Product Details

• 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: A&E HOME VIDEO
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002TVQ4DU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,199 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "People Speak The" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The History Channel's The People Speak combines a documentary with a stage show and a concert. The material comes from Howard Zinn's bestselling books, particularly A People's History of the United States. As Zinn narrates, photographs and illustrations alternate with readings and performances that took place in Boston and Malibu, California, between 2008 and 2009 (Zinn passed away in 2010).

Producer Matt Damon, who grew up next door to the history professor, starts by reading from the Declaration of Independence, followed by other notables, among them Morgan Freeman (as Frederick Douglass), David Strathairn (John Brown), Marisa Tomei (Harriet Hanson Robinson), Sean Penn (Kevin Tillman, the brother of Pat Tillman), and coproducer Josh Brolin (Mark Twain). Others include Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover, Kerry Washington, Benjamin Bratt, Rosario Dawson, and Don Cheadle, most of whom play several parts.

Some of the finest readers, however, aren't actors. Run-DMC's Darryl McDaniels, for instance, appears visibly shaken as he reads from "David Walker's Appeal." Except for Bob Dylan's croak on Woody Guthrie's "Do Re Mi" and the edit that splits John Legend's version of the traditional "No More Auction Block" in two, the songs all work well, particularly Eddie Vedder with Dylan's "Masters of War" and Bruce Springsteen with Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," the only selection recorded sans audience (Zinn doesn't mention it, but "Auction Block" inspired Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind"). Supplements include cast interviews and a featurette in which Damon notes that he originally envisioned the production as a television miniseries. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, The People Speak focuses on the concept of democracy based on the lives and experiences of ordinary Americans who, through their words and actions, changed the course of history. Narrated by Howard Zinn and based on his bestselling book, A People's History of the United States, and Voices of a People's History, this groundbreaking documentary film illustrates the relevance of these passionate historical moments to our society today, reminding us that democracy is not a spectator sport and to never take liberty for granted. A journey from the founding of this country to the civil rights movement and beyond, The People Speak uses star power to celebrate democracy: executive producer Matt Damon reads from The Declaration of Independence; Bruce Springsteen performs Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land"; while other accomplished performers, including Morgan Freeman, Marisa Tomei, Josh Brolin, Viggo Mortensen, Kerry Washington, Bob Dylan and Eddie Vedder lend their voices to help re-create the emotional impact of these moments in history.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you like Zinn, you'll like this, December 13, 2009

By 

Susan B. Anthony - See all my reviews

This review is from: The People Speak (Extended Edition) (DVD)

If Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States" is your type of history, this is a must have for your collection. The primary sources are good and the performances are powerful. Teachers might like this as a companion to teaching the use of primary source documents. Zinn gives the right amount of context to the pieces so that they make sense.

This review is based on the program that aired on The History Channel.

62 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truth in History - what a concept, December 21, 2009

By 

R. Crowley (Millville, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The People Speak (Extended Edition) (DVD)

I watched the video and plan to buy the book for myself and others.

It's sad to see accusations that Zinn loves to leave out information (even though his facts are true) when our school system teaches history without most of the mitigating facts.

We as a society can never grow if we cannot look upon our past actions in the context of truth.

Hearing the words of everyday people that helped change our society in this country makes me proud to be in America.

Name calling and accusations about such a fine work mystifies me, but so does slavery, why women were not able to vote, and treatment of Indians and so on.

I applaud the work of Howard Zinn and others who show the True beating of hearts in our democracy.

52 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic approach to American History, December 14, 2009

By 

J. Yanowitz (MA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The People Speak (Extended Edition) (DVD)

(This is based on the version that aired on History -- this DVD is that plus more).

This is a fantastic approach to U.S. history -- the words of real people who struggled to make their lives (and ours) better; read by a fantastic line-up of actors. These are the voices that are too often left out of U.S. history.

If you like Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, you'll like this. If you don't know that book, check out this movie (watch it with others!) and then go read the book.