Customer Reviews

People Speak The

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

(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.

I find it somewhat difficult to express how impactful this film was on me. I've seen a lot of films. I don't know how many exactly, but it's into the thousands. This film probably left the deepest impression upon me that any film has. I read all of the critical reviews. After seeing the film I can so easily discard them. This was an amazing film to say the least. The musical performances, though they weren't of musicians that I particularly care for, I found myself very moved by them. One of the critical reviews here claims that there is a highlight of the bad things in America. The critical reviews are so feverish that it raises the question to my mind; "Did they even see the film?". This is a beautiful history from the bottom, our history. I find it shameful for these reviewers to disgrace our history. And it is OUR history. I will set aside my bitterness of those who seek, for whatever reason, to omit our history from our schools and from our minds, to say only this: WATCH IT! DECIDE FOR YOURSELF! HAVE FAITH IN YOUR ABILITY TO JUDGE FOR YOURSELF! DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU NOT TO WATCH IT! It's important.

I'm watching this (and reading Zinn's "A People's History...) with my 10 year old daughter. I'm so grateful to be able to share this with her. Zinn is the history prof I missed in my education, but with the video (and the book) my daughter can get a different perspective on US history that can help to make her a thinking person. The performances on the DVD are inspiring. Thanks, Howard.

A number of actors, musicians., etc. read writings and letters by the
rebels of American history, like John Brown. Others read quotes showing
some of the darker side of our history, like Abraham Lincoln's early
determination NOT to free the slaves. And still others read words by
unknown 'regular people' commenting on their times.

Mixed with this are political folk songs old and new performed by
Eddie Vedder, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and others.

Moving and informative, this is not, 'fair and balanced', nor does it
pretend to be. The idea is to take a specific perspective on America,
from the time of the Declaration of Independence on, as a
nation forged, and constantly changed by rabble rousers and
revolutionaries, from Thomas Jefferson to Fredrick Douglas to Susan B.
Anthony.

I was fascinated and disturbed to read the vitriol that this project
has brought out from the right, and the mindless knee-jerk
counter reactions from the left - quickly degenerating into the old
'you're a commie who hates America!' 'Oh yeah? Well you're a fascist
who hates what America stands for!' childish spats.

Zinn and his approach is neither the first nor last word on American
History, but it surely raises important questions, and teaches ideas
that were certainly not part of my public school education. (e.g. the
fascinating distinction between the Declaration of Independence as a
more revolutionary, idealistic document ('All men are created equal') and
the Constitution, which was more conservative, and enshrined ideas such
as slavery, and voting as only for white males as part of the very basis
of the country).

And while it's clear the film has a 'liberal' political point of view,
to say - as many have - that a film full of the words of those who
helped fight to change America for the better is somehow 'anti-
American' astonishes me.

The greatness of this country has been it's willingness to change,
grow, challenge itself, right its wrongs and attempt to be a nation
that gives voice to people from countless backgrounds and
points-of-view. This film reminds us of that. Not quite sure how that
makes it 'anti-American'.

There is no contradiction between patriotism and a questioning mind
that seeks to look honestly at our past, uncover historic wrongs,
determine to right them and avoid them in future and celebrate those
who fought for the freedom of their race, or sex, etc.

That said I do have couple of qubbiles with the film;

a) not all the readers bring the same level of passion, commitment
(or, let's face it, acting talent) to their readings.

b) some of the readings and musical performances seem unfortunately
truncated. On a 'director's cut, extended version' DVD, why not let it
run 3 hours if need be?

c) The one point I will cede the anti-Zinn folks is that he is sometimes
guilty of cherry picking facts, or leaving out facts that might soften his point.
Of course, everyone from Fox news on the right to Michael Moore on the left
is guilty of far more extreme versions of the same sin, but it's still
a fair nit-pick. (I also think Zinn would admit it more freely than most,
since, again, he never makes the claim he isn't expounding a point-of-view).

But none of these minor flaws were enough of a problem to keep me from
being constantly involved, eductated and moved.

I was astounded by this dvd! Powerful and important. Have I been living so long with my head in the sand - ignorant of what the poor and unprivileged people experienced through out American history? Sad how so many relevant voices from the past have routinely been squelched by the powerful and inconsiderate. Thank you Zinn for giving them voice and doing the research to bring a bit of equality to our understanding of history

It is amazing to read the "reviews" from the naysayers. They all seem to believe that to criticize this country or its bad acts is an evil thing. WRONG. The true mark of a true patriot is one who recognizes the shortcomings and yes, even the evils, of this Nation and who seeks to find remedies and ways to improve on a good idea. America is an experiment and one the Founders understood would need to be nurtured and revered, not abandoned and pooped on. Get with the program, people. This, along with Zinn's book, is a GOOD thing!

The right and truthful Knowledge creates Wisdom. This book will open your eyes to the fact that history was written by the winners, and they were not always nice people. Learn the real history of your country so you can make wise choices in your life. Every student in this country should have to read this Book!

The real shows of this were far better. This is a butchered, sanitised, half-baked version despite the DVD claiming to be 20 minutes longer. Many of the performances are no where as powerful as prior efforts and some content is cut down to small portions of the prior pieces heard on DEMOCRACY NOW and found on YOUTUBE. Kilcher's reading of Chief Joseph is murdered on this DVD for a better version see the link on my website [...] links to a youtube from Sundance 2009.

There are huge topics watered down or omitted by this presentation. Where is Haymarket ? Where is Alexander Berkman? Why is Ellsberg included ? So many other thoughts ran through my head watching this. Go to youtube watch Sandra Oh's performance of Emma Goldman on Patriotism so much more powerful than what seems like a rehearsal take on this DVD.