of the best performances is delivered by Philip Seymour Hoffman as Joseph Plumb Martin of Connecticut -a soldier from Connecticut who enlists at the age of 16 and serves in Washington's Continental Army for most of the war. Martin's diary is a wonderful source for understanding the lives of Continental soldiers and provides much of the "average American" viewpoint during the conflict, although he turns up again in episode six, returned to civilian life and grappling with the reality of the new Constitution-based government. Familiar and not-so-familiar period portraiture helps to flesh out sequences that don't actually feature actors or dramatizations, and interviews with prominent historians and other scholars round out the drama and anchor the viewer with a bit of perspective. The sidelights come in from all across the spectrum: opinions of British regulars are given as much voice as the American colonists, slaves and indentured servants deliver a number of rebukes, Southern aristocrats decry the vile customs of their neighbors to the north, and the Federalist-versus-Antifederalist argument is dramatized with an intensity no junior high school history class seems to have ever been able to manage. These and other well-timed juxtapositions drive home the reality that the Americans were far from united on the subject of independence, just as members of Parliament were far from united on the subject of what to do about their upstart colonies. The series is loaded up with generous helpings of what this reviewer calls GINKT moments (Gee I Never Knew That). GINKTs are undoubtedly one of the most effective tools in retaining audience interest and sparking discussion. Wonderful teaching tool.

A New York man tells of watching the British Fleet arrive in the harbor from his outhouse. A southern gentleman tells of seeing the horrible revenge of the Loyalists, who left four severed heads on a fireplace mantle. John Adams admits that he voted for Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence because Jefferson was more popular and a better writer than he. Using the actual words from letters and diaries, actors portray the people of the American Revolution, giving "Liberty! - The American Revolution" the feel of a news documentary. A splendid narrator gives viewers the scenerio and background stories. Visuals such as live reenactments and easy-to-follow battle maps make "Liberty! - The American Revolution" clear enough for a 12-year-old to follow, yet detailed enough to keep the presentation interesting for even the well-educated historian. The documentary not only presents the facts, it also delves into the psychological profiles of the famous and not-so-famous people who made the revolution a success. When the series is over, the audience understands what would drive loyal British subjects to declare independence and why the revolutionaries were willing to fight and die for freedom.