Customer Reviews

Through Deaf Eyes

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a Deaf person, I thought that *Through Deaf Eyes* was a good start or a good step looking into the history of the American Deaf people. Of course, keep in mind that a 2 hour movie is impossible to cover over 200 years of the American Deaf history. So, what you're seeing here is just a glimpse.

You're going to see glimpses and interviews on Deaf education, ASL, oralism, cochlear implants, racism, the DPN movement, technologies, Gallaudet University, notable people and many more. You'll also see mini-movies made by Deaf film-makers.

The Deaf community's reaction to this documentary is varied. Some thought it was great. Some thought that there was too much focus on oralism and therefore giving the wrong message. Some felt that this could have been done better. While I feel that this could have been done better, I also feel that this was a good start to allow outsiders to catch a small glimpse into the Deaf-World. I do hope that this will be made into a series.

As a deaf person and an instructor of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture/History, I heartily recommend this as a nicely-done glimpse into the huge breadth of American Deaf History. All the highlights are here: Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc, Gallaudet College/University, A.G. Bell, Milan Conference, oralism, cochlear implants, etc.

So why four stars?

I have only two gripes with the production:

1) There seemed to be a large number of deaf/hard-of-hearing interviewed that used their voices while signing. Of course, it is their prerogative, but I'm afraid it unnecessarily reinforces the stereotype that a deaf/hard-of-hearing person must be able to speak in order to be deemed worthy to listen to. I know many deaf persons that have poor speaking ability and yet they are among the smartest people I've ever met. But, in the majority hearing culture, they are viewed as being inferior. (In "Through Deaf Eyes," deaf scholar Ben Bahan nicely explains that viewpoint and how he came to realize it.)

2) There seemed to be a lot of emphasis on cochlear implants (with a large part of the last 1/4 of "Through Deaf Eyes" focused on this issue). Yes, I know it is a relatively new topic and a relatively "hot issue" in the Deaf-World right now, but honestly... 10 years from now, there will be another new and worse "threat" to the Deaf-World: the eradication of the so-called "deaf gene." Cochlear implants don't make someone hearing; they still have a hearing loss. So, I felt like there was a bit too much on the cochlear implant issue.

All said, it is still a WONDERFUL INTRO to the Deaf-World, and American Deaf History. "Through Deaf Eyes" will serve as a springboard to explore the issues further.

Chris of Centerville's excellent review of this DVD has it pretty well nailed. It is good exposure to America of the deaf among us, and their history. It has great short films and characteristic brief snippets of deaf relating their life, their history, their frustrations, their triumphs (loved the Gallaudet president story).

Also, her noting that the latter part emphasis on Cochlear Implants was quantitatively speaking potentially misleading to the uninformed viewer. America in many cases believes and at the least hopes that technology and science will be the savior of everything, including deafness. They also love the latest, greatest attempts from this field. So, Cochlear Implants are the latest offering.

The plays were highlights for me of this well done effort. As others have pointed out, it is always so difficult to compress 200 years into 2 hours, but this is good attempt. Maybe its success will inspire more.

LIKE More than 50 percent of all movies i would like to see this one and more than half your Dvds(or any DVDS) on Deaf Community issues have no Subtitles! This is very frustrating for a Deaf Person from overseas ! I speak Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) Not American Sign Language ! And Amazon and these movies or documentaries are marketed internationally ! But due to the lack of subtitles they discriminate in just the same way as when an American Deaf person wishes to watch a movie back home containing no ASL and no subtitles ! Please also remember closed captions on Dvds i have bought from Amazon dont work (there is a technology compatibility problem when we went from VHS to Digital Discs)

I wish the people who make the decisions on providing subtitles would stop being so miserly (stingy ,tight fisted ) and respect Deaf peoples rights to have equal access to all media !
This is a problem for every aspect of the life of a Deaf person and really disapoints me that it is a constant battle and it seems to be getting worse not better !
And as to the movie question ? Do i like or not like it , I would love to have the chance to find out !

Thank you

I just wanted to add a comment about the lack of Captions spoken of earlier. Its true that there is not an option on the disk to set for captions or subtitles, however I discovered that having the TV captions turned on through the TV set there are captions that will show up on the screen. I say this because it is a great programe,and if anyone from the deaf cummuinity did not want to buy it because of the lack of that feature need not worry because it does work. Other than that I just want to remark that I feel that it is a must see feature there is a lot to learn from it.

I have to tell you, this documentary was for the hearing who have no concept of deaf culture and it's evolution into what it is today. It was never meant to "speak for all" deaf culture or any sub-culture specific. If it was a film dedicated to and for the deaf, it would have been handled MUCH differently.

After all people who grew up deaf do not need this kind of introduction into a world they know all too well. This is a fabulous film for those of us who never knew there was a whole culture that is actually as intricate and debated as a religion. This was for the hearing who have no idea what it must be like.

This is as immersive as you can get for the masses and not lose their attention. We live in a society where it either grabs at you or who cares about it, and I think they hit on the right combonation to make people stand up and take notice.

I agree and hope this becomes a series so they may continue this whole idea and include all those who feel like it wasn't complete enough.

My nephew is deaf, but he suffers from multiple emotional disabilities. He watched this with me and was delighted at it's content. He said the same thing I did, that maybe the general public will now have a better understanding of what it means to be deaf, not just wonder how it must feel.

I am still stunned about how much this documentary moved me. I love learning and understanding others. This program fulfills both. For those of us who are not deaf or know anyone who is deaf - this provides us with a very well orchestrated view on the life of the deaf. This program should be required viewing in every school.

I viewed this two hour program on PBS last night. It is absolutely superb! It presents the story of Deaf Americans during the past 200 years. The story is very enlightening and educational. What this film actually did was to bring together many different stories, which were told in humor, sadness, or simply in a straightforward manner. I particularly appreciated that diverse viewpoints were represented in discussing about sensitive issues such as American Sign Language (ASL), Oralism, Cochlear Implants, etc. We also learned how Deaf Education came to America, the beginnings of ASL, the Oral vs. ASL struggles which affected the schools and the lives of Deaf people, the invention of the TTY and other technological advancements, plus other sundry facts. It was a pleasure being able to learn from prominent Deaf Americans sharing their experiences and views. Those individuals included Dr. I. King Jordan, Marlee Matlin, and other prominent Deaf persons. We also received a primer on Deaf Culture and its significance in the lives of Deaf people. Though this film is by no means a complete and indepth study of Deaf people, it does present the average viewer with a broad and eye awakening glimpse into their lives and struggles in the past and today.

All in all, this was indeed a worthwhile program to view and one that we will want to revisit from time to time. I look forward to the release of this DVD and will be using it as a tool to educate others about Deaf people and their culture in America.

This documentary was wonderful. I want to watch it again and again. I am a college student learning ASL and Deaf Culture, and I absolutely loved this program. There is so much to learn about the history and diversities within deaf culture, and this documentary covered so much from so many different viewpoints. Each story told is different and so you can really get a sense for the complexity of this culture. It will tug at your heart. Throughout the program are not only interviews, stories, and history, but also clips from deaf filmmakers and deaf artistic expressions. It's a great program.

Definitely worth watching if you want to know the history of Deaf culture, American Sign Language, oral learning, etc. It does not give a one-sided argument, but gives you retrospect from a variety of resources. I highly recommend this video.