Product Description

One of the most popular presidents ever, Ronald Wilson Reagan served two terms in office and left with his reputation intact as a charismatic, charming leader who managed to avoid many of the major pitfalls of the leaders before him. A one-time actor, he became a passionate ideologue who preached a simple gospel of optimism, lower taxes, less government and anti-communism. Often underestimated, his success in office surprised many of his greatest detractors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24562 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-08-12
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 263 minutes

Amazon.com
Both loved and reviled, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan rose out of the political ashes of Watergate to become one of the most popular presidents in American history. Whether you like it or not, he will be remembered along with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy as one of the most influential and charismatic political figures of the 20th century. This epic four-and-a-half-hour documentary shows why, and it benefits greatly from the fact that many of the participants in the documented events are still alive. Tape 1 chronicles his troubled childhood with an alcoholic father, his years as a lifeguard, his eventual stardom in Hollywood, his governorship of California, and his election to the presidency in 1980. Tape 2 picks up shortly after the assassination attempt and takes off as it explains his policy toward the "evil empire." Surprising to some will be the news that privately Reagan abhorred nuclear weapons and feared Armageddon, but he firmly believed that the United States could only negotiate from a position of strength (during his administration Pentagon spending reached $34 million an hour). Long but never boring, this film is a tribute to a man infinitely more complex than the jellybean-eating figurehead many like to portray him as. Included are interviews with Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, Nancy Reagan, and those wacky Reagan kids. --Kristian St. Clair

Customer Reviews

A restrained "ok"
This is a good documentary about an outstanding President. It could have been better, given the subject matter. It betrays some bias, and has some glaring omissions. But until the great Reagan documentary is made, this is the best of what I've seen so far. It does an informative job on Reagan's youth, his Hollywood years through the governorship and finally the White House. The primary focus is Reagan's fight against communism. It has fascinating interviews with major players in the US/Soviet negotations from both sides.

There are several omissions, such as the highly controversial bombing of Tripoli, which history now shows was successful in halting terrorism from Libya - but no mention. No mention of the invasion of Grenada. References to Reagan's faith are sometimes done with at least some mild contempt and derision, by "experts" who smirk very subtley in reference to Reagan's Christian faith.

Most of the family is included: Nancy, daughters Maureen and Patti, and son Ron. A glaring omission: second child Michael Reagan was a conservative talk radio host when this film was made, and had become the best spokesperson for his father's conservative ideals of all the children. But he's excluded entirely.

Remarkably, many of the actual participants in world history are included. James Baker, Margaret Thatcher, Sec of State George Schultz, Mikhail Gorbachev and other Soviet leaders, Natl Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, Michael Deaver, Lyn Nofziger, Donald Regan, Howard Baker, even astrologer Joan Quigley. Many, many more.

Some criticisms of Reagan are major leaps in logic. For example, Reagan's advocacy of the Strategic Defense Initiative, which was key in the final Cold War negotiations, is presented as a fanciful idea, and Reagan is presented as somehow confusing reality with an old movie role he once played that featured a secret space 'ray gun' weapon. The narrator makes the comment that "It was sometimes difficult for Ronald Reagan to distinguish fantasy from reality." On the other hand, James Baker and others who were actually there explain their position that Reagan was actually a clever negotiator.

The documentary misses a great opportunity to present the "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" speech with the great drama and emotion it deserves. In the midst of the speech - arguably one of the most powerful of the 20th century - the narrator interrupts to say "Ronald Reagan had almost no experience in foreign policy, little knowledge of history, and a capacity to be disengaged that grew worse as he grew older. But he never lost his sense of America's mission." Totally destroys a powerful moment.

Still, there are some powerful and dramatic moments that shine through. It's a selective biography with the fingerprints of a left-wing team that was reluctant to be tasked with this job. It has several great moments - any story of Reagan has to - yet fails to fully present the powerful story of a President who is arguably one of the greatest in American history. If you're interested in Reagan, get it. But don't let it be your only source of knowledge of this great president, and this critical time in American history.

Fairly Balanced But Repeats Some Popular Myths
Considering how left-leaning the Public Broadcasting System is, I considered this series to be fairly balanced. It brought out most of the strengths of the Gipper along with his impeccable integrity and character. But is also showed the negative aspects of Reagan's Presidency (e.g. Iran-Contra). There were two instances in the film that really irritated me. The first was a commentator who kept psychoanalyzing Reagan and trying to link his actions with his experience as a child of an alcoholic father. The second was a news reporter who was notorious for berating Reagan for his stance towards the Soviet Union and his belief that it would collapse. Reagan proved this reporter (and many others) wrong and outwitted their supposed insight, intelligence, and wisdom. Yet the best this particular reporter on the video could admit was that Reagan "might" have had something to do with the Soviet collapse but it also may have been a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Of course, this is pure history revisionist pap. Reagan predicted the downfall of the Soviet Union throughout his presidency and many newspaper reporters dismissed him as uninformed and out-of-touch. In fact, many reporters defended the Soviet Union and the socialist system and predicted that it would last at least as long as capitalism. It just goes to show how little they knew and how much Reagan did know (despite his appearance of being naïve and simplistic). Finally, the video wrapped up by perpetuating the myths about Reagan and the 1980s as being the "Decade of Greed." The 1980s were a decade when we had a president who put the people before government. This meant that government taxed less and people kept more of what they earned. Did the gap widen between the rich and the poor? Yes. But what the video doesn't say is that real income increased for everyone, including the wages of those in poverty. But I guess this was too much credit to give Reagan lest his policy of less government and power to the people be repeated again (heaven forbid!).

Fascinating
I was not a Reagan fan before I watched this video. After watching it, though, I have a great appreciation for Reagan and the job he did as president. The Cold War needed to end, and it would not have ended but for his presidency. I am intrigued by the things that make Reagan who he is. He is a religious man; indeed, his presidency was one long sermon against communism. His growth (particularly after the assasination attempt) is shown well in the video, climaxing at the end of his presidency when he conceded that the Soviet Union was not an evil empire (this moment was especially touching since you were able to see the emotion in Reagan's eyes). This video also deals well with the big weakness in Reagan's leadership style (e.g., delegating way too much--which led directly to the Iran-Contra scandal). It's scary how much he could be disconnected with reality, but this facet of his character is presented as only one part of this complex man. Two thumbs up for the video!