Product Description

The War will be a seven - episode series produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that will examine the myriad ways in which the Second World War touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America. By telling the stories of ordinary people in four quintessentially American towns Waterbury Connecticut; Mobile Alabama; Sacramento California; and the tiny farming town of Luverne Minnesota the series will portray this enormous worldwide catastrophe on an intimate human scale. The War will intertwine vivid eyewitness accounts of the harrowing realities of life on the front lines with reminiscences of Americans who never left their home towns and who tried their best to carry on with the business of daily life while their fathers and brothers and sons were overseas. The film will honor and celebrate the bravery endurance and sacrifice of the generation of Americans who lived through what will always be known simply as The War.System Requirements:TRT: 900 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 841887052122 Manufacturer No: 705212

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #489 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
• Released on: 2007-10-02
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 900 minutes

Amazon.com
Creating epic documentaries about war is nothing new for Ken Burns, nor is the subject of the Second World War, which never ceases to be a popular subject of films and TV shows. Yet with The War, Burns has definitely succeeded in breaking new ground, exploring in depth the effect of the war on common Americans, and not just the soldiers of The Greatest Generation that fought it. As the narration says at the beginning, "The war affected people in every house, on every street in every town in America." This is nothing less than an attempt to show how the war altered the lives of an entire nation through the portrayal of four individuals from four communities--Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alambama; Luverne, Minnesota; and Sacramento, California--that could represent any town in the country that went through the war. The result is another stunning achievement for Burns and co-director Lynn Novick. Together the filmmaking team succeeds in bringing the war home through the testimonies, letters, and footage of the people from these towns. The storytelling is compelling--Burns and Novick manage to find the most vivid, intimate, and personal dimensions of a global catastrophe--and brought to life with exceptional voice work from marquee stars like Tom Hanks, Alan Arkin, and Samuel L. Jackson. Much of the footage is brilliantly restored; even the most die-hard History Channel buff will see clips here that they've never viewed before. Many old grainy family films look almost as clean and bright as if they were just shot using a modern camera with black-and-white film (keeping in mind that most of the footage was shot without sound, the audio effects work on The War is particularly impressive and should bring attention to the underappreciated work of the foley artist). It took Burns and Novick six years to make this seven-part, 15-hour film--not surprising, really, considering the miles of footage they must have accumulated in the course of their research--and the time and effort shows in the results. The DVD also includes a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, extensive commentaries, and more, in addition to a companion book, The War: An Intimate History. --Daniel Vancini

Customer Reviews

The Greatest Documentary For The Greatest Generation
Too many times, historical documentaries of World War II (or any war for that matter) focus way too much on the technical aspects of the event, such as where battles took place, what the military strategies were, and how many were killed. Instead of taking this tact, master historian/filmmaker Ken Burns chooses to focus on the stories of a few individuals (and their families/friends) who participated in the war.

Now, don't get me wrong...Burns also does enough historical recapping to satisfy a viewer who has no idea what happened (trust me, these people do exist!). However, Burns masterfully blends that information with the touching stories of individuals who did the "dirty work" of the war.

As a result, this documentary works on both the micro and macro levels of filmmaking. On one hand, it chronicles the United States' participation in the war...it is especially interesting to see the blatant racism against blacks and Japanese citizens, as well as the helpful attitude U.S. citizens had towards the war effort (very much unlike contemporary wars). On the other hand, it probes the brittle human psyche that is created in the aftermath of war, as humans who are raised to never take a life must adopt an entirely new frame of mind while in combat.

Overall, this film was the best World War II documentary I have ever seen. By combining the "big picture" of the war effort (complete with simple graphics and illustrations) with the heartwarming (or heartbreaking) individual stories of its participants (I was close to tears on more than a few occasions), Ken Burns created a realistic tapestry of the effects the war had on every citizen. It is so genuine that I almost felt guilty sending it to my grandfather, a WW2 veteran, as I was afraid it would drudge up too many painful memories for him.

Most Excellent in receiving the product in a timely fashion!
Thank You for sending the copy of "THE WAR" a PBS special. It was informative and well done. 5 stars

Ken Burns hits a home run
"The War," like Burns' other projects, places his subject squarely within the context of the times, creating an accessible, thought provoking and stimulating view of the defining five years of the American Century. This set of films provides an unequaled summary of the events of the war years with special emphasis on their impact on the home front. I use many clips from the series in my college modern American history class, not only to provide background on the war but to set the stage for events after the war and up to the present day. This series reaches students in ways no other can. I never have enough time to show all the clips I could, and the students always leave class wanting more. This is a keeper.